Top Pick

Comatose Comes Alive
Skillet
INO Records (Provident-Integrity)
7-66887-25539-0

Who knew Skillet was this good? Apparently plenty of people. The band’s last album, 2006’s Comatose, sold more than 400,000 units. Now the band is back with a live version of that album, as well as a handful of other songs performed live. And that’s not all—acoustic versions of five Comatose songs, concert footage and music videos are also featured on this CD-DVD combo, which is a must-have for Skillet fans.

While live albums often feel unnecessary, this one doesn’t. There’s banter from the lead singer, singing from the crowd and crazy energy from the band. Skillet plays rock with pop sensibilities, balancing head-banging guitars, gritty vocals and strong hooks. The fact that it does this all live only adds to the attractiveness.