“We’re proud of where we’ve been in the past, but I feel like this is our strongest record,” said vocalist/bassist John Cooper in a press release. Recorded at Chicago Recording Company (Smashing Pumpkins), the album was produced by Brian Howes (from famed Canadian TVT band Closure and Hinder’s hit debut) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (Green Day) and David Bottrill (Staind). “There are so many different influences that it won’t just be about rock audiences or metal audiences,” Cooper added. “I think there’s something here for everybody.”
As far as lyrics go, Cooper’s songwriting has expanded to cover a wide range of topics, some spiritual and faith based, while others act as more of a mirror for his own personal life and struggles. “The Last Night” talks about someone considering suicide after living life in despair and not having support from their parents. A friend reminds him/her of God’s unconditional love and they’re eventually talked down from that ledge. “The Older I Get,” is even closer to home, as it picks up after his mom passed away, covering the rocky relationship he had with his dad and the eventual forgiveness they reached.
“My dad got remarried two months after my mom died, and my stepmother’s husband had also passed away a few months earlier,” he recalls of the faith-tested time. “It was a really bizarre situation and they didn’t get along, which was also the point when my dad and I started fighting. From the time I was fourteen or fifteen, I don’t remember having a single conversation with him for about four years that didn’t have to do with fighting. But a lot has mended since then and we’ve been able to move on. You can only go through life so long living in regret, and while those situations certainly affected me, I don’t hold onto the anger anymore.”
Cooper hopes the album will strike a chord on all levels with listeners. To the church specifically, "it’s a reminder that life’s focus needs to be reaching out to others while stepping aside from denominational squabbles, self-absorption, and even negative technological influences."
“The funny thing about Jesus is that He wasn’t just all talk, but as much or more about relationships and communicating to people in a relatable way, as He was solely preaching to them,” Cooper explained. “The way we tend to evangelize in today’s Christian society is actually often times much different than the way Jesus reached out. As I was writing for this record, I realized bands like Linkin Park and Staind and Korn were being more relevant to people than I was. We prayed about these sessions, and we knew this is the direction God was leading us. It allows us to reach out to people who’ve maybe been turned off by what they think is ‘Christian music,’ which may get them out to a concert to hear even more of our message. I’m very passionate about evangelism, but love begets evangelism and we want people to know we care about their needs in a practical way.”
By naming the record Comatose, Skillet hopes to push listeners to "break beyond the mundane, get on track with their relationships (here on earth and with the Creator), while charging forward with hope."
“Comatose as a concept is meant to challenge people to invest in the relationships around them,” Cooper sums up. “We’re all so desperately trying to communicate with each other online with MySpace and instant messenger that no one gets to know one another, and they feel so alone with nobody to talk to about their problems. At the same time, there are a lot more severe situations out there like the aftermath of a hurricane, poverty, or homelessness. As a society, we need to come out of our sleepy apathy, our materialism, and as a church stop fighting over our petty differences. If we do that, maybe on a grand scheme we can help someone out in a city somewhere that we’ve never even met. In traveling around so much, especially in the last couple of years, we’re aware of people needing and hurting more than ever before. We want these songs to start the wheels in motion for believers and non-believers alike to change that cycle for the better.”
