Unapologetic, Unleashed, and Unforgivingly Heavy: Skillet Returns to Peak Form with ‘After the Storm’

Review Written By: Jay Heilman

Skillet’s latest independent release, the six-track EP After the Storm, proves that thirty years into their career, the band still knows how to deliver a genuine sonic gut-punch. Coming right on the heels of the 20th anniversary celebration of their 2006 breakout record Comatose, this project serves as both a nod to their heaviest roots and a declaration of total creative freedom following 2024’s Revolution. Clocking in at just over twenty minutes, After the Storm trims away all excess fat, handing listeners some of the most aggressive, guitar-driven material John Cooper and company have put to tape in over a decade… (READ MORE)

Angel and the Badman Review: A Gritty, Heartfelt Western Reimagining That Hits the Bullseye

Written by: Jay Heilman (October 7, 2026)

Few genres in American cinema carry the mythic weight of the Western, and fewer names loom larger over the frontier than John Wayne. In 1947, “The Duke” did something unprecedented in his career: he took creative control and produced his very first feature film, Angel and the Badman, starring alongside Gail Russell. Growing up, I vividly remember watching that classic in black-and-white on VHS, captivated by its story of an outlaw disarmed not by gunfire, but by radical compassion and Quaker grace.

Nearly eight decades later, Angel Studios has stepped up to the hitching post with a bold, modernized reimagining of Angel and the Badman. The result? A gripping, visually rich Western that honors the legacy of Wayne’s vision while delivering the energy, humor, and depth modern audiences crave…. (READ MORE)