Skillet - "American Noise"

Heard this on Air1 last night and was surprised to hear that it's from their new album. It reminds me of some of their older stuff, especially "You Are My Hope".

Not bad at all!

I like it!
But I'm not sure that with repeated listens if the "la da da da" parts will be an infectious hook I sing all day long in my head, or if they will just become obnoxiously annoying ......................................or maybe both.

The "la da da da" parts are the parts that keep spinning in your head.
Yes I agree with this.
I think Staybrite is not the only one having this problems.

Gotta love those poppy two letter word hooks

La da da da (Skillet)

Oh oh oh oh (Luminate, "Come Home")

Na na na na na (Journey, "Lovin' Touchin Squeezin'")

BearDad wrote:

Na na na na na (Journey, "Lovin' Touchin Squeezin'")

Everytime I hear this part in that song I think of an interview I saw with some famous musician (I forget who) that claimed that most of the "la la" parts in songs are merely sections with unwritten lyrics that they never got to finish by the time they recorded the song.


Oh, and welcome to CHM BearDad.

Regarding the song, does anyone else think like I do and wish some bands would use more openly Christian lyrics. Skillet could have cut out LOVE in the chorus and replaced it for GOD (or done something similar). I kind of think quite a few bands have lessened their message to appeal to more people.

I don't mind them doing that, it's up to them, I just prefer it when they're more openly christian lyrically.

Fundy

Fundy wrote:

Regarding the song, does anyone else think like I do and wish some bands would use more openly Christian lyrics. Skillet could have cut out LOVE in the chorus and replaced it for GOD (or done something similar). I kind of think quite a few bands have lessened their message to appeal to more people.

I don't mind them doing that, it's up to them, I just prefer it when they're more openly christian lyrically.

Fundy

I have often felt that way, and the fact that artists "dumb down" the Truth is why so many folks ask the question "is that band Christian?" Sadly, skirting the Truth to appeal to the masses, or simply to make more money, has been a challenge for Christian artists for generations. Amy Grant did it with Unguarded, The Oak Ridge Boys blatantly started singing secular songs in the mid 70's, Stryper did it to some degree (IMO) with Against the Law, ... the list goes on.

Myself, I try to not condemn or judge artists such as these based on their lyrics. After all, for many of them it is a mission for the unsaved rather than a ministry for the saved. A missionary cannot always walk into the mission field and simply shout, "There is only one God and Jesus is the only way to reach Him" because "the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" (1 Cor. 1:18). He must first gain the trust of those he wishes to save, letting the Holy Spirit draw that person towards the Truth. Artists whom we know are Christian, like Skillet, Rob Rock, etc., plant seeds with their music and trust the Spirit to send someone else to do the watering.

Sadly, that means those of use that are already growing are often left with the thought, "if you are a Christian then why aren't you openly praising the Lord? Why won't you feed us?" LOL!

Just my thoughts ...

Beardad, welcome to CHM.

I can understand bands doing the subtle approach, and actually sometimes I find it refreshing, I just prefer a band to become bolder as time goes on (lyrically speaking) than weaker. Take Disciple for instance, you were in no doubt what they were on about in Back Again, This Might Sting... or the other earlier albums, but their newer ones are much less apparent. Yes, it's still there and you can see their faith, but the songs are less clear. Like I say, I don't mind that to a degree (both Disciple albums have been my albums of that year 2010 and 2012) I just like to hear songs that really pull no punches faith wise. Take the first song from This Might Sting, and you know what they mean. Take the first song from H & H and you can think it's just about getting away from bad things.

Disclaimer - Disciple rock better now than they ever did!

Fundy

Fundy wrote:

I can understand bands doing the subtle approach, and actually sometimes I find it refreshing, I just prefer a band to become bolder as time goes on (lyrically speaking) than weaker. ...

Agreed.

Same here.

Definitely a ditto here.

you know my lyrical opinions.

It's a tough call for me. I don't like seeing bands do a bunch of songs that don't mention God, etc. at all, but at the same time, I think it might help them draw in fans who wouldn't otherwise listen to Christian music, which of course is a good thing. Look at Red Jumpsuit Apparatus for instance. On the surface they sound like a lot of other punk rock bands, but listen closer and you get great lines like "they'll never understand the One we trust is so much stronger" (from "Am I The Enemy").

Hey Mikey ! I Like-ee !
Is this album out yet ?

The album is not out yet. Will be released on June 25th.
As far as Skillet "watering down" the lyrics, I don't see it that much but then again it doesn't bother me. Granted they aren't as bold as they were on some of their earlier albums but they have watered down their faith. It's like the discussion awhile back about Disciple and did they or didn't they water down the lyrics. To me it doesn't matter. What matters is they are reaching a lot more lost people and getting a chance to share their faith to others.

"less God in lyrics" = "more people listen" = "more people reached?" ... I don't think the first and last statements there equate.

They can, though, unworthy. If the music draws people, the artist can spend time explaining the songs on stage. I have seen Skillet twice now, and they did an altar call at one show and made sure they explained some of the songs on stage at the other where they couldn't do the altar call. They might have less God in the songs, but He is still being spoken about on stage.

Glad to hear that about Skillet. I was not impressed by their (lack of) expression of faith at least year's Winter Jam. On the flip side, Red bumped up my image of them with their expression at this year's Winter Jam.

I have seen Red twice and wasn't too impressed with their live sound or expression of faith on stage. Truthfully, there was nothing there to tell me what they believed other than the absence of profanity. Other than that, they could have been any rock band.

I think sharing faith from the stage is awesome and I wish every band would do that.. but the bigger ministry opportunity is the songs on the album.. that is all that most fans will ever hear from the band.. and the legacy of ministry that they will leave beyond their years.. to neglect that to any respect, in my opinion, is to neglect your five minutes to speak into the life of everyone who hears your music (and not just those who get to a concert)...

as far as I'm concerned watering down your album lyrics to get people to your concerts to minister to them is robbing peter to pay paul.. and while paul might get his money.. peter is the one who can minister longer and to deeper levels than paul.