Skillet and Disciple

The band, consisting of the married couple John and Korey Cooper, lead vocals, bass, and rhythm guitar, keys, and backing vocals respectively, have sold well over 2million albums in the US. Their other band members, Seth Morrison and Jen Ledger fill in the sound with drums, vocals, and lead guitar. With eight studio albums under their belt, the band have been nominated for several awards, including Grammy nominations, and their album Awake placed at number 2 on the Billboard 200 as it entered the chart, and their album Comatose was certified Gold.

Although the band have been through several line up changes, they have remained consistent and haven’t slowed their intense touring schedule. Band members Cooper and Sterots who formed the original line up met through tours with their own bands and began collaborating before forming the first generation of Skillet. Over the years, throughout the changes, the bands sound has developed and evolved, but maintains their original undertones, never straying from their Christian rock vibe and message.

The crossover of Christian music and rock makes the sound accessible to the masses, and has gained the band much credibility and critical acclaim over the years. As well as headlining their own tours, the band have toured alongside other artists such as Three Days Grace and Seether.

Giving Christian Metal a good name since 1992, Disciple formed in the December of that year by four high school friends. They were Kevin Young, who sang lead vocals, Brad Noah, who took up the lead guitar, Tim Barrett on the drums and Adrian DiTomassi on the bass. After spending the winter writing and rehearsing, the nascent quartet started playing live in May 1993. Almost immediately they made an impact, catching the attention of local producer Jesse Jones, who bundled the band into Nightsong Studios to make their first demo tape mere months after their very first concert. Unfortunately, trouble was also following them just as closely and DiTomassi left the band after they’d finished recording their demo.

However, there was still too much momentum in the bands favour to make them stop and find a permanent replacement, so Young took up the Bass and the band slimmed down to a power trio. The bands devoted local following meant that soon afterwards, the band returned to Nightsong Studios with Jesse Jones to record their first full-length album. “Trail Of Tears” was recorded and released by the end of 1993 as a cassette tape available at their gigs on their merchandise stall. Their second effort, “Lake Of Fire”, was made and released in the same way with the same producer at the same studio and came out the following year. However, it was their third album that truly changed things for the band.

Even from the outset the band were on a different track, setting up their own label, Slain Records, to release it on CD as well as cassette and making it with a completely different producer as well. The band consider the subsequent album, “What Was I Thinking”, as their true debut album to this day, with their previous attempts being trial runs, and the band was absolutely right to consider it their true beginning. It made them heroes of their native Tennessee and by 1996, while playing at a local Battle Of The Bands tournament, they were spotted by Jeff Lysyczyn, an A&R man for Warner Bros. Records.

Lysyczyn was so impressed with their debut record that be began talks with the band about a record deal almost immediately after the show. By October 1997 the band were signed to the Warner Bros. imprint Warner Resound for an E.P release and were almost immediately a success, having a number one single on the Rock Radio charts with their track “Fill My Shoes”. Their Warner release, the five track “My Daddy Can Whip Your Daddy” got them a record deal with the Nashville based label Rugged Records and “This Might Sting A Little”, their first majorly released album and their second in total, was released in the summer of 1999 to massive acclaim and a further two hit singles on the Christian rock charts.

Ever since then, the band have managed to become one of the most dependable acts on the Christian Rock scene without even risking stagnation. It’s pretty much fact now that most rock bands experiment and develop by releasing one album with a couple of programmed drum patterns before jacking it all in to “go back to their roots”. Disciple, on the other hand, developed by adding two extra band members, and infused their raucous alternative metal with some delicious Southern Rock influences. They keep things exciting yet consistent, and that’s the mark of a truly great rock band. There are few like them around, and they still come highly recommended.