Skillet's New Era
Skillet Unveils New 'Scream' Single, Kicks Off Major Fall Tour After Milestone Success
Key Points
Monster is now a 6x-platinum single that has surpassed 4 billion global streams and earned a spot in Spotify's Billions Club, remaining the only Christian-artist track to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Skillet completed a sold-out European headline tour, moving more than 90,000 tickets across 23 cities, underscoring the band's comeback momentum on international stages.
"Scream" is pitched as the first taste of a new era for Skillet, with the band planning additional releases later this year and a shift toward heavier new material.
The fall 2026 tour lineup includes high-profile U.S. stops at venues like Montclair's Wellmont Theater (Oct. 3) and Huntington's Paramount (Oct. 4), with an expansive list of dates spanning major markets from Boston to Seattle.
Skillet is releasing a new single called "Scream" on July 10 and launching a major fall 2026 U.S. tour, the band announced on June 22. The tour, called "Comatose: 20 Years, Still Screaming," celebrates the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough 2006 album and kicks off September 30 in Schenectady, NY, according to Consequence.
The announcement comes during what looks like a full-blown comeback season for the band. Their 2009 anthem "Monster" just crossed 4 billion global streams and earned a spot in Spotify's Billions Club — it remains the only song by a Christian artist to hit 1 billion streams on Spotify, Blabbermouth reported.
"Scream" Marks Skillet's Heaviest New Direction Yet
"Scream" is Skillet's first new music since their 2024 album Revolution, according to 105.7 The Point. Frontman John Cooper says the band went back to Memphis to work with a producer who knew them before they ever released a record. The result, Cooper says, is something heavier and more intense than anything they've done in years.
Cooper told Substream Magazine that the song is a reaction to "the volatility of the world" and described social media as "a cesspool." The band's shift toward heavier sounds actually began in late 2025, when their Christmas recording "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" topped five Billboard charts and featured lower tunings. Cooper says the new material is the band going "all-in" on that heavier direction.
"Monster" Hits 4 Billion Streams, Enters Spotify's Billions Club
"Monster" is now a 6x-platinum single. It has surpassed 4 billion streams across all platforms and officially joined Spotify's Billions Club, which tracks songs that hit 1 billion plays on the platform alone. No other song by a Christian artist has ever reached that milestone on Spotify, according to Blabbermouth.
The band also has 12 million monthly Spotify listeners and 23 million career album sales worldwide, per NextMosh. Those numbers put Skillet in the same streaming tier as legacy rock acts like Linkin Park and Metallica, a rare position for any act rooted in the Christian music world.
Sold-Out Europe Run Sets Stage for Fall North America Dates
Just before the announcement, Skillet wrapped a sold-out European headline tour. The run covered 23 cities and moved more than 90,000 tickets, hitting major markets including London, Paris, and Barcelona, according to Substream Magazine.
The North American leg, produced by Live Nation, runs from September 30 through November 10. It includes stops at Montclair's Wellmont Theater on October 3 and Huntington's Paramount on October 4, with the tour wrapping at the House of Blues in Orlando, FL. Consequence notes that presales for the tour begin June 23 at 10 a.m. local time, with general on-sale opening June 26.
30 Years In, Skillet Frames 2026 as a Creative Reset
Skillet formed in Memphis in 1996, making this their 30th year as a band. Cooper says Comatose "changed the trajectory" of everything for them. Yahoo reports the band plans more new releases later in 2026 beyond just "Scream," suggesting the July single is only the first step in a broader new era.
The band has been operating as independent artists since 2024 under their own label, Hear It Loud Records. That freedom, Cooper says, is what allowed them to chase a heavier sound without compromise. Fans are also buzzing over a promise that the Comatose tour will include songs that have never been performed live before, according to NextMosh.
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