Print edition: 
Throughout a career that dates back to 1996, Skillet has not exactly looked like a model of consistency when it comes to band membership or sound.
A half-dozen musicians have come and gone from the line-up of the four-person band, which enjoys popularity in both the mainstream rock and Christian rock markets. The latest changes came first in 2008 when drummer Jan Ledger replaced Lori Peters, then in 2011 when guitarist Seth Morrison came on board. He replaced Jonathan Salas, who was only in the band for about two weeks after he stepped in for Ben Kasica, who left Skillet in February 2011 after a decade in the group.
Through those years, Skillet’s sound has evolved almost as much as its lineup.
The band’s 1996 self-titled debut had a heavy, post-grunge sound, which morphed into more of a lighter, alternative rock sound on its 1998 CD “Hey You, I Love Your Soul.” With later albums “Invincible” and “Alien Youth,” the sound evolved into more of an electronic rock direction before settling into more of a mainstream hard rock sound on the group’s most recent releases, “Collide,” “Comatose” and “Awake.”
Founding member (and singer/bassist for the band) John Cooper knows the group has gone through several musical phases — but he says it’s not because of its different lineups, but rather a function of varying tastes.
And it’s telling that Skillet’s sound has grown more consistent during a period that saw half of the band lineup change. Cooper said there’s a simple reason why the arrival of Ledger and Morrison hasn’t had a bigger impact on the band’s sound.
“That’s because my wife, Korey, and I — she plays keyboards for the band — we write all of the music, and we arrange all the music and most all of the parts,” he said. “So the sound of Skillet is really determined by us. And that’s why Skillet’s been able to switch members so often. If somebody gets burned out and they want to quit, we replace them with somebody, and we still sound like Skillet.”
Skillet is in a good place internally and with its career. With “Awake,” the group has reached a new high water mark in popularity, particularly in the mainstream rock market.
Skillet is currently finishing its touring cycle behind “Awake” by headlining this year’s edition of the multi-act Christian music festival tour, Winter Jam, which comes to Intrust Bank Arena on Friday. It’s the band’s second time headlining this tour, and Cooper likes the fact that Winter Jam draws an audience that’s diverse in age and musical interests.
“A thing like Winter Jam is really great because there are so many different bands and kinds of genres of artists, and there’s an illusionist and speakers and ministry,” he said. “There’s so much going on that you get lots of different kinds of people that might not ever have seen Skillet before, and you want to blow them away. You want to give them a party. This whole event is so big, it’s just like a big party. It’s great.”
To help achieve the “blowing away” objective, Skillet has brought out one of its most visually spectacular productions yet — no small statement for a band known to like things that flash and go bang.
Once Winter Jam wraps up in April, Skillet will turn its attention toward recording its next CD. The Coopers have written close to 40 songs so far and will continue to add to that total before recording starts in the summer.
With the success of “Awake,” Cooper knows the next CD could be a big moment in the group’s career.
“It is a lot of pressure,” he said. “But the excitement is that we’ve taken 16 years to get to this point, and all of a sudden, the idea of becoming a world-wide touring rock act is kind of within grasp. So it’s a very exciting time. We’ve just got to write the right songs and keep doing what we’re doing and see what happens.”
