SKILLET Announce Their First Australian Tour Since 2018!

Not every rebellion gestates in darkness. As one of the best-selling rock bands of the 21st century, SKILLET continue to rebel against conventions, doubts, expectations, and rules with the intent to uplift in light. SKILLET have never compromised their integrity or their faith. Instead, they have travelled their own path to unprecedented heights with an urgent sound, undeniable energy, and unbreakable spirit.

The Wisconsin quartet have embodied rock ‘n’ roll’s evolution from day one, selling 12 million albums worldwide to date. Landmark Triple Platinum album Awake, featuring the 2x-platinum track Awake & Alive, 3x-platinum track Hero and 4x-platinum track Monster(one of the most-streamed rock songs in history with over 4 BILLION global audio streams) went on to pick up the Billboard Music Award. The band’s 2019 album, Victorious, marked the group’s fourth consecutive Top 20 debut on the Billboard Top 200. Their brand new album, Dominion, is a testament to the band’s enduring appeal, charting strongly and with sales that truly defy the international trend of declining album sales.

John Cooper (lead vocals/bass), Korey Cooper (guitar/keys), Jen Ledger (drums/vocals), and Seth Morrison (lead guitar) —create epic, expansive and anthemic music: the type of rock that is tailor made for a live setting; and Australia will have an all too rare chance to experience the glory that is a Skillet live show this April.

Bio

Skillet is an iconic American Christian rock band that has carved a unique niche in the annals of contemporary music history. Formed in 1996 by John Cooper, the band has undergone numerous line-up changes and musical transformations while consistently delivering a potent blend of hard rock and alternative metal. Skillet have released eleven studio albums and been nominated for multiple Grammy awards. Their albums Comatose and Awake, are certified Platinum and Double Platinum respectively by the Recording Industry Association of America and their albums, Rise and Unleashed have been certified Gold. With an unwavering commitment to their craft, a rigorous touring schedule and an unyielding passion for their art, Skillet has risen from humble beginnings to become one of the most successful and enduring acts in the rock music scene today.

Skillet‘s journey began in Memphis, Tennessee, where John Cooper, the band’s founder and front-man, assembled the initial lineup consisting of himself on bass and vocals, Ken Steorts on guitar, and Trey McClurkin on drums. John had previously been the vocalist for the progressive rock band, Seraph, while Ken had been the guitarist in a group called Urgent Cry. They met while touring together and formed Skillet together after their previous groups broke up. According to Steorts, the band’s name came from their pastor at Covenant Community Church and reflected that all the band members came from different music backgrounds so them joining together was like southern cooking – which according to Cooper is “… where you just toss a bunch of different things into a big ol’ skillet and see what it turns out like.”

After only one month together, Skillet received interest from ForeFront Records and released their self-titled debut album in October 1996. Cooper has said he wanted Skillet‘s debut album to be titled Right Upside Yo’ Head, though the record label refused. The album was heavily influenced by grunge and alternative rock, reflecting the musical landscape of the mid-90s. Mike Rimmer at Cross Rhythms gave the album a positive review found it “rocking in all the right places with the sound that will appeal to those captivated by the sound of modern rock but who want something more positive lyrically than the despair offered by hundreds of mainstream bands. A passionate combination!”

Skillet‘s breakthrough came with their second album, “Hey You, I Love Your Soul,” released in April 1998. This album marked a significant evolution in their sound, incorporating elements of industrial rock and showcasing John Cooper’s distinctive vocal style. The album reached number 25 on the US Christian Albums chart. John’s wife, Korey Cooper provided additional backing vocals on the track, “More Faithful” – she soon joined the band as a keyboardist and vocalist.

Building on this momentum, Skillet continued to refine their sound and expand their fanbase with subsequent releases. Ken Steorts left the band before they settled in to record their third album, Invincible. Kevin Haaland joined the group as their new guitarist although Steorts would still perform some additional guitar parts on the record. Invincible showcased a shift to a more electronic sound with use of loops and samples. The album climbed to 13 on the US Christian Albums chart. Steve Huey of Allmusic.com surmised that Invincible “continues the band’s approach of matching unapologetically spiritual lyrics to an aggressive, melodic alternative-rock sound. Although their message isn’t likely to speak to the unconverted, those in the know will likely appreciate their uncompromising attitude toward their Christian beliefs.” Trey McClurkin left the band after the release of Invincible and was replaced with Lori Peters.

Skillet’s fourth record would be their first worship album, Ardent Worship. The album consists of both live and studio recordings of six Skillet songs and four cover songs. Ken Steorts and Trey McClurkin perform on the live tracks. After the release, Kevin Haaland was replaced by Ben Kasica as the band returned to the studio to record their next album. Skillet’s fourth studio album, Alien Youth, was the first Skillet album produced by John Cooper. The album would reach the top 5 of the US Christian Albums chart and peaked at 141 on the US Billboard 200. Alien Youth also reached 16 on The Australian Christian Albums Chart.

Skillet‘s relentless dedication to their craft paid off with the release of their next studio album, Collide, in 2003. Collide showed a new sound for Skillet, abandoning industrial rock for a heavier nu-metal sound that was popular at the time. This was the first album the band released via Ardent Records. The album was then re-released by Lava Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records in 2004 with “Open Wounds” as an added track. Collide peaked at No. 179 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the Top Heatseekers charts. The album featured hit singles, “Savior” and the title track. Despite the album having sold enough copies to go gold, it has never been certified as such by the RIAA. The album was nominated for “Best Rock Gospel Album” at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005.

Skillet followed up Collide with Comatose, released in October 2006. The album was a further exploration of the metallic sounds of Collide but with added focus on orchestral elements. Jesusfreakhideout.com gave the album a glowing review stating it was “Filled with big songs from beginning to end, Comatose relies on more theatrics to build their sound while delivering substance at the same time.” Bolstered by hit singles such as “Whispers in the Dark” and the title track, the album peaked at 55 on the US Billboard 200, number 4 on the Christian Albums list and reached the top 20 of the US Top Rock Albums charts. Comatose was nominated for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. A deluxe edition of the album was released in December 2007, and a live DVD of their headlining tour supporting Comatose, Comatose Comes Alive, was released in 2008. Comatose was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2009. It was their first album to do so and has since gone on to sell over a million copies and was certified Platinum in 2016. Lori Peters retired in 2008 and was replaced by British born, Jen Ledger. Ledger was just 18 when she joined Skillet.

Skillet’s next album, Awake was released in 2009. The album was recorded at Bay7 Studios in California with Howard Benson as producer. John Cooper claims to have written more than 40 songs for the album as he felt pressured to top the critical and commercial success of Comatose. Awake debuted at number 2 on the National US Billboard 200 chart, making it the band’s most successful record to date on that chart. It also debuted at No. 1 on Top Alternative Albums, No. 2 on Top Rock Albums, and No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums listing. Skillet‘s single “Awake and Alive” made a notable mark on the music scene by charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbing to No. 16 on the Heatseakers chart. This achievement marked a significant milestone for the band, as it was their first song to secure a spot on the prestigious Hot 100 list. The album won Top Christian Album at the Billboard Music Awards. In 2011 Awake was certified as double platinum by the RIAA for sales of 2,000,000 copies in the United States.

Awake’s tracks “Monster” and “Hero” found additional exposure through placements in various WWE events and video games. Both songs were featured in the soundtrack of the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 video game. “Monster” had further prominence, being selected for the 2009 WWE Hell in a Cell PPV, while “Hero” was chosen for the 2009 Tribute to the Troops show and the 2010 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The AHL hockey team, Cleveland Monsters used “Monster” as their goal song. The Portland Pirates AHL team used “Hero” as their game opener. “Hero” was later used in commercials for Sunday Night Football and continues to be used by various sporting organisations such as the NBA. The song “Awake and Alive” was featured on the soundtrack for the film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. These placements not only broadened Skillet‘s audience but also reinforced their presence in the entertainment industry beyond the realm of music.

In February 2011, Ben Kasica left Skillet after more than a decade with the group. Ben was replaced by Seth Morrison who continues with the band to this day. Before leaving the band Kasica had collaborated with Korey Cooper on a remix EP of four songs from Awake. Awake and Remixed EP was released in March 2011.

Skillet released their eighth studio album, Rise in 2013. Rise was once again produced by Howard Benson, who suggested the band make a concept album. Jonathan Francesco of New Release Tuesday wrote that “Rise is the quintessential album of the year and one destined to go down in the history books” he described the music as “epic and memorable, with every song a classic in the making.” The band performed the title track off Rise on an episode of the late night show, Conan. Rise sold 60,000 copies in the US in its first week of release, debuting at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Rock Albums and Christian Albums charts respectively. Rise was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2016. Skillet won a Dove Award for Rock Song of the Year for “Sick of It”.

Skillet would follow up Rise with Unleashed in 2016. John Cooper described the album as being “full of crowd-chanting anthems. The album is very exciting to listen to. Driving beats and melodic choruses.” The single “Feel Invincible” charted at number 3 on the US Christian Rock charts and Number 17 on the US Rock Charts. WWE used the song “Feel Invincible” as the official theme for the 2016 Battleground pay-per-view. In November 2017 the band released a deluxe version of the album called Unleashed Beyond, which contained new songs including “Breaking Free”, featuring Lacey Sturm from the band Flyleaf. Unleashed was nominated for a Dove Award for Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year at the 48th Annual GMA Dove Awards and was certified gold in the US in 2018.

In 2018 Jen Ledger started a solo project, she released her debut EP under the name Ledger in April. The EP was produced by Korey Cooper. In September 2018 John Cooper and Seth Morrison formed a side project called Fight the Fury and released the EP, Still Breathing which featured the single “My Demons”.

In 2019 the band was confirmed by Billboard magazine to have sold over 12 million albums worldwide. This article preceded the band’s release of their studio album, Victorious. Neil Yeung of AllMusic described the album as a “satisfying, defiant, and rousing collection of spiritual hype music”, John Cooper has said he feels the album is composed of “fight songs”. The album’s lead single “Legendary” was later chosen to be the new theme song for the weekly WWE show, Raw, which debuted in 2019. The band re-issued the album as a deluxe edition called Victorious: The Aftermath which was released on September 11 2020.

Skillet released the single “Surviving the Game” in September 2021 as a precursor to their next album, Dominion. The band would release three more singles, “Standing in the Storm”, “Refuge” and “Dominion”, before the album came out in January 2022. Jesus Freak Hideout rated the album as 4 out of 5 stars and remarked that “Cooper and company have delivered yet another album which is sure to please the present-day fans, and one which may even bring a few departed Panheads back into the fold.” As they had done with previous albums, Skillet reissued Dominion as a deluxe edition in February 2023, called Dominion: Day of Destiny. The new version featured five new songs including, “Psycho In My Head” which was again used by WWE for the 2023 Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

Skillet has remained committed to delivering powerful live performances. Their electrifying stage presence and dynamic energy have earned them a reputation as one of the most entertaining live acts in the rock scene. Skillet have used their platform to address important social and cultural issues. Through their lyrics and public statements, the band has tackled themes such as faith, identity, and resilience, resonating with fans from diverse backgrounds and sparking meaningful conversations about the human experience. As they continue to evolve and explore new musical horizons, Skillet’s legacy will undoubtedly endure, leaving an indelible mark on their present and future fans around the world.