Skillet "Victorious" Album Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 3/5 Stars

If there was any one band that really defined my teenage years, it would have to be Skillet. Even if I'm not as passionate of a fan of them now as I used to be, I'm still grateful to them for being the gateway to me discovering a bunch of music. I still hold "Comatose" in high regard as one of the best Christian rock albums out there, and "Collide", "Alien Youth", and "Rise" are all very solid offerings. I even was more positive than most were on "Unleashed" in 2016. Unfortunately, that album hasn't held up entirely well for me upon return listens. I have to laugh at myself for putting it in my top 10 albums of 2016 (I was just getting really passionate about musical criticism during that time, so you'll have to forgive me for my clouded judgement). There has been one big pervading problem with Skillet post-"Comatose": they've been trying to replicate that album ever since. "Awake" is still the most egregious evidence of that in my opinion, but "Rise" and "Unleashed" also can feel like pale imitations at times. Also, Skillet's one-word album titles can't help but feeling cheesy at this point. They continue that trend with "Victorious", which came out last Friday. How does the band's newest hold up? Well, I can say that it's better than "Unleashed", but still has its significant share of problems that can't be ignored.

The album begins on a conflicting note, which is fitting, as my opinions on this release are conflicted. When I first heard lead single "Legendary" (which is also the opening track to this album), I despised it. I have warmed up to it for the most part. It's a decent enough opening to the album, with the explosive guitar riffs feeling pretty energetic. But this song is no "Rebirthing" or "Rise". There are undeniable issues with it: the filler "oh"s, the dime-a-dozen inspirational lyrics, and the overall obvious radio rock pandering are all noticeable. Despite all that, I still find myself coming back to the song for the catchy chorus. This track is definitely not one of my favorites on the album, but I don't find it horrible any more. Thankfully there are other tracks on here which are good in their own right. This is definitely the case for the title track, which is certainly one of the most significant highlights on the album. This is due in part to the "Comatose"-feeling strings that appear in the song. Incorporating orchestral elements is when Skillet seems to thrive the most, and they use them in a way that feels like a fresh way on this song. John Cooper's vocals here feel really confident, and his harmonies with Jen Ledger come across as quite beautiful. Even the usage of filler "oh"s here works well enough, mainly because they don't overstay their welcome. I really appreciate the uplifting chorus of this song, as it discusses overcoming impossible odds without sounding cheesy or over the top. "Save Me" was the second single of the album, and was another song that I started out disliking. However, unlike with "Legendary" where I am lukewarm, with this song I actually do like it pretty well now. It took me quite a few listens to finally like it, but it did happen. I think what helps is the sense of weight and desperation the song has, especially in the urgently sung chorus. The guitar work in this song is pretty interesting too, with some creative riffing being incorporated throughout.

The second half of this album is a little better than the first half. There are more songs that stand out here, and Skillet even take a few musical risks. Skillet has always been either hit or miss with their ballads. Thankfully on this album, both of the ballads end up working pretty well. Even though "Terrify The Dark" is the slightly weaker of the two slower cuts, I still like it. The discussion of how God's love takes out any darkness is presented in a way that is inspiring. It doesn't feel like Skillet are laying it on too thick, and the incorporation of piano in this track really lifts it up. Skillet does not use piano much at all, and it almost always tends to work when they do. This album ends out on a pretty solid streak of four songs. This streak starts with "Reach", which is my personal favorite track on the album. This song is the one of the few times where Skillet is able to replicate the emotional content of "Comatose" without it feeling like a carbon copy. I adore the guitar work in this song, as it is quite gritty and intense. The lyrical content of this song is above par for Skillet. I've never considered Skillet to be a lyrically great band, so it was nice to see a song here with some potent moments: "You were the only one to see/Secrets locked inside of me/You were the only one/So tell me where you've gone". The lyrics are admittedly simplistic, but I think they do really well at bringing the intended message across. I enjoy Jen's drumming in this song quite a bit as well. "Anchor" is the other ballad on this album, and it is definitely the stronger one. I could see this ranking among Skillet's best slower songs. It certainly has a worship vibe to it, but it doesn't feel entirely cliched. I like that John Cooper's voice sounds a little different than usual here, especially when he takes most of the raspy qualities of it out in the chorus. "Finish Line" is a solid rock anthem that is easy to have fun with, and "Back to Life" is perhaps the strongest song here as far as musicality goes. This song has an incredible guitar solo at the end that will definitely get your head banging; I wish there had been some more big moments like this on the album.

Like I mentioned in my introduction to this review, there are some problems with this release that can't be ignored. While there are more positive tracks here than on "Unleashed", there weren't many tracks here that truly wowed me. I think "Reach" and "Victorious" are the only two songs that I would put in the higher tier of Skillet songs. Other songs here are just solid enough. There are some pretty weak cuts on this album. Even though nothing quite gets to the cringe worthy level of "Famous" or "Lions", there are still some cuts here that I will definitely be skipping on repeat listens. The most primary of these is what is (in my opinion) the worst song on the album: "This Is The Kingdom". This track feels like a really cheap "Evolve"-era Imagine Dragons song. And you all probably know how much I detest that album. This song is quite bad, and the poppy elements here don't work at all. I'm not really sure if Skillet could ever do pop properly, especially if this is what they're going to do with it. "You Ain't Ready" is a frustratingly generic radio rock track that made me angrier than it probably should have. I think my anger comes from the fact that I know Skillet can do better than this; in fact there's evidence they can on this album. The motivational cliches here are in abundance, and Cooper sounds like he's on automatic for his vocal performance. "Rise Up" also fits the moniker for highly generic motivational song. Honestly if you would've put "Burn It Down" or "Undefeated" from Skillet's previous work in place of this song, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. I really wish Skillet would find more things to talk about in their rock anthems besides overcoming obstacles. "Never Going Back" is yet another example of this theme. That makes for at least four different songs with the exact same subject matter.

There are problems with this album that will continue to bother me on subsequent listens of this album. I know Skillet can be better. The huge Skillet fans will eat this album up; there's no doubt in my mind. When I was a teenager, I know I would've probably loved it (although I think even at a younger age, I would've still skipped over some of the songs here). My overall assessment of the album is that it's solid. It's not great, but it's not horrible either. If you want to listen to a Skillet album, then you're going to get just that with "Victorious". I doubt your opinion of the band will shift one way or the other with this release, as Skillet plays it relatively safe, for better or for worse. I will be returning to some of my favorites from the release, but will probably be skipping on the rest. This album proves there is hope for Skillet to one day get back to the quality they used to have. I hope it will be the next album. For now, this is satisfactory enough for me.

Favorite Songs: "Reach", "Victorious", "Anchor", "Back To Life", "Save Me"
Least Favorite Songs: "This Is The Kingdom", "You Ain't Ready", "Rise Up"