Two-time Grammy nominated rock band SKILLET announce a Nov 25th UK release for their highly anticipated new album Rise (Atlantic/Word). Rise, features the single ‘Sick Of It’ and coincides with the band being special guests on Nickelback’s Arena tour.
Rise features the single ‘Sick Of It” which is to be released the week before, to coincide with the UK dates, on Nov 18th and here’s the excellent video;
Rise follows the band's 2009 blockbuster, Awake, which was certified platinum for sales in excess of one million copies in the U.S. It’s worth noting that Skillet was the only active rock band to achieve platinum certification in 2012, and one of only three rock bands (the other two being Mumford & Sons and the Black Keys) to strike platinum in 2012.
The band maintains momentum with Rise, a gripping coming-of-age narrative that stands as their first concept album—though lead singer/bassist John Cooper says it wasn’t premeditated. The album tells the story of a typical American teen coming into adulthood and trying to figure out who he is in a world riddled with problems both within and outside his control.
“The narrative idea happened after we had 10 or 11 of the songs chosen,” he says. “As we recorded them, we started to realize that there was something going on—that the album was really telling a story. Realizing that, I knew we needed to make it as powerful as we could.”
The result is a wildly ambitious work as heady as it is visceral. Sonically, the disc sees the band expanding their musical palette, integrating natural, acoustic instruments like accordion, mandolin, dulcimer, harp, tympani and bells to their trademark slashing electric guitars, strings, churning synths and pummeling drums.
Skillet (Cooper, guitarist/keyboardist Korey Cooper, drummer/vocalist Jen Ledger and guitarist Seth Morrison) recorded the album in Los Angeles, where they re-teamed with producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, All American Rejects), who helmed Awake.
Awake debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart and No. 1 on the magazine's Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums Chart. In addition, the record hit No. 1 on iTunes' Top Album Chart, garnered 3 Billboard Music Awards and spawned four hit singles including the No. 1 Active Rock smash and gold-certified “Awake & Alive,” the gold-certified "Hero," "It's Not Me It's You" and the platinum-certified "Monster." "Monster" lived up to its name, selling more than a million copies and hitting Top 5 at Active Rock radio (the first in a string of multiple Top 5 active rock hits), while its companion video has generated over 47 million YouTube views. Skillet over the course of the past few years have sold more than two million units in the U.S. alone, racked up more than 150 million YouTube views and amassed a diehard following (dubbed Panheads) whose members number in the millions. Skillet are now set to conquer the UK.
The November UK tour dates with Nickelback are
Sat 23rd Liverpool Echo Arena.
Sun 24th London Wembley Arena.
Tues 26th Glasgow The Hydro.
Wed 27th Leeds Arena.
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