Unleashed (2016)
- Joel Caballero
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Unleashed is the ninth studio album by the Christian rock band Skillet, released on August 5, 2016 by Atlantic/Warner Records, Word/Curb Records and the band's own Hear It Loud label. The album was produced by Brian Howes, Seth Mosley, Kevin Churko and Mike "X" O'Conner.
On February 16, 2015, Skillet announced they were writing material for a new album with recording to begin in June with a potential release in the late half of 2015 or early 2016, however it got pushed back to a later-2016 release date on August 5, 2016. The band worked with Brian Howes, who previously produced their 2006 album Comatose and the majority of the album was made and recorded at Howes' studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Skillet also worked with Seth Mosley, Kevin Churko and Mike "X" O'Conner. Lead singer and musician John Cooper stated he felt "really inspired" before going into the studio to record the music. Even though he said "the songs are very aggressive, very in-your-face," he said the new material is genuine to the Skillet sound they have crafted.
The album's highlight and lead single is the opening track "Feel Invincible." A crowd-chanting anthem, the song is about feeling untouchable with the power of God and about finding something that gets you through another day. It has been used in a couple of media appearances including as being the official theme for the WWE pay-per-view event 2016 Battleground and as a theme to the eight week live video gaming competition event ELeague that aired on the cable channel TBS (Turner Broadcasting System) and was broadcast in more than 80 countries. "Feel Invincible" is the most successful track on Unleashed, giving the band their first number one song on both Bilboard's Hot Christian Songs and Mainstream Rock Airplay as well as topping the Christian Rock charts. "Feel Invincible" is the band's fourth multi-platinum single overall going Double Platinum, selling over two million downloads by 2022 and is their most streamed song on the album with more than 826 million streams.
Other tracks have also been certified: the second single "Stars" was Gold certified in 2020 and "The Resistance" was Platinum certified in 2024. Unleashed has charted on the following albums charts:
#1 Billboard Top Christian Albums
#2 Billboard Top Alternative Albums
#3 Billboard 200 Albums
#2 Billboard Top Rock Albums
#1 Billboard Hard Rock Albums
Unleashed also charted globally in countries like the U.K., Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand and Russia among others and did moderately well. In the fall of 2017, Skillet was nominated for two Dove Awards for Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year and Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year for "Feel Invincible." The album was Gold certified by December 2018.
Track listing on the Standard Edition
1. Feel Invincible (John Cooper, Seth Mosley) -3:50
2. Back From the Dead (John Cooper, Korey Cooper) -3:34
3. Stars (John Cooper, Korey Cooper, Jason Ingrim, Seth Mosley) -3:46
4. I Want to Live (John Cooper, Korey Cooper) -3:29
5. Undefeated (John Cooper, Kevin Churko, Kane Churko) -3:36
6. Famous (John Cooper, Sam Tinnesz, Seth Mosley) -3:19
7. Lions (John Cooper, Korey Cooper, Mia Fieldes, Seth Mosley) -3:25
8. Out of Hell (John Cooper, Kevin Churko, Kane Churko) -3:35
9. Burn It Down (John Cooper, Korey Cooper, Seth Mosley) -3:17
10. Watching for Comets (John Cooper, Korey Cooper) -3:30
11. Saviors of the World (John Cooper, Korey Cooper) -3:47
12. The Resistance (John Cooper, Korey Cooper, Seth Mosley) -3:53
On November 17, 2017, Skillet reissued Unleashed as a Special Edition release titled Unleashed Beyond. Unleashed Beyond contains the original 12 tracks from the standard edition and features five new bonus tracks. "Breaking Free" is the first Skillet album to have a featured artist with Lacey Strum, lead singer of the Christian alternative rock band Flyleaf. The track "You Get Me High" is the first band effort written by all four members. There are also remixed versions of "Feel Invincible" and "The Resistance" and a cinematic re-recording of "Stars" as featured in the motion picture and soundtrack album The Shack. The new tracks were produced by John and Korey Cooper. Unleashed Beyond won the Dove Award for Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year at the 49th GMA Dove Awards on October 16, 2018.
Track listing on bonus tracks of Unleashed Beyond
13. Breaking Free (featuring Lacey Strum) (John Cooper, Korey Cooper) -3:53
14. Stay Til the Daylight (John Cooper, Tobias Karlsson, Nalle Karlsson) -3:53
15. Brave (John Cooper, Korey Cooper, Seth Mosley) -3:50
16. You Get Me High (Skillet) -3:18
17. Set It Off (John Cooper, Korey Cooper, Brian Howes) -3:50
18. Feel Invincible (Death Tiger Remix) -3:43
19. The Resistance (SOLI Remix) -3:53
20. Stars (film version) -4:06
Personnel
Skillet:
John Cooper -lead vocals, bass guitar
Korey Cooper -keyboards, rhythm guitars
Seth Morrison -guitars
Jen Ledger -drums, vocals
additional musicians:
Seth Mosley – keyboards (tracks 1, 3, 6, 7 and 12), programming (tracks 1, 3, 6, 7, 9
and 12), additional guitars (tracks 3, 6 and 7)
Jason Van Poederooyen – keyboards (tracks 1, 10 and 12), programming (tracks 1,
2, 9, 10 and 12), additional keyboards (track 2), additional programming (tracks 4
and 11)
Kevin Churko – keyboards (tracks 5 and 8), programming (tracks 5 and 8),
backing vocals (track 5), additional backing vocals (track 8)
Kane Churko – additional guitars (tracks 5 and 8), backing vocals (track 5),
additional backing vocals (track 8)
Brian Howes – additional guitars (tracks 1, 4, 9-12 and 17), backing vocals (tracks 1,
4, 6, 9-12 and 17)
Mike "X" O'Connor – additional guitars (tracks 3 and 7)
Shawn McGee – additional guitars (tracks 5 and 8)
Dave Eggar – cello (track 4), string session leader (track 4), additional string
arrangements (track 4)
Antoine Silverman – violin (track 4)
Chuck Palmer – additional arrangements (track 4)
Jericho Scroggins – additional backing vocals (track 7)
Asa Wiggins – additional backing vocals (track 7)
Lacey Sturm – featured vocals (track 13)
Production credits
Brian Howes -producer (tracks 1, 4, 9-12 and 17)
Seth Mosley -producer (tracks 1, 3, 6 and 7)
Mike "X" O'Conner -producer (track 3, 6 and 7)
Kevin Churko -producer (tracks 5 and 8)
John Cooper -producer (tracks 13 -16 and 20)
Korey Cooper -producer (tracks 14 -16 and 20)
Death Tiger -remixer (track 18)
Solomon "SOLI" Olds -remixer (track 19)
RIAA certifications
Gold certified in 2018.
"Feel Invincible" single Gold certified in 2017, Platinum certified 2x in 2022.
"Stars" single Gold certified in 2024.
"The Resistance" single Gold certified in 2020, Platinum certified in 2024.
Accolades
Dove Award -Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year
Radio singles
2016 -2017 "Feel Invincible" -#1 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, #1 Billboard
Mainstream Rock Airplay, #12 Billboard Hot Rock and Alternative Songs,
2016 -2017 "Stars" -#16 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, #15 Billboard Christian
2016 "I Want to Live" -#19 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, #38 Billboard Hot Rock
and Alternative Songs, #38 Billboard Hot Rock Songs
2016 -2017 "Back From the Dead" -#16 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, #7 Billboard
Mainstream Rock Airplay, #35 Billboard Hot Rock and Alternative Songs,
2016 -2018 "The Resistance" -#30 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, #10 Billboard
Rock & Alternative Airplay, #19 Hot Rock Songs
2016 -2017 "Lions" -#18 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, #18 Billboard Christian
Songs
2017 "Breaking Free" (featuring Lacey Strum) -#27 Billboard Hot Christian Songs
2017 -2018 "Brave" -#35 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, #26 Billboard Christian
Airplay
Next release: Feel Invincible Remix EP (2017)
Watch the playlist of music and lyric videos from Unleashed and Unleashed Beyond: