Rise (Skillet album)

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Rise
Studio album by
Skillet
ReleasedJune 25, 2013
RecordedOctober 2012 – January 2013
StudioWest Valley Studios (Woodland Hills, California) and NRG Recording Studios (North Hollywood, California).
Genre
Length48:11
Label
ProducerHoward Benson
Skillet chronology
Awake and Remixed EP
(2011) 		Rise
(2013) 		Unleashed
(2016)
Skillet studio albums chronology
Awake
(2009) 		Rise
(2013) 		Unleashed
(2016)
Singles from Rise
  1. "Sick of It"
    Released: April 9, 2013[3][4]
  2. "American Noise"
    Released: April 16, 2013[3]
  3. "Rise"
    Released: May 14, 2013[3]
  4. "Not Gonna Die"
    Released: June 10, 2013[5]
  5. "Fire and Fury"
    Released: 2014[5]
  6. "What I Believe"
    Released: 2014
  7. "Good to Be Alive"
    Released: 2014
  8. "Circus for a Psycho"
    Released: 2015

Rise is the eighth studio album by American Christian rock band Skillet. It was released on June 25, 2013.[6][7] The deluxe edition includes three bonus tracks and a DVD entitled Awake & Live DVD. It is the first album to feature guitarist Seth Morrison.

The first single off the album, "Sick of It", was released on SoundCloud on April 8, 2013 and was released on iTunes on April 9,[8] and was released to US rock radio on April 23.[9] "American Noise" was released to iTunes on April 16 as the first promotional single.[10] "Rise" was released as the second promotional single on May 14, 2013.[1][11] Skillet's fourth single, "Not Gonna Die", was released on USA Today on June 10. It was released on iTunes the following day.[12]

Background and release[edit]

On June 21, 2011, John Cooper posted that the band rehearsed new music for the first time and that they were getting ready for a new album,[13] recording a new record in January/February 2012. However, the band was then scheduled to headline the WinterJam Tour.

In an Interview on January 26, 2013 in Beaumont TX, John announced that the new album would be titled Rise and would be coming out in May 2013,[14][15] but was later scheduled for a June 25, 2013 release.[7][16]

"Sick of It" was released via the iTunes Store on April 9, 2013.[17] The lead Christian radio single, "American Noise", was released on April 16, 2013.[citation needed] The title track "Rise" was released May 14, 2013.[citation needed] The fourth track from the album "Not Gonna Die" was released on June 11, 2013.[citation needed] The band performed the title track off Rise on the July 11, 2013 airing of Conan.[citation needed]

According to Howard Benson, the album was not meant to be a concept album at first, but suggested making it one after reading Pete Townsend's book on Tommy and Quadrophenia. John Cooper was hesitant because the focus on the concept can result in inferior songs. But as the band fine-tuned the songs, a story began to take shape.[18]

Reception[edit]

Commercial performance[edit]

The album sold 60,000 copies in the US in its first week of release, debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on both the Rock Albums and Christian Albums charts.[19] On July 12, 2016, Rise was certified Gold by the RIAA.[20]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[21]
CCM Magazine[22]
Cross Rhythms[23]
Daily News[24]
HM[25]
Indie Vision Music[26]
Jesus Freak Hideout[27]
[28]
Loudwire[29]
Melodic.net[30]
New Release Tuesday[31]
[32]
USA Today[33]

The album has received mostly positive reviews. At CCM Magazine, Matt Conner told that "fans might not appreciate some of the newer flavors", however he evoked that "Skillet refuses to rest on their laurels."[22] Mary Nikkel of New Release Tuesday called this "an achievement well worth the wait, and it promises to set the bar high in the rock and roll genre for years to come."[31] In addition, 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", which he called "the music is epic and memorable, with every song a classic in the making."[32] At Jesus Freak Hideout, Roger Gelwics wrote that the album is a "set to frustrate, enthrall, and polarize".[27] Lee Brown of Indie Vision Music said that the release is "boldly devoted from start to finish."[26] Mike Rimmer at Cross Rhythms felt that "For those who have ears to hear, there's enough here to radically change lives."[23] At HM, Sarah Brehm stated that "as a whole, Rise is a decent rock album that helps revive the band after the mediocre Awake, yet it's still unable to rise above the impressively unique sound Skillet perfected during their classic years."[25] Chad Bowar of Loudwire wrote that this album is "a better album" than their previous offering Awake, when he said that the album "songwriting has more depth, there's added diversity, the concept and lyrics are interesting and uplifting without being preachy", and that "current Skillet fans will find plenty to like, and new fans will be attracted to the album as well."[29] At USA Today, Brian Mansfield highlighted that "the band pushes its musical limits with a coming-of-age tale that begins in a world that appears irreparably broken."[33] Tim Ferrar of Music Is My Oxygen rated the album four-and-a-half-out-of-five-stars, and told that this is "incredible music", yet "as a band, Skillet have floundered a bit in recent years, but with Rise, they have found fresh footing, producing an album that is likely to stand as a hallmark for their career."[34] At About.com, Kim Jones rated the album a perfect five stars, and wrote that "Skillet really did rise above the norm and their previous projects with Rise", and that "each and every song is a masterpiece in its own right."[35] Johan Wippsson of Melodic.net felt this was a "very stable release that [he's] pretty sure that most fans will receive in a positive way!"[30] At Louder Than the Music, Jono Davies affirmed that their "momentum is set to continue."[36]

However, Allmusic's James Christopher Monger wrote that the album has "such a vague story, despite numerous evocative, yet largely unnecessary between-song interludes, yields little in the way of any kind of investable, individual emotional arc, but the more general themes of self-discovery, faith, love, and loss resonate enough to pull at least one of the listeners feet into the story."[21] At Daily News, Jim Farber told that the album is "pure exploitation, milking today’s headlines as crassly as their sound does radio’s most cynical demands."[24] Ryan Barbee of Jesus Freak Hideout said that "Skillet can do better" because "lyrically, the album feels lacking and musically redundant", yet "the truth is, there are some listeners who will absolutely love this album: they'll relate to the lyrical content and they'll feel the music", however "unfortunately, for many others, they will be left wanting; and honestly they will be vindicated in their thought."[28]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rise"John Cooper, Scott Stevens4:20
2."Sick of It"J. Cooper, Stevens3:11
3."Good to Be Alive"J. Cooper, Zac Maloy, Tom Douglas4:59
4."Not Gonna Die"J. Cooper, Korey Cooper3:45
5."Circus for a Psycho"J. Cooper4:31
6."American Noise"J. Cooper, Maloy, Douglas4:09
7."Madness in Me"J. Cooper, David Hodges, Brian Howes4:17
8."Salvation"J. Cooper, K. Cooper3:45
9."Fire and Fury"J. Cooper, K. Cooper3:56
10."My Religion"J. Cooper, K. Cooper4:12
11."Hard to Find"J. Cooper, Hodges, Joshua Hartzler3:48
12."What I Believe"J. Cooper, K. Cooper3:19
Total length:48:11
Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Battle Cry"J. Cooper, K. Cooper3:45
14."Everything Goes Black"J. Cooper, K. Cooper4:26
15."Freakshow"J. Cooper, K. Cooper4:38
Total length:61:03
Awake & Live DVD[37]
No.TitleLength
1."Whispers in the Dark" 
2."Behind the Scenes 1" 
3."Comatose" 
4."Awake & Alive" 
5."Those Nights" 
6."Behind the Scenes 2" 
7."Hero" 
8."The Last Night" 
9."Lucy" 
10."Behind the Scenes 3" 
11."Monster" 
12."Rebirthing" 
13."Making of Rise" 
Total length:114:27

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[57] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Music News, May 2013: SKILLET RELEASE TITLE TRACK OFF NEW ALBUM RISE". Jesusfreakhideout.com. May 14, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  2. ^ Christopher Monger, James. "Skillet - Rise". AllMusic. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Skillet - Chart history - Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  4. ^ "Skillet Release New Single "Sick of It" On iTunes". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Skillet - Chart history - Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  6. ^ "New Album Rise coming June 25". Skillet.com. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Upcoming Christian Music New Releases". NewReleaseTuesday.com. March 19, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  8. ^ "Skillet Teams Up with ARTISTdirect.com to Debut "Sick of It"". Artist Direct. April 8, 2013.
  9. ^ "Rock Future Releases | Rock Music Radio Songs' Release Dates". AllAccess.com. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  10. ^ "Skillet "American Noise" Available Now". IndieVisionMusic.com. April 16, 2013. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  11. ^ "Skillet, 'Rise' – Exclusive Song Premiere". Loudwire.com. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
  12. ^ Mansfield, Brian. "Song premiere: Skillet's 'Not Gonna Die'". USA Today. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  13. ^ John Cooper. "We r rehearsing new music". Twitter. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  14. ^ "Skillet- Backstage Interview Live from Ford Arena Beaumont, Texas". YouTube. Retrieved January 28, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "Skillet New Album "Rise" May 2013 Release". March 15, 2013. Archived from the original on March 9, 2013.
  16. ^ "New Album RISE coming June 25!". Skillet.com. March 27, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  17. ^ ""Sick Of It" Teaser and Photo Submissions". Skillet. March 7, 2013. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  18. ^ "Skillet Just Keeps Getting Hotter With 'Rise': Exclusive Album Preview Video". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  19. ^ "Wale Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  20. ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  21. ^ a b Monger, James Christopher (June 22, 2013). "Rise – Skillet : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  22. ^ a b Conner, Matt (June 1, 2013). "Skillet: Rise (Atlantic/Word)". CCM Magazine. p. 48. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  23. ^ a b Rimmer, Mike (August 15, 2013). "Review: Rise – Skillet". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  24. ^ a b Farber, Jim (June 25, 2013). "Music reviews: Skillet, Os Mutantes, Harry Styles and Slaid Cleaves". Daily News. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  25. ^ a b Brehm, Sarah (June 3, 2013). "Skillet – Rise". HM. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  26. ^ a b Brown, Lee (June 23, 2013). "Skillet – Rise | Reviews". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  27. ^ a b Gelwicks, Roger (June 23, 2013). "Skillet, "Rise" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  28. ^ a b Barbee, Ryan (June 23, 2013). "Skillet, "Rise" Review: Second Staff Opinion". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  29. ^ a b Bowar, Chad (June 25, 2013). "Skillet, 'Rise' – Album Review". Loudwire. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  30. ^ a b Wippsson, Johan. "Skillet – Rise". Melodic.net. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  31. ^ a b Nikkel, Mary (June 14, 2013). "Still On the Rise". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  32. ^ a b Francesco, Jonathan (July 16, 2013). "Skillet Rises Higher than Ever with the Best Rock Music of the Year". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  33. ^ a b Mansfield, Brian (June 24, 2013). "Skillet's 'Rise' above rock boundaries". USA Today. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  34. ^ Ferrar, Tim (June 25, 2013). "Skillet "Rise" Again with Powerful New Album (Review)". Music Is My Oxygen. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  35. ^ Jones, Kim (June 25, 2013). "Skillet - Rise CD Review". About.com. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  36. ^ Davies, Jono (July 19, 2013). "Reviews – Skillet – Rise". About.com. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  37. ^ "CD's - Skillet Rise Deluxe Edition - CD/DVD". Thelighthouse.me. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  38. ^ "Skillet Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  39. ^ "Skillet Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard.
  40. ^ "Skillet Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
  41. ^ "Skillet Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard.
  42. ^ "Skillet Chart History (Digital Albums)".[dead link] Billboard.
  43. ^ "Skillet Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  44. ^ "Skillet Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  45. ^ "Skillet Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.
  46. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Skillet – Rise" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  47. ^ "Rise - Skillet". oricn ME inc.
  48. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Skillet – Rise". Hung Medien.
  49. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums: 2013 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  50. ^ "Alternative Albums: 2013 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2015. (subscription required)
  51. ^ "Christian Albums: 2013 Year-End Charts". Billboard.
  52. ^ "Top Rock Albums: 2013 Year-End Charts". Billboard.
  53. ^ "Hard Rock Albums: 2013 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  54. ^ "Hard Rock Albums: 2014 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  55. ^ "Christian Albums: 2014 Year-End Charts". Billboard.
  56. ^ "Top Rock Albums: 2014 Year-End Charts". Billboard.
  57. ^ "American album certifications – Skillet – Rise". Recording Industry Association of America.
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