Check out this awesome lyric video from Skillet's new album, RISE.  
Three words:  Lion of Judah!
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 - For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

I was a Skillet sceptic (sorry Skillet ), but this humbled me.  You never know what's going on behind the scenes.  I particularly appreciate his last comment:  “Your faith in Christ is not about dressing nice and smelling nice, the pews and the stained glass at church.  It’s about a relationship with Christ.”

So who's getting / got their new album?  I'm definitely firing up iTunes this afternoon

I have to admit, I was a huge skeptic as well. Reading that article, as well as listening to this song ("My Religion" lyrics are in the description), I think I've lost my skepticism. lol. If you hadn't posted this thread, SoL@R, I never would have listened to Skillet's new album. Thanks for sharing! That article was really revealing of Skillet's true reason.

In a sense, that's kind of what Lecrae is doing too. I know this is kind of off topic, but just let me finish this thought. With Lecrae's album "Church Clothes", he teamed up with a secular producer and even some secular rappers. He's continued working with Secular rappers in "Gravity" as well. His songs no longer specifically include Bible verses, while still alluding to (and even mentioning) Christianity at many times. However, because he's stepped away from what the normal Christian rapper looks like, many other similar artists are claiming that he's stepped away from the gospel and left Christianity.

Is it working, though? Is he reaching non-believers by doing that? Yep. He uploaded the original version of "Church Clothes" (he later edited it, and released that as well) to many popular secular websites for free, and got over 1 million downloads of the album in the first day. It's working!

Christian music doesn't have to be directed at Christians. If they're going to reach non-believers, the norm won't work.

mrfe :  Christian music doesn't have to be directed at Christians. If they're going to reach non-believers, the norm won't work.
I think that's exactly why Pillar do what they do and TFK and the likes as well.  In the Bible Paul found common ground with non believers to share the gospel.  He related WITH them, but he NEVER become one OF them.  If these bands are serious about the Great Commission that's exactly what they'll do / are doing - reaching out - moving among the wolves to reach the (lost) sheep  BTW Decyfer Down (another one of my favourites) just released a new single and we all know what that means...New album coming!!

Exactly my thoughts! Lecrae (he's the only artist I really keep up with, lol) has been getting lots of hate for doing just that. His song "I know" is a result of that feedback from other Christian rappers.

I don't think I've heard much Decyfer Down, I'll have to check them out.

BTW, have you listened to Andy Mineo's new album? It's really good, imo.

mrfe : I'm a pretty big fan of Lecrae's stuff, but I do think that his "Gravity" album isn't as good as the last three (including the Overdose in this), strictly in terms of sound, but I think the message he brings and the fact that the album is more of what I hesitate to call a "worldly" style (one that relates to the world more so than takes on the form of the world) is exactly what he needs to reach his intended audience. It's not about whether myself or any other Christian likes the way he sounds; it's about whether or not his message reaches the African American youth. I seriously respect that about him. I also like his posts on Facebook. He basically tells people how it is, since pretty much everyone and their momma complains at him nowadays.

I'm listening to the new Skillet now and am enjoying it quite a bit. I've always like Skillet, though I do get burned out on them from time to time (we used to listen to them in the football locker room all the time). It's nice they have a new album, and I like that they've extended their sound some.