S.L.R. Magazine

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LIVE REVIEW: Skillet Comatose: 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour

On October 3rd, 2026 at The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ supported by The Protest and Autumn Kings One of the most prolific Christian rock bands Skillet are in the midst of their Comatose: 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour through North American cities. Comatose is one of the most successful albums released by the band,…

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On October 3rd, 2026 at The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ supported by The Protest and Autumn Kings

One of the most prolific Christian rock bands Skillet are in the midst of their Comatose: 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour through North American cities. Comatose is one of the most successful albums released by the band, GRAMMY nominated, defining the band as one of the leading voices within Christian hard rock. so the 20 year anniversary is worth celebrating. Still on the fresh side, the tour came to The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey.

Written by Andris Jansons

Promotional poster for Skillet's 'Comatose 20 Years Still Screaming Tour' featuring the band members in a dramatic lighting setup.

For me this tour was full of “surprises”. At one point it almost seemed like a slam dunk, with a killer lineup. But then some fans and festival came in a play. There is no disrespect for the bands I saw this Saturday, and they were absolutely amazing, but the thought what could have been is not leaving my mind. Bad Wolves were scheduled as openers, but either were forced or voluntarily exited tour based on Skillet’s fan backlash. I will bypass dwelling into my thoughts on certain Skillet fans as I am here to retell my views on the live show, but I do have very strong views on this matter. And then Escape The Fate had to jump for a quick show at The Aftershock Festival. So, yes, the lineup was not what I expected, but nonetheless it delivered all the thrills and all the frills.

The Protest opened the night with a bang. Their appearance was unexpected for me and I never heard of them before. So this is the silver lining in everything I wrote before. Now I know them, and I can certify that they kick some serious ass. Hard rock band from Indiana with some Christian undertones. Somewhere on the internet I read that they are not classifying themselves as such, but after listening to them I have that feeling. They were certainly worth my time taking images of their high energy performance and listening to their music. Please, follow the links below and have a listen, you will not regret.

The Protest links

https://www.theprotestrocks.com

See images from The Protest performance below. Photo all rights reserved by Andris Jansons.

https://linktr.ee/andrisjansons

Drummer performing on stage with The Protest band, illuminated by stage lights with equipment in the background.
A musician passionately singing while playing an electric guitar on stage, wearing a black t-shirt.
Two male musicians performing on stage with instruments, one playing guitar and the other singing, in front of a backdrop with the text 'THE FEST'.
A musician singing passionately into a microphone while playing an electric guitar, wearing a black Indiana Pacers t-shirt.
A drummer energetically playing on stage, raising drumsticks above his head, with a focus on his intense expression and dynamic posture.
A drummer performing on stage, playing a black drum kit with cymbals. The musician has a focused expression and is wearing a dark t-shirt.
A musician passionately singing while playing an electric guitar on stage, wearing a black Indiana basketball t-shirt.
A male singer performing energetically on stage, holding a microphone and engaging with the audience, with dramatic lighting in the background.
A performer with long hair sings passionately into a microphone on stage, wearing a sleeveless shirt, with bright stage lights illuminating the scene.
Two male performers on stage during a live music concert, one singing passionately into a microphone while the other plays guitar.
A passionate male vocalist performing on stage with a microphone, wearing a sleeveless shirt, and gesturing with his arms.
A lead singer performing energetically on stage with long hair flying, holding a microphone. The background features a drummer and stage lights.
A male vocalist performing energetically on stage, sticking out his tongue while holding a microphone. The background features a band logo and stage lights.
A guitarist and a vocalist performing on stage, surrounded by smoke and dramatic lighting.
A guitarist performing on stage, playing an electric guitar with intense focus and energy under dramatic lighting.
A male rock vocalist passionately performing on stage with a theatrical pose, wearing a sleeveless shirt, while another band member plays guitar in the background. The stage is illuminated with dramatic lighting.
A male musician in a sleeveless shirt performing on stage with an intense expression, surrounded by musical equipment and dramatic lighting.
Lead singer performing passionately on stage with drums in the background, illuminated by stage lights.
A male vocalist passionately performing on stage, kneeling with a microphone in hand. The background features drums and stage lights, creating a lively concert atmosphere.
A musician passionately performing on stage, holding a guitar and raising a fist in excitement, with vibrant stage lights in the background.
A passionate singer performing on stage with a microphone, wearing a sleeveless top, showcasing arm tattoos, with bright stage lights in the background.

Next band on the bill were from Michigan called Autumn Kings. I was familiar with them so I knew what to expect. Keeping in tact with previous band before them and prepping for Skillet’s arrivals boys from Autumn King delivered high octane set. They differed from other bands by having this more modern sound infused with some heavier riffs that were mixed with more popsy moments. So, basically my teenage daughter liked them. Yes, she accompanied me to this show and this was her favorite set. So I can conclude that Autumn Kings are young band for young and hip people. On more serious note, the band delivered very professional set, engaging the crowd from the first minute to the last and certainly made new fans. For those who need some more insight please visit their website below and follow their socials.

Autumn Kings links

https://autumnkings.com

See images from Autumn Kings performance below. Photo all rights reserved by Andris Jansons.

https://linktr.ee/andrisjansons

A male singer passionately performing on stage with a microphone, wearing a red jacket, under colorful stage lights. Drumming equipment is visible in the background.
A musician performing on stage, playing an electric guitar with dramatic lighting in the background.
A musician performing on stage with one leg raised high, holding a microphone, surrounded by colorful stage lights and musical instruments in the background.
A vocalist performing on stage with colorful lights in the background, while a drummer is visible behind him.
A musician with long dreadlocks passionately performs on stage while playing a bass guitar, captured in a dynamic pose with hair flowing.
A musician with dreadlocks passionately playing an electric guitar on stage, captured in a dynamic motion.
A musician with long dreadlocks plays a vibrant green guitar on stage, surrounded by dramatic lighting.
A male singer on stage raising both hands with a confident expression, wearing a red jacket and black shirt, with a microphone stand nearby and dramatic lighting effects in the background.
A musician playing a green bass guitar on stage, wearing a black and white polka dot shirt and showcasing long dreadlocks.
A performer on stage holding a microphone and raising one hand, illuminated by colorful stage lights.
A musician with dreadlocks playing a bright green bass guitar on stage, illuminated by colorful stage lights.
Two male performers singing on stage with microphones, one wearing a red jacket and the other in a tank top, against a dark background with stage lighting.
A male singer performing on stage, holding a microphone with dramatic lighting in the background. A female musician playing a green bass guitar is visible behind him.
A male singer performing on stage, holding a microphone, with vibrant purple lighting in the background.
A musician with dreadlocks playing a green bass guitar on stage, captured in a dynamic pose with vibrant stage lighting.
A musician with long, colorful dreadlocks passionately playing an electric bass guitar on stage, surrounded by dramatic lighting.
A singer performing on stage with one hand raised, illuminated by colorful lights. A guitarist is visible in the background.
A vocalist passionately performing on stage, gesturing with one hand while holding a microphone, illuminated by colorful stage lights.
A musician performing on stage with a green bass guitar under colorful stage lights.
A drummer performing on stage, surrounded by cymbals and drums, with a colorful backdrop and stage lights.
A dynamic music performance with two performers on stage, one holding a microphone and the other playing a guitar, surrounded by colorful lighting.
A guitarist passionately playing on stage during a concert, with energetic stage lighting and a band name backdrop.
A musician performing on stage with a guitar, wearing a tank top, smiling, and surrounded by colorful stage lights with a backdrop that reads 'AUTUMN KINGS'.
A drummer performing passionately on stage, playing a drum set with 'Autumn Kings' written on the bass drum. The musician has a focused expression and is surrounded by cymbals and drumsticks, with colorful stage lighting in the background.

As The Protest vocalist mentioned during his set – “… wait until Skillet will melt your faces off …” – , that is exactly what happened. He was damn right. Skillet stepped out on stage and melted this place down with their high energy and explosiveness.

Skillet is arguably the best known Christian hard rock bands out there. There are few more who could tussle for the lead, but Skillet is number one. And they are as open about their beliefs as you can get. There are some Christian bands that are balancing the spectrum between being Christian and being more far reaching band, there are some that speak gospel in songs but don’t follow up on it otherwise, then there some that take this religious thing to rather disturbingly over-the-top level. Skillet have found the way to be openly Christian and yet to connect to the fans outside the religious sphere. For one I am pagan and I like their music. I wish their religious fandom would be more open minded as the rest of us. Why I am talking about all this? For one simple reason, John Cooper’s microphone stand design with all the Jesus references just blew me away 🙂

OK, getting back to the show. Band played Comatose almost in entirety, just minus two songs, and added sprinkles of all of their biggest hits including Monster and Feel Invincible. The band strikes the stage with the ferocity of badass hard rock unit and it creates this blend / mix of the fans coming to their show for soul fulfillment and some good ol’ headbanging. Some quality hard rock with positive karma.

Skillet setlist from this show: Rebirthing, The Last Night, Better Than Drugs, Comatose, Falling Inside the Black, Those Nights, The Older I Get, Whispers in the Dark, Looking for Angels, Feel Invincible, Awake and Alive, Legendary, Scream, Psycho in My Head, Hero, Monster and The Resistance.

Skillet links

https://www.skillet.com

See images from Skillet performance below. Photo all rights reserved by Andris Jansons.

https://linktr.ee/andrisjansons

A musician performing on stage with a bass guitar, wearing a black suit and singing passionately, with a backdrop featuring a graphic design and stage lights.
A musician with vibrant pink hair performs energetically on stage, playing an electric guitar. They are dressed in a white suit and captured mid-motion, with hair flowing dramatically against a blurred background of stage lights.
A drummer performing on stage, partially obscured by the drum set, with shimmering drum surfaces and soft stage lighting.
A musician playing the bass guitar on stage, smiling while performing. The background features a drum set and stage lights.
A female drummer performing on stage, focused on her playing, with a colorful background and various drum kit components visible.
A musician playing an electric guitar during a live performance, wearing a black shirt, with colorful stage lights in the background.
Close-up of a singer passionately performing on stage, microphone in front, with blue lighting enhancing the atmosphere.
Male musician performing on stage while holding a black bass guitar and singing into a microphone, wearing a pinstripe suit.
A musician playing a black bass guitar on stage, dressed in a black shirt and jacket, with a thick beard and short hair, under colorful stage lights.
A female musician performing on stage, with vibrant purple hair flying as she plays an electric guitar, wearing a stylish suit.
A musician passionately playing an electric guitar on stage, featuring vibrant purple hair flying as they perform.
Close-up of a female musician singing into a microphone while playing a guitar, with vibrant purple hair and dramatic stage lighting.
Close-up of a drummer performing on stage, with vibrant lighting illuminating the drum set and focusing on the drummer's hands and instruments.
A musician passionately playing an electric guitar on stage with vibrant lighting, wearing a stylish suit and showcasing dynamic movement with long, flowing hair.
Two musicians performing on stage, one singing passionately while the other plays guitar, with stage lights illuminating the scene.
A musician with purple hair in a white suit performs on stage, playing a keyboard and guitar under stage lights.
A musician performing on stage, singing into a microphone while holding a guitar, with dramatic lighting in the background.
A female drummer performing on stage, focused on playing the drums with a drumstick in hand.
A musician performing on stage with a microphone and bass guitar, passionately singing and gesturing.
A musician playing an electric guitar on stage, dressed in a stylish black jacket, with a focused expression.
A musician passionately playing a bass guitar on stage, with dramatic lighting highlighting their actions.
A performer with a beard and stylish attire enthusiastically gestures towards the audience during a live concert, with colorful stage lighting in the background.
Musician with long purple hair playing an electric guitar on stage, wearing a stylish blazer and passionately performing.
A musician passionately performs on stage, singing into a microphone while playing a guitar. The performer is dressed in a stylish black outfit with a close-up focus on their expressive face.
A female musician with purple hair wearing a light suit performs on stage, playing an electric guitar and looking up, surrounded by colorful stage lights.
A bassist performs energetically on stage, tilting back while playing a black bass guitar, with colorful stage lights and a drum set in the background.
A musician with purple hair performs on stage, passionately playing an electric guitar under colorful stage lighting.
A musician performing on stage, passionately playing an electric bass guitar, wearing a black suit and ripped jeans, with another band member visible in the background.
A musician playing a bass guitar on stage with a drum set in the background. The band name 'Skillet' is visible on the drum. The musician has a beard and is wearing dark clothing.
A musician passionately playing a black bass guitar on stage, wearing a striped blazer and showing off intricate tattoos.
A musician playing a bass guitar on stage with a vibrant light show and a drum set in the background, featuring the band name 'Skillet' displayed on the drum.
A musician passionately performing on stage while playing an electric guitar, standing on a platform, with a dynamic expression and stage lights in the background.
A musician performing on stage, holding a bass guitar and raising one hand in a dramatic pose, with colorful lights casting a vibrant atmosphere.
A musician performing on stage, playing an electric guitar, with colorful stage lighting in the background.
A musician playing an electric guitar on stage, wearing a stylish outfit, with a drum set and bright lights in the background.
A musician performing on stage, playing a bass guitar, wearing a black suit with a beard and a focused expression.
A musician passionately performing on stage with a microphone and bass guitar, wearing a black suit. A drummer is visible in the background with colorful stage lighting.
A male musician performing on stage with a bass guitar, wearing a black suit, surrounded by dramatic lighting and a colorful backdrop.
A woman with purple hair passionately playing an electric guitar on stage, wearing a light-colored suit and smiling joyfully.
A musician with purple hair performing energetically on stage, wearing a white suit and holding a guitar.
A musician passionately playing an electric guitar on stage, with vibrant purple hair and dynamic lighting in the background.
A performer energetically plays bass guitar on stage, with one hand raised and a passionate expression. The background features a drummer and vibrant stage lighting.

For tickets, tour dates, and more information, you can also visit Skillet.com.

SKILLET ON TOUR:
10/07—Boston, MA—MGM Music Hall at Fenway
10/08—Silver Spring, MD—The Fillmore Silver Spring
10/10—Grand Rapids, MI—GLC Live at 20 Monroe
10/11—Detroit, MI—The Fillmore
10/12—Pittsburgh, PA—Citizens Live at The Wylie
10/14—St. Louis, MO—The Pageant
10/16—Minneapolis, MN—Uptown Theater
10/17—Milwaukee, WI—Landmark Credit Union Live
10/18—Omaha, NE—Steelhouse Omaha
10/20—Kansas City, MO—The Midland Theatre
10/22—Denver, CO—Fillmore Auditorium
10/23—Salt Lake City, UT—The Union Event Center
10/26—Airway Heights, WA—Pend Oreille Pavilion at Northern Quest
10/27—Seattle, WA—Moore Theatre
10/30—Wheatland, CA—Hard Rock Live Sacramento
10/31—Inglewood, CA—YouTube Theater
11/01—Phoenix, AZ—The Van Buren
11/05—Dallas, TX—House of Blues
11/06—San Antonio, TX—The Aztec Theatre
11/10—Orlando, FL—House of Blues

ABOUT SKILLET (from management):
Skillet have indisputably become one of the biggest global hard rock bands of the 21st century with total album sales exceeding 23 million, an average of 12 million monthly Spotify listeners, and dozens of massive placements across sports, film, and television. Among a catalog highlighted by chart-topping albums and hits, the six-times-platinum “Monster” has eclipsed 4 billion global streams, claimed a place in Spotify’s Billions Club, and resounded as one of the most-streamed rock songs of all time. During 2025, their first-ever Christmas release, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” made a viral impact and captured No. 1 on five Billboard charts. The band’s 2026 European tour brought them in front of their biggest international crowds yet, not only selling out shows across the continent but breaking ticket sales records at venues like Zenith Paris. Awarded multi-platinum, platinum, or gold RIAA certifications for 12 singles and four full-length albums, the group have notably garnered two Grammy Award nominations, earned a Billboard Music Award, and impressively delivered three Top 5 debuts on the Billboard 200. Widening the scope of this vision, Skillet launched the graphic novel series Eden with Z2. Looking ahead, Skillet have hinted at some of their heaviest and hardest-hitting music to date, with new material expected later this year.

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