Nearly 30 years into their career, Skillet continues to prove just how much staying power their music has.
The band has now reached 30 million RIAA-certified units across 21 titles, with several of its biggest songs earning new multi-Platinum certifications. Leading the way is “Monster,” which has now been certified an incredible 7x Platinum. “Hero” has reached 4x Platinum, while “Awake and Alive” and “Feel Invincible” have both climbed to 3x Platinum.
Those numbers are impressive on their own, but they also show how well Skillet’s music has carried across generations. Songs like “Monster,” “Hero,” and “Awake and Alive” are not simply tracks people remember from when they were released. New listeners continue to discover them through streaming, social media, gaming, and sports. According to the band’s press release, “Monster” alone has now surpassed 5 billion global streams.
Other certifications being recognized include “Not Gonna Die” at Platinum, along with Gold certifications for “Falling Inside the Black,” “Finish Line,” “Rise,” “Sick of It,” and “Back From the Dead.” The Unleashed album has also reached Platinum status.
I have watched Skillet change considerably over the years. I first saw them touring behind their self-titled debut with Grammatrain, when they were a three-piece grunge rock band. Since then, they have gone through several musical changes while building one of the most recognizable sounds in modern rock. Seeing songs from different eras of that career continue to grow is pretty cool.
What makes the timing even better is that Skillet is not simply celebrating the past.
Their six-song EP After the Storm arrives October 9 and finds the band returning to a heavier sound. It also reunites frontman John Cooper with producer David Cowell, also known as Sleep Theory, and marks the first time Cooper has returned to his hometown of Memphis to record since 2003’s Collide.
The newer material has already shown plenty of promise. “Scream” has surpassed 5 million global streams, while “Lift Me Up” brings the kind of hard-hitting sound I have been hoping to hear more of from Skillet. The guitars are heavy, the drums stand out, and Cooper’s voice fits the aggression of the song perfectly.
There is also a much more personal side to these songs. Cooper has described After the Storm as music written during a difficult season involving betrayal, anger, depression, faith, perseverance, and hope.
“This EP is special to me. It reignites what Skillet was always meant to be—which is music that helps lift people out of dark times.”
That has always been one of Skillet’s greatest strengths. The band can hit hard musically without losing the hopeful message that has connected with listeners throughout its career.
Thirty million certified units is a massive achievement, but what stands out even more is that Skillet still sounds hungry. With After the Storm on the way, these certifications feel less like a career retrospective and more like another milestone along the road.
Skillet has built an impressive legacy, and they clearly are not finished adding to it.
Information provided by Atom Splitter PR.
