Comatose (album)

Comatose is the sixth studio album by American Christian rock band Skillet. Released on October 3, 2006, by Lava Records, Ardent Records and Atlantic Records,[1] this album continued a similar music style set by the band's 2003 album, Collide, of downplaying the keyboard elements that were prominent in previous releases in favor of distorted guitars, and included more of an emphasis on orchestral elements. Comatose was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 3, 2009, their first album to do so,[2] and has since gone platinum, selling over 1,000,000 copies as of May 20, 2016.[3] A deluxe edition of the album was released on December 26, 2007, and a live DVD of their headlining tour in support of the record was released in fall 2008. Comatose was nominated for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008.[4]

Comatose
A photo of a boy holding a plug in a tunnel with "Skillet - Comatose" above the boy.
Studio album by
Skillet
ReleasedOctober 3, 2006
RecordedFebruary – April 2006
StudioChicago Recording Company (Chicago, Illinois)
Genre
Length41:33[1]
Label
Producer
Skillet chronology
Collide
(2003)		 Comatose
(2006)		 The Older I Get EP
(2007)
Skillet studio albums chronology
Collide
(2003)		 Comatose
(2006)		 Awake
(2009)
Singles from Comatose
  1. "Rebirthing"
    Released: 2006
  2. "Whispers in the Dark"
    Released: September 19, 2006
  3. "The Last Night"
    Released: January 2007
  4. "The Older I Get"
    Released: February 27, 2007
  5. "Comatose"
    Released: 2007

This is the last album drummer Lori Peters recorded with the band, who later left in 2008.

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Christianity Today[6]
Cross Rhythms[7]
Jesus Freak Hideout[1]
IGN(5.0/10)[8]
The Phantom Tollbooth[9]

Comatose has mainly received positive reviews. AllMusic praised its unique mixture of instruments, saying, "When guitar progressions meet piano nuances, special things happen with this band."[5] Jesusfreakhideout.com also gave the album a high rating; "Filled with big songs from beginning to end, Comatose relies on more theatrics to build their sound while delivering substance at the same time."[1] Christianity Today, while mostly giving the album positive remarks, felt that the ballads were a bit too pop-oriented compared to the heavier songs. They also found some of the lyrics to be generic.[6] IGN.com gave the album a mixed review, commenting, "This may play well within that niche market of Christian music, as many of the traditional listeners eschew 'secular' radio. But anyplace else, this album will be ignored by the masses, as it's all been done before in one way or the other."[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by John L. Cooper

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rebirthing[a]"John L. Cooper, Brian Howes3:53
2."The Last Night[a]"Cooper, Howes3:32
3."Yours to Hold[a]"Cooper, Howes3:42
4."Better than Drugs[a]"Cooper, Howes3:57
5."Comatose[a]"Cooper, Howes3:50
6."The Older I Get[a]"Cooper, Howes3:38
7."Those Nights[a]"Cooper3:46
8."Falling Inside the Black"Cooper3:30
9."Say Goodbye"Cooper4:16
10."Whispers in the Dark[a]"Cooper, Howes3:24
11."Looking for Angels"Cooper4:31
Total length:41:33
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Live Free or Let Me Die"3:52
13."Rebirthing (Acoustic version)"3:54
14."Yours to Hold (Acoustic version)"3:44
15."The Older I Get (Acoustic version)"3:27
16."Whispers in the Dark (Acoustic version)"3:25
17."Say Goodbye (Acoustic version)"4:12
a Live recording appears on Comatose Comes Alive (2008)
Deluxe Edition DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Rebirthing (Music Video)"4:00
2."Whispers in the Dark (Music Video)"3:22
3."The Older I Get (Music Video)"3:41
4."Looking for Angels (Music Video)"4:34

Singles
  1. "Rebirthing" - RIAA: Gold[10]
  2. "Whispers in the Dark" - RIAA: Platinum[10]
  3. "The Older I Get"
  4. "The Last Night" - RIAA: Gold[10]
  5. "Comatose" - RIAA: Platinum[10]
  6. "Live Free or Let Me Die"
  7. "Those Nights"
  8. "Better than Drugs"

Personnel

Skillet

  • John L. Cooper – vocals, acoustic piano, guitars, bass guitar, additional string arrangements
  • Korey Cooper – keyboards, acoustic piano, programming, guitars, vocals, additional string arrangements
  • Ben Kasica – guitars
  • Lori Peters – drums

Additional musicians

  • Brian Howes – additional guitars, additional vocals
  • Paul Buckmaster – string arrangements and conductor (1, 3)
  • Suzie Katayama – string contractor (1, 3)

Technical personnel

  • Zachary Kelm – executive producer, management
  • John Cooper – producer
  • Brian Howes – producer
  • Chris Lord-Alge – mixing at Resonate Sound (Burbank, California) (1, 3, 6, 9, 13, 14, 15, 17)
  • David Bottrill – mixing at Metalworks Studios (Toronto, Canada) (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 16)
  • Richard Chycki – mixing (12)
  • Jay Van Poederooyen – engineer, Pro Tools editing
  • David Rieley – assistant engineer
  • Sean Geyer – second assistant engineer
  • Andy VanDette – mastering at Masterdisk (New York, NY)
  • Mark "Patch" Patchel – drum tech
  • Andy Karp – A&R
  • Kevin Tully – A&R coordination
  • Jeff Gros – photography
  • Josh Horton – design
  • Invisible Creature, Inc. – art direction
  • Gregg Nadel – product management

Charts
Chart (2006–2008) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[11] 55
US Christian Albums (Billboard)[12] 4
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[13] 24
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[14] 19

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[15] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Awards

In 2007, the album was nominated for a Dove Award for Rock Album of the Year at the 38th GMA Dove Awards.[16]

References
  1. DiBiase, John (September 25, 2006). "Skillet, "Comatose" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  2. "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  3. "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  4. https://www.grammy.com/artists/skillet/14706
  5. Losey, Stebe. Comatose at AllMusic. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  6. Breimeier, Russ. "Comatose, Music review". Christianity Today. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  7. "Skillet – Comatose". Cross Rhythms Magazine. Cross Rhythms. March 28, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  8. Thompson, Ed (October 10, 2006). "Skillet - Comatose review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  9. Avants, Jonathan. "A Review of The Phantom Tollbooth". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  10. "American certifications – Skillet". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  11. "Skillet Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  12. "Skillet Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  13. "Skillet Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  14. "Skillet Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  15. "American album certifications – Skillet – Comatose". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  16. 38th Annual GMA Awards on About.com
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