Skillet's After The Storm Hits #1 on iTunes, With Joel Wanasek Behind Three Tracks

October 16, 2026

Skillet's latest EP tops the iTunes Rock and All Genres charts, marking another major milestone for the band and the production team behind the release

Another release. Another #1.

Skillet's latest EP, After The Storm, has stormed to the top of the iTunes charts, reaching #1 in both Rock and All Genres following its October 9 release.

The six-track EP features mixing work from Drumforge's own Joel Wanasek, who mixed three of the six songs alongside assistant engineer Joe Wohlitz:

Lift Me Up
After The Storm
Come and Find Me

It's another incredible achievement for everyone involved, adding to an already impressive run of chart success for Joel and the Skillet team.

And with one of those tracks already having received an in-depth mixing breakdown right here on Drumforge, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to revisit some of the production decisions, techniques, and tools that helped bring the record to life.

From "Lift Me Up" to a #1 EP

When Skillet released "Lift Me Up" in August, the track wasted no time making an impact.

The song reached #1 on iTunes Rock and #9 on the All Genres chart on its first day, marking Joel's eighth #1 and his seventh in just three years.

But what listeners didn't know was just how far the production team had gone to get the song over the finish line.

The track had already been mixed, mastered, and approved when producer David Cowell challenged Joel and Joe to take another shot at improving it.

Rather than settling for an already finished mix, the team went back to work.

Joe experimented with different guitar tones, eventually landing on a new Mesa Dual Rectifier reissue that brought something different to the track.

Joel refined the updated mix, mastering engineer Joe LaPorta gave it another pass, and the revised version was sent to the band.

Skillet loved it.

It's a great example of how even an already excellent mix can benefit from pushing things that little bit further.

And that's only one part of the story.

[IMAGE: Joel's mixing session or studio photograph]

In our original Inside The Mix feature, Joel and Joe take us behind the scenes of "Lift Me Up," breaking down everything from the drums and guitars to the vocals, processing chains, and final mix bus.

READ THE FULL BREAKDOWN: Inside The Mix, "Lift Me Up" by Skillet

The Drumforge Tools Behind the Sound

Of course, we couldn't revisit the production without highlighting some of the Drumforge tools Joel used along the way.

And if there's one thing his original breakdown demonstrates, it's that getting a massive, polished drum sound doesn't necessarily require an overly complicated processing chain.

DF-SMACK

Joel used DF-SMACK on the kick drum alongside Metric Halo Channel Strip, helping shape the impact and energy of the sound.

His approach was simple: use the processing where it makes a difference, without overdoing it.

DF-XCITE 2

For the snare, Joel combined samples from Drum Vault Snare Arsenal and Drumshotz Fire Edition, using DF-XCITE 2 to help shape the top end.

A room sample from Drumshotz Dan Braunstein also contributed to the overall sound.

The result was a carefully constructed drum mix designed to stand up against Skillet's enormous guitars and powerful vocals.

[IMAGE: DF-SMACK and DF-XCITE 2 product graphics]

And the biggest takeaway?

Great mixing isn't always about doing more. Sometimes it's about knowing exactly what a sound needs and when to leave it alone.

That's a philosophy Joel discusses throughout the original article, particularly when explaining why some of the band's already excellent recordings required surprisingly little processing.

Want to Try One of the Plugins Behind the Mix?

This October, DF-SMACK is just $19 (normally $99) as our Plugin of the Month.

If you're looking to give your drums more punch, impact, and presence in your next mix, now's a great time to add it to your arsenal.

GET DF-SMACK FOR $19

Another Milestone for the Skillet Team

With After The Storm reaching #1 across both iTunes charts, it's another achievement worth celebrating for Skillet and everyone who contributed to the release.

For Joel, who has already worked on multiple chart-topping records, it's another opportunity to reflect on the work that goes into bringing music of this scale to life.

And for producers and engineers looking to learn from the people behind records like these, there's plenty to take away from the process.

From refining an already approved mix to carefully choosing the right drum samples and processing, it's a reminder that great results come from great performances, thoughtful production, and attention to detail.

Congratulations to Skillet, Joel Wanasek, Joe Wohlitz, and the entire team behind After The Storm!

Want to dig deeper into the production?

GO INSIDE THE MIX: "LIFT ME UP" BY SKILLET

Also in Updates

Inside The Mix: "Lift Me Up" by Skillet, with Joel Wanasek

September 01, 2026

Joel Wanasek's mix of Skillet's "Lift Me Up" hit #1 on iTunes Rock and #9 on iTunes All Genre charts day one. That's his eighth number one overall, and the seventh in the last three years. "It is always exciting to get one," he says, "because you might only get on a couple of tracks a year that really have the potential to chart like that.” "Lift Me Up” was produced by David Cowell, who Joel describes as “one of the hardest working and most focused producers in rock.”