Metal Overview: Stryper

Happy Easter fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

On this day, we’re gathering in Church (For those who believe), enjoying some candy & time with family, and having a nice dinner. It’s a day where we gather with those we love, and celebrate life in all it’s majesty. Like I said in my review last week, I got a Easter-themed overview for today. It was a little overdue, but after discovering the band in question just this past January, they were the perfect choice for the first Metal Overview of 2017. What band deserved this spot? Why, Stryper of course!

Yes fellow Otaku & Metalheads, Stryper. Often the butt of jokes from hardcore metalheads, and the target of criticism of Conservative Christians who probably don’t know a damn thing about the Bible, Stryper are one of the most unique metal bands to have cropped up from the 1980s. They’re religious without being insensitive, evangelistic without being holier-than-thou, and they got the musical talent to back up their faith. They’re not the jokes you think they are, but instead stand proudly alongside acts like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and many other 80s classics. I’ll admit I had to grind through their discography over the past few weeks, but it was well worth to deliver you a look and the Christian-stylings of Stryper. Let’s begin!

Roxx Regime Demos (1983/2007)

Whereas the origins of many Sunset Strip bands are easily to locate, the band known as Stryper has a more cloudy beginning, and the group that has the closest connection would be known as Roxx Regime. Founded by brothers Robert & Michael Sweet, they brought on guitarist & backing vocalist Oz Fox, bass guitarist Tim Gaines, and keyboardist Jay Van Togren. From there, the band would record what would eventually be known as the Roxx Regime Demos. Originally recorded in 1983, the demos wouldn’t officially be released to the public until July of 2007! It was during the days of Roxx Regime that the band had converted to Christianity, after changing their rather hedonistic lifestyles to that of a more pure one, and it’s very evident by the lyrics of the songs on this demo CD.

Best Track? The original incarnation of My Love Will Always Show is a fun little rock song. Clocking in at 3 minutes & 28 seconds, the tune doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, and it evenly shows off the talent of each of the band members. It’s a far superior version than the one on their next record (More on this in a moment), but in a weird way has a aura of humbleness surrounding it. Definitely a fun song all around!

My Love Will Always Show

Worst Track? Really the overall quality of the demos is about the only thing one could criticize about this album. To it’s credit, the remastering makes the tracklist sound & feel far more fresh than they are. That said, you can still tell that they were cutting room floor-grade songs that probably shouldn’t have seen the light of day. Maybe they all could have been used for their own album later on down the line instead of breaking them up for various other albums.

Roxx Regime Demos. A little dated, but at the same time it shows a band that immediately gained it’s own unique look, sound, and feel. If you want to hear this band’s origins, then look no further than Roxx Regime. Next album!

The Yellow And Black Attack (1984)

Original

Re-Release

With the days of Roxx Regime behind them, the band would then reform & rename themselves as the iconic Stryper. As drummer Robert Sweet stated, Stryper stands for “salvation through redemption, yielding peace, encouragement and righteousness”. A little bit hard to say fully, but it was obvious by this backronym that the band meant business, and their first proper record was called The Yellow And Black Attack. Released on July 21, 1984, The Yellow And Black Attack was originally a six-song EP, with less that 20,000 copies produced. The reason for such a low amount was that Enigma Records (The band’s label) was unsure of the potential Christian Metal market. However, the band’s first manager Daryn Hinton, loaned them $100,000 to re-record & released the EP as a full-blown record, and it sold 150,000 units in the first three weeks.

Best Track? Co'mon Rock is a energetic song that really shows off what the band can do. Strangely, there really aren’t religious references in this track. Instead, Stryper uses this song as more a rallying cry than a moment to preach. It actually comes across as a standard Hair Metal track, but with a little more intelligence behind it, and not quite as much cheese. Ironically, this track was originally from the Roxx Regime Demos, and that one is just as good as this one. A nice standout tune if I say so myself!

C'mon Rock

Worst Track? The 1984 version of My Love Will Always Show is the only band song on this record. Sweet lord, what the hell did you do to this track Michael Sweet!? You took an awesome rock/metal song, and turned it into one of the most sickeningly sweet & sappy tracks of your entire career! In the track’s defense, it’s not as bad as some other songs later on in Stryper’s career, but good lord I thought I got diabetes by the time I was done! This version of My Love Will Always Show is so slow & plodding, your patience will be heavily tested. I was able to get through listening to it, but only barely.

My Love Will Always Show (1984 Version)

The Yellow And Black Attack. The baby steps for this fledgling band, but baby steps with some oomph behind them. Given the name of this album, that shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Next record!

Soldiers Under Command (1985)

The Yellow And Black Attack, while a fine album, wasn’t necessarily the dynamo to fully get Stryper on the metal map. Because of this, the band found themselves in a odd spot: they had to get out of their slump, while at the same time not overdue it. If Soldiers Under Command gives any indication, they succeeded! Released on May 15, 1985, Solider Under Command bursted onto the scene to wow fans & impress those who weren’t. Soldiers Under Command has the distinction of being the first Christian Metal album to go gold, selling more than half a million records. It also has another distinction of being an album that would help shape the beginnings of what would eventually be known as Power Metal. That’s right, Christianity would have a hand in creating one of the most over-the-top metal subgenres around, and it would affect the band as well, but that’s for later. In the meantime, Soldiers Under Command is a statement from Stryper: they were here to rock out & spread the word of Jesus, and they wouldn’t suffer fools of any kind. Even when they weren’t singing about God, they cranked out a bitching 10-track record, filled with simple & thoughtful rock/metal.

Best Track? First best track on this album has to be the title track. While it does come across as a little preachy at times, none the less Soldiers Under Command is a damn fine song, and has more than a few inklings of that proto Power Metal sound that would help shape the genre in the 90s & beyond. This is definitely a battle song, complete with a driving beat, pounding drums, and Michael Sweet’s impressive vocal work. You’ll definitely be jumping up & down while you listen to this song!

Soldiers Under Command

Together Forever is what I’d considering to be Soldiers Under Command’s second best track. It’s a bit on the goofy side, with it’s theme of a “Eternal Family”, but Stryper are putting a lot of emotion & heart. Again, it’s a little preachy like the title track, but at the same time they seem to know when to hold back the sermon, and just rock about being together & having a damn good time. Like the title track, this song is pretty energetic, and it’ll get you moving in no time!

Together Forever

Worst Track? First Love is about the only bad song on Soldiers Under Command, but even then it’s not completely terrible. There is a great guitar solo towards the end of the track, but for the most part it’s mostly forgettable. I blame the forgettable-ness on Michael Sweet’s vocals in this (They fine, but it comes across as too wispy), and that the instrumentation hardly changes apart from the guitar solo. I wouldn’t necessarily say skip First Love, but I will say that you’re not going to get much from this one.

First Love

Soldiers Under Command. Fixes the mistakes that might have come from The Yellow And Black Attack, the band are solidified as metal titans of the 80s due to this record......and it would only get better from here. Next album!

To Hell With The Devil (1986)

Original

Re-Release

1986 was a big year for metal. Iron Maiden gave us Somewhere In Time, Judas Priest released the often reviled Turbo, Metallica came out with the magnum opus that was Master of Puppets, but only a band like Stryper could come out with an album like To Hell With The Devil. Released on October 24, 1986, To Hell With The Devil is a monumental album for the band: it would be the first Christian Metal album to achieve platinum status, and would remain so until P.O.D. released Satellite back in 2001. Numerous rock & metal publications would have this album in their work, and the praise for the album would be high, and 3 tracks (Free, Honestly, Calling On You) would reach no. 1 & 2 respectively on MTV’s video request show Dial MTV. To Hell With The Devil also continued Stryper’s pre-Power Metal stylings that began on their previous record.

However, there was a small bout of trouble on this album. As stated by wikipedia:

“According to Michael Sweet's autobiography, as the band started to record the album, Michael felt Tim Gaines wasn't the right bassist for the record. He was replaced by bassist Matt Hurich, who eventually ended up not working out. So session bassist Brad Cobb took Gaines' place while recording the album. However, before the tour began, Sweet asked Gaines to rejoin as he felt it wasn't right performing as "Stryper" without him.”

Best Track? This is a pretty tough one. With maybe one exception, everything on this album is great! However, one simply cannot help but fall in love with the title track. Even more so than most track off of their previous release, To Hell With The Devil the song is a proto Power Metal anthem. The Christianity actually lends itself well to the Power Metal vibes, as the idea of angels defeating the devil is a damn good source of material. Definitely one of the greats from this record!

To Hell With The Devil

Worst Track? I’ll probably get some heat for this one, but I think Honestly is the worst track on To Hell With The Devil, but even then it’s not bad. Just okay, if I’m being honest. As I listened to this, I thought it was just another sappy/cheesy Hair Metal ballad. I’m all for sappy & cheesy music, but I thought it was just standard ballad of the time. It must have done something right, as it peaked at no. 23 Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles Chart. I guess it’s not my cup of tea then.

Honestly

Apart from that, the only bad thing about To Hell With The Devil would be the controversy behind the album cover. To be honest, the issue is really more pathetic than bad. In the original (See above) cover you saw 4 angels picking up the devil & throwing him into a fiery pit.....I thought Christians would like this. Anyways, on subsequent release of the album, the cover was changed to a plain black background with the band logo & album name. Really, who would complain about the album cover!?

To Hell With The Devil. An album that helped raised the band’s popularity to the stratosphere even more so than their previous record, forever cementing themselves in Heavy Metal history, but it placed Stryper in an odd position. Should they continue down the path of their own Christian-brand of Hair/Power Metal, or should they go into the Christian music scene where’d they probably make money for eternity. This answer will surprise you. Next album!

In God We Trust (1988)

With such a hard-rocking album like To Hell With The Devil, it was weird that Stryper would produce an album....like In God We Trust. Released on June 28, 1988, In God We Trust is Stryper’s most pop & radio-friendly album to date. This had actually hurt the album, as critics & fans called it overproduced & too commercial (Michael Sweet I believe talked about this in an interview). It also didn’t help the fact that this came out in 1988: by the late 80s Hair Metal was a passing fad, with many of it’s progenitors either falling off the wagon, or oblivious to the shift of music that was the 90s & were still trapped in their own world. Despite the more tepid reception, In God We Trust managed to achieve gold status, 2 singles managed to chart (Always There For You at no. 71 & I Believe In You at no. 88), and the record received 2 Dove Awards from the GMA (Gospel Music Associating) for “Hard Music Album” & “Hard Rock Song” for the title track. Pretty impressive is you ask me!

Best Track? Much like Soldiers Under Command, the title track is a fun little song. It comes across as preachy like the previously mentioned tune, the difference with In God We Trust is that it come across as more of a Hair Metal track with bits of Power Metal sewn in (Soldiers Under Command was more Power Metal mixed with Hair Metal). There’s a groove that just seems to permeate the entire song, and it never lets up. Almost everything on In God We Trust is fantastic, and this track spearheads the whole thing!

In God We Trust

Worst Track? I Believe In You is one of the most diabetes-inducing tracks I’ve ever heard! Not only that, but I didn’t even know that Michael Sweet got a sex change during the recording of this album! This is one of the most girly things I’ve ever had goes into my ears, and even when the instrumentation picks up about halfway through, I’m stilling wondering if Michael Sweet is a guy or not. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but in the end you’ll be confused.

I Believe In You

Apart from that, the only bad thing one could say about In God We Trust is the more commercialized nature of the record. I don’t think Stryper meant any harm, but by trying to go down the more commercial route, they came across more like they made the album more for money than for music & God. I’m genuinely conflicted on this, as becoming more commercial makes them more accessible to the public, but at the same time it betrays their more humble origins.

In God We Trust. Maybe a little too commercial for Stryper, but the music & message is still easily heard. If you like this band on the more easily-accessible side, then this cd is for you. Next album!

Against The Law (1990)

The year was 1990: Hair Metal by this point was on his last legs, and Heavy Metal was about to get attacked by the twin forces of Grunge & Rap/Hip-Hop. For a band like Stryper, they were having some internal struggles with band members, and the more lukewarm sales of In God We Trust didn’t help matters. Coupled with the continual criticism from up-tight religious figures & metalheads, the band finally had enough of it all, and it was because of this frustration that their one & only album in the 90s was born.

Released on August 21, 1990, Against The Law was a remarkably different album that Stryper fans (Especially the religious ones) were accustomed to. The band completely did away with their yellow & black outfits, their evangelical lyrics, and even the familiar yellow-and-black band logo with Isaiah 53:5. Filling in the holes were leather outfits, and lyrics that focused more on rock n' roll and relationships, although the lyrics still had something of a Christian slant to them. Critics were rather fond of Against The Law, as they praised it as Stryper’s strongest album to date, but their Christian based criticized them for the sudden shift, and a few more accused them of selling out for a more wider appeal. Because of this, Against The Law sold poorly when compared to their previous works.

As for me, I actually like the tonal shift away from their more Christian output. Not to saw that stuff was bad, cause it definitely wasn’t, but Against The Law offers a glimpse into the band’s distant past, when they were a little more rough around the edges. Some of you, especially those that take their faith a little too seriously, are probably thinking that I’m bashing Christianity. Let me answer bluntly: I’m not anti-Christian. I’m not anti-Catholic. I’m not anti-Jewish. I’m not anti-Muslin. I’m not anti-Buddhist. I’m not anti-any faith or belief (Except for Scientology)! What I am.....is anti-bullshit!

Mini Food For Thought/Thought For Food: Missed Opportunity
- Conservative Christians, you had an opportunity. A golden opportunity. You had a band, from a genre of music you loathe, preaching the word of Jesus Christ & the lord, and you had many younger people listening to this band! You had an opportunity to gain a foothold in the hearts & minds of young Americans, and you blew it! You blew what was perhaps your one & only chance, all because they weren’t preaching your way & weren’t under your control. In the process you pushed Stryper away from the faith for a time, and I can only say fuck you for doing so!

Best Track? This was a tough call, as the shift to a more standard Rock ‘n’ Roll/Heavy Metal tone & vibe made one song seem similar to one another. That said, I’m torn between the title track and the 3rd to last song Caught In The Middle. Both are damn fine rock/metal song, as they have a driving beat to them (Especially Caught In The Middle), and have catchy hooks that easily grab your attention. These tracks are also the least Christian out of an album that barely has any Christianity, so those of a more atheist mindset might appreciate this.

Against The Law

Caught In The Middle

Worst Track? Against The Law’s only cardinal sin is it’s sudden shift in theme. I personally didn’t have a problem with this, as I stated earlier that this album is a glimpse into Stryper’s past. The only people that are going to have an issue with this are those of faith, as they believed that the band betrayed their values with changing as much as they did. If one wanted to be picky, could cite any of the syrupy ballads as a bad song, but with the religious element taken out, I don’t seem as offended.

Against The Law. Maybe an album that came out of left field, and maybe not as faith-based as everything before it, but still provides an enjoyable experience. If you want a glimpse into Stryper’s past, this is the CD for you. Next album!

Reborn (2005)

With diminishing sales & crowd sizes, it seemed that Stryper was pretty much done. Michael Sweet left the band, and to finish out the tour as vocalist was Oz Fox, who’s got an impressive set of pipes himself. After that tour, the band pretty much broke up & went their separate ways, living lives that were far less exciting than their time in the band, and thus they were no more. However, in the early 2000s the band actually reformed for reunion tours, and not long after the tours, Stryper’s first album in 15 years, Reborn, was released.

Released on August 16, 2005, Reborn was technically not supposed to be a Stryper. Instead, it was supposed to be a Michael Sweet solo album, but after the reunion tour he played the demos for the band, and it was Oz Fox that suggested that they’d be released as a Stryper album. So the older members (Excluding Tim Gaines) were brought back to re-record the demos. In his autobiography (Honestly: My Life and Stryper Revealed), Michael Sweet said that the record company he had a deal with (Big3 Records) was for his solo material, but after convincing them to turn it into a Stryper record deal, and that’s how it Reborn came into being.

Reborn is an odd release of a record. It’s more contemporary than anything before it, it’s less heavier, and is influenced heavily by Nu Metal. The end result......is less than stellar. I wouldn’t call it completely terrible, but it’s definitely not good. For starters, Tim Gaines isn’t on the album. Secondly, the band is taking themselves a little too seriously, and thus the fun factor isn’t there. Third & finally....Nu Metal? Really Stryper? As much as I enjoy that subgenre, I don’t think you guys should even remotely get near it!

It should be noted that the original release of Reborn has become something of a collector’s item:  the first copies of the album have a technical mistake, with songs 7-9 being played on the album in a different order than the one stated on the cover artwork. Big 3 Records has plans to re-release the album with the correct order of songs, although I don’t know when it comes out.

Best Track? I’ll have a few heads turn with this, but I’m strangely fond of the band’s cover of Amazing Grace (Titled 10,000 Years on the album). I’m not exactly sure why, but the Nu Metal flavoring of Reborn somehow lends itself to this track well. The groove that Michael Sweet, Oz Fox, and Tracy Ferrie make on the guitars is pleasant, and Robert Sweet’s drumwork plays right alongside everybody else. Michael Sweet’s voice is pretty damn good as well, shifting between powerful & graceful at the drop of a hat. A diamond in this album’s rough if you ask me.

Amazing Grace (10,000 Years)

Worst Track? The 2005 version of In God We Trust just baffles me. The original version was so perfect & so 80s, and was a really great track! This one? It lacks so much if the band’s patented Hair/Power Metal, and comes across as a weak cover from a Nu Metal band. It might have a snippet of a beat from the original, but it’s nothing like it’s predecessor. A disgrace if you ask me!

In God We Trust (2005 Version)

Reborn. A bad album? Yes, but only just. There’s potential in this album, as it’s obvious that the band is putting it’s time & energy in, but as I thought to myself while I listened “This album would be the definitive comeback if they had a fire lit under their ass!”. Fast forward to 2009, we would get that return. Next album!

Murder By Pride (2009)

Reborn, as mildly bad as it was, none the less showed to the world that Stryper was back, and they were ready to kick ass for God & Christ. After going on tour for a bit, the band was energized more than the Energizer Bunny, and got to work on producing their next record. After some time, including a massive bump in the road (See below for details), the band release Murder By Pride on July 21, 2009. Michael Sweet commented that “after years of speaking to fans and hearing comments like 'more guitars,' 'more solos' and 'more screams,' I decided to keep those suggestions in mind as I wrote each song. It was important to me to try to get back to that early sound of Stryper yet at the same time, to remain relevant today. It's certainly not an easy thing to do, but as I listen to Murder by Pride, I think that was accomplished”. He’s certainly right, as this record feels far more like their 80s material, and has far more effort put in. Despite some issue with the drumming, Murder By Pride is the true return for Stryper, and a good one at that!

Unfortunately, the recording of Murder By Pride was done under the cloud of tragedy. 2 years prior, Michael Sweet wife (Kyle Sweet) was diagnosed with Stage Four Ovarian Cancer, and from February the 14th to July the 14th of 2007, underwent surgery & treatment. Michael Sweet postponed the recording & release of the album so he could take care of his wife, and miraculously the cancer seemingly disappeared! Sadly, it had come back in October of that year, and on March the 5th of 2009, Kyle tragically passed away just 2 months before the album came out. Due to this, Murder By Pride come across as a more serious Stryper record, but not overwhelmingly so like World Coming Down or Dead Again from Type-O Negative were.

Best Track? Yet another pick that’ll turn heads, but I’m really fond of their cover of Boston’s classic song, Peace Of Mind. It’s ironic that I like this song, as I’ve never been a fan of that group, but given that Michael Sweet had toured with them for a few years, it’s not surprising that Stryper would cover this. I guess the reason that I like this song is that the band really shows a lot of reverence & respect for the original source material: the general beat comes across like the original, but Stryper put on their own twist, as the mood & feel is distinctly of this group. Definitely a surprising track.

Peace Of Mind

Worst Track? Really the overall grim nature of Murder By Pride is it’s only flaw. Like I said earlier, the musicianship has been greatly improved, but the circumstances keep this record in a more serious light. I can’t completely complain, as I’m not a fan of serious Stryper, but given what was going on at the time, I can understand why. The good news is that the band still know when to turn the “Fun” knob up, as there’s plenty of time where the vibe of the 80s comes through loud & clear!

Murder By Pride. The real return of these Christian titans, but still lacking some of that old-school sound. I can’t argue about this record, as Stryper put in a hell of a lot more effort on this record than their release before this. However, we would have to wait another 4 years before the band truly became old school. Next album!

No More Hell To Pay (2013)

After the firestorm that was Murder By Pride, Stryper seemed to be back on track to kick-assdom. After going on tour, and releasing a cover record (The Covering) and an album of re-recorded songs (Second Coming), they got to work on their 15th release (10th Studio Release). After the work got put in, they released No More Hell To Pay on November 5, 2013. Finally seeing the return of original member Tim Gaines, No More Hell To Pay marks a return to the band’s heyday of the 1980s, and in interviews Michael Sweet stated that Stryper want to go for a more heavier sound like many of the classic bands. They certain accomplished what they set out to do, as this album sounds like something that would have come from the 80s, but with a modern production value that gives the music a clean & crisp edge.

Best Track? Okay, one final headturner, but I seem to like their take on the classic song Jesus Is Just Alright. Covered by a variety of bands/groups, Stryper seem to emulate a version of the song done by the Doobie Brothers. The band has a beat & groove that’s similar to what the Doobie Brothers did, and while Michael Sweet doesn’t completely emulate the vocals from that edition, he certain seems to go for something similar. While I never liked the older version, much like the other two there’s just something here that I seem to like. A great song regardless!

Jesus Is Just Alright

Worst Track? Absolutely nothing! Even with mildly goofy tracks like Sticks & Stones and Water Into Wine, No More Hell To Pay is classic Stryper brought back to modern times, and is proof positive that the 80s will always survive. If you want a modern metal album with plenty of old-school flavor, this is for you. Next album!

Fallen (2015)

Finally! Finally, Stryper put out something epic! Something.....powerful, perhaps?

Release on October 15, 2015, Fallen marks the first time that an album from Stryper has gone full-blown Power Metal! If one wanted to look at the bible in a certain way, one could say that the stories contained within the holy book could be considered fantasy, and thus lends well to what Power Metal subscribes to. However, this is still Stryper we’re talking about, as Fallen still has the band’s signature sound, style, and melodic pattern. Fallen was a huge hit with the audience, with various metal & Christian magazines. Fallen also has the distinction of being a higher seller than their previous album, selling 10,000 copies in it’s first few weeks.

Best Track? Yahweh! Like I said above, Stryper went down the Power Metal route when it came to Fallen, but if any song made it blatantly obvious, it would be the opening track. Sweeping guitars, thundering drums, and vocals that sound like they reach for the heavens (In Stryper’s case, that’s probably literal). Though there aren’t any keyboards used, the band stay true to the force that is Power Metal, and the beat is absolutely infectious!

Yahweh

Worst Track? Big.....Screen.....Lies. What makes this song bad (Horrendous in my view), doesn’t have to do with the instrumentation or the vocal work. The whole band is firing on all cylinders throughout Fallen, and this song as well. No, what makes Big Screen Lies so bad is the message: Now, I’m all for commercials, infomercials, and articles that say “Don’t believe everything you hear” & “Don’t assume everything you see on TV/Internet is real”. That’s fine. I can go along with that. However, this song doesn’t do that. This song goes down the typical Republican/Conservative Christian route, basically saying “Don’t believe those Hollywood Democrats” & “Don’t trust that Liberal media”. What’s worse is that they don’t even try to hide this fact, and it marks the only time I would ever raise a finger towards this band. Stryper, you’re better than this, and you know it! Skip this track with everything you got!

Big Screen Lies

Fallen. Apart from one song, this record is a testament to Power Metal’s staying power here in the 2010s, and it’s proof that Stryper isn’t going anywhere for a long time. If you want your Power Metal a little more on the holy side, this is the record for you. Next album!

God Damn Evil (2018) ***

With No More Hell To Pay & Fallen giving Stryper a huge adrenaline boost, the band became stronger than ever, and the next few years they continued to tour to great crowds. Then the time was right to create a new record, and on April the 20th, 2018, God Damn Evil was released. Originally planned for a release in February of last year (Which was 1st announced in November 2016), God Damn Evil moves away from the Power Metal stylings of their 2015 release, and moves the back back towards their Hard Rock/Heavy Metal roots. Enlisting a new bassist by the name of Perry Richardson (More on why below), the band still continues to prove that they're a musical force for good, and they're nothing to be messed with.

Ironically enough, the name for this album got Stryper into a little bit of trouble. Some Christian music seller, and even more ironically Walmart, refused to sell the record because of it's name. As Michael Sweet stated:

"We're disappointed. Stryper has always been about making people think outside the box. Our new album title, God Damn Evil, is a statement that's needed in our society. We've seen evil rise to new levels and this title is simply a prayer request asking God to damn or condemn all the evil around us. Many chains have joined us in making such a statement. Walmart, unfortunately, has not. The odd thing is of all the chains out there we assumed Walmart would be one to understand exactly what our point and purpose is. Unfortunately not. Although we respect their decision and what's done is done, it's frustrating to see something that's meant for good get misinterpreted and misunderstood"

Best Track? Gotta give it to the first single, Take It To The Cross. Now I don't know if it's just me, but the band seems to delve a little bit into the world of Death Metal. This makes a little bit of sense, as Stryper acquired the services of Shadows Fall vocalist Matt Bachand. Though he's only heard in the chorus portions of the song, Matt's voice really melds well with the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal nature of Stryper. The end result is a track that nice & heavy, but knows when to get a little bloodthirsty if necessary.

Take It To The Cross

And while it doesn't necessarily have to do with the music, the one advantage God Damn Evil has over it's predecessor is that it doesn't go for political. Big Screen Lies to me is one of the biggest betrayals that Stryper has ever done: at no point up until that track had the band ever gone down the politically charged Conservative Christian route. They were religious to be sure, but never dogmatic or holier than thou. No song on this release even remotely, as it seems like they moved on from that. However......

Mini Food For Thought/Thought For Food: Not Christian Enough?
- Alright, let's talk about the only bad thing about God Damn Evil. It's not the music. It's not the quality. It's the faith. For the first time ever, the Christian faith gets in the bands way. How? Because Tim Gaines wanted a divorce. That's right.....a divorce. Him & his wife weren't doing so well, which first caused Stryper to go on hiatus. Then, Michael Sweet gave him an ultimatum: take true to your Christian faith & stay in a miserable marriage, or you're out of the band. Tiring of the bullshit, Tim ultimately decided to leave for a new future. Michael, if this was done because of the loss of your wife, then I get it. Losing a loved one, especially a spouse, is awful, and I wouldn't even wish this on people I hate. If the words of Tim Gaines are to be believed, however, then Michael's actions during this time were purely because of ego & blind faith. I weep for you Michael, as this seems like you're sliding further & further into the Christian far right. Truly I weep.

God Damn Evil....is God damn good. If you can get past the personal bullcrap, you'll find a hell of an album. Enjoyable, and definitely recommended.

Even The Devil Believes (2020)

Update in a few months.....

The Final Battle (2022)

Update in a few months.....

So that my fellow Otaku & Metalheads was the Christian powerhouse Stryper. If you get past the jokes, insults, and bullcrap, you’ll find one of the most unique Heavy Metal bands to ever come out of the 80s. Those of faith will like the message, those without faith will like the metal, and music fans in general will like the originality of the band. I’m serious when I say that Stryper surprised me, and I’m sure they will for you as well! However, compilation month is almost over, and I’ve got 1 more album to look at. It also happens to be the first Heavy Metal album I’ve ever owned. What is it? Well, you’ll know when I let you! See you soon!




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If you’d like to know about the drum issues with Murder By Pride, check out the Wikipedia link below.

Murder By Pride (Wikipedia)

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Updated on May 16th, 2018 (12:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time)