Skillet Pens A Song That Sounds Quite Mortal

Skillet gets high and mighty about how invincible it feels in the reasonably named "Feel Invincible". This Tennessee Christian rock outfit knows how get the stadium roof lifting to highest elevations but when the final outcome crosses the finish line I don't absorb the sensation that there's anything superhuman going on here. Plenty of rock suitable for a basketball arena but I am not suspecting lead vocalist John Cooper has a cape tucked away in the back of his car waiting for the grand transformation that supposed to spellbind us all into a fever pitch. Not that this track from "Unleashed" has nothing sterling worth conveying. The energy manages to stay at an admirably high level which is what you want in a rock song that can double as final two minutes intensity rising NBA playoff basketball serenading. Drummer Jen Ledger commands a Johnny on the Spot presence via maniacally vital drums couple with the occasional zingy vocal interjection. Seth Morrison comes at you fur flying on guitars since you can't incite the masses to stay on their feet for extended periods if a high octane outlet isn't provided. Korey Cooper does the dutiful on bass, and that ain't hay as they say. How admirable that this ditty revolves around how great it feels to have a best bud in one's corner whenever adversity rears its ugly head. Unfortunately, the same musical diet wears thin on the palate over time. All the volume in the world isn't going to conceal a theme we know so well we could recite it in our sleep. Not only that the steady stream of lyrical reference points proves itself migraine inducing. What would Sia think if she knew this band lifted her titanium ideal of superhuman bravery. Given that her back would probably be away from Skillet itself as it performed I'd say the band is safe but there comes a time when fight song theater must give away to something that doesn't sound too air brushed for the masses to wolf down sight unseen. To Skillet's credit it stays loyal to one chord and uses that as its impossible to spoil bread and butter. Nice to have a rock story that's easy to follow along with. Thankfully "Feel Invincible" justifies my NBA reference by tossing in "Like a roar of victory in a stadium". Now I've really created the illusion of a sports themed jaunt we rise and fall on. John Cooper does have a solid way behind the mike. If "Feel Invincible" was able to stand on the merits of that alone, we'd be in ship shape but this lyrical content is simply overused. That doesn't mean the message of friend to friend empowerment isn't moving. The problem lies in the frequency of its use. Nothing wrong with inspiration. I'd imagine that's the juice many of us require in order to muster up the courage to get out of bed in the morning. Sometimes it does bring with up a boy who cried wolf quality. You're fed up with hearing the warning. Now you want proof danger lurks in the village. In the case of "Feel Invincible" I want proof the engine I'm being persuaded to ride around in has enough gusto to warrant my using it to cruise around the block. "Feel Invincible" doesn't have an indestructible bone in its body. Skillet needed to deep fat fry this entree a little less so I could taste an authentically different idea.