Wisconsin rockers Skillet are well past the point of having to depend on others. Frontman John Cooper and guitarist Korey Cooper took a leap of faith by handling most of the production on ‘Victorious,’ their band’s 10th album. The result is a 12-song ode to competition and overcoming. The…

L to R: Meg Myers, Lzzy Hale and Jenn Ledger. Illustration: Roman Gokhman/STAFF. Women are taking the reins in modern rock. This year has been full of chart-topping release from female artists who drive music forward. Sometimes overlooked, female-fronted rock bands are making some of the most challenging, aggressive…

Skillet, courtesy. This story originally appeared in the Oakland Tribune. Growing up in a traditional Southern Christian home, John Cooper was raised on church hymns. He wasn’t allowed to listen to rock’n’ roll — even Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. Anything with a drumbeat was forbidden.  But when…