My Two Cents: Comatose

My initial reaction during the first spin of Skillet's sixth studio album was two fold: 1) I am glad that John Cooper's (vocals/bass) wife Korey's (keyboards/vocals) voice has returned to the mix (they have a nice blend); and 2) I am also glad that the music is a bit more melodic than that of the last album, Collide. I interviewed John for Seven Ball magazine prior to Collide's release. According to him, they decided to nix the husband/wife harmonies in favor of a more driven, male, rock vocal. Collide was the heaviest, darkest record in the band's repertoire. On Comatose, Skillet trades some of Collide's grit for lush orchestration (at times a la Evanescence) without losing its edge. This record sounds good, but the lyrics fall a little short, for my liking. I'm all for relevance and relatability with a broad audience, but, when lyrics are too vague or weak to make an impact, I lose interest (unless, of course, we're talking about a crazy club mix that is intended to mean absolutely nothing). In short, Comatose is both a return to what Skillet does best and a step forward sonically.