\n
\u00a0<\/span>Another review for this record by a member of the Karew?\u00a0 Really?\u00a0 Well\u2026yes.\u00a0 Because we want to.\u00a0 And we can. And because we wanted to give more than one perspective on it. Plus, I like to sit with a record for a couple of weeks and not give any snap judgments.\u00a0 As a fan of progressive stuff, I like to find the nuances in the music.\u00a0 And let\u2019s get the title out of the way\u2026this review is not going to get into the controversial title.\u00a0 However, I personally do agree with the comments posted in the review by Doc already on this site.\u00a0 So here we go\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n \n Now, let\u2019s get down to what it\u2019s really all about.\u00a0 The music.\u00a0 And no one has been doing it better for such a long time.\u00a0 You hear bands all the time talk about going back to their roots and failing to deliver.\u00a0 Well, Michael and the boys have done so without even advertising their intent to do so.\u00a0 Usually the first 2-3 albums from a band, at least in my perspective, turn out to be their best.\u00a0 Beyond that the pressures to produce hits and sell units win out and we are left with watered down, over-produced music that is bland for the remainder of a band\u2019s catalogue, leaving fans longing for the good-old-days.\u00a0 Stryper 2.0 (Reborn and beyond) have brought the punch back to the band\u2019s sound, and have continued to get heavier and leave the hair image behind.\u00a0 And dare I say, this one is their heaviest yet…and I like it!\u00a0 The guitars in particular stand out to me.\u00a0 There is a lot more \u201cchunka-chunka\u201d in the rhythm and arrangements this time around, reminiscent of the releases from the early years.\u00a0 Combine that with Michael staying away from \u201cclean\u201d vocals and you have the band still completely sounding like Stryper, but continuing to push their musical boundaries forward, without leaving the fans behind.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cTake it to the Cross\u201d starts the album off at a blistering pace.\u00a0 Lots of crunch and riffage batter your ears throughout while maintaining the Stryper sound.\u00a0 Then you get thrown a curveball\u2026did I hear growling in the chorus?\u00a0 Why yes\u2026yes I did.\u00a0 And it works here.\u00a0 I\u2019m not gonna lie, the first time I heard this chorus I hated it.\u00a0 Michael\u2019s quick screams reminded me of Dale Thompson belting out \u201cMetal Might\u201d from Bride\u2019s Live to Die era and seemed out of place.\u00a0 But the more I listened, the more I understood what he was trying to do:\u00a0 juxtaposing the growls to make everyone a little more comfortable with that sound underneath.\u00a0 I\u2019m still not a big fan of the chorus here, but I get it, and the song still rocks.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Next up is \u201cSorry\u201d and there is nothing to apologize for.\u00a0 This song is flat out top notch.\u00a0 Michael is in top form here with his vocals. There is a great crunch and groove going on throughout with a chorus that is catchy and hits you with a wall of BGV\u2019s.\u00a0 This one is a Stryper instant classic.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Lost is the 3rd track and, again, the pace is quick and full of groove.\u00a0 The galloping bass work on this track is great and gives it a lot of depth.\u00a0 I personally wish the chorus kept up the speed of the verses here, but you can\u2019t help but admire the way Michael belts it out.\u00a0 How he can still sing in that range after all these years is beyond me.<\/span><\/p>\n \n The title track is next.\u00a0 It is not a typical Stryper song.\u00a0 Really, I feel a ton of AC\/DC type blues rock in this track.\u00a0 Close your eyes and it would be easy to imagine (with slightly altered arrangements) Brian Johnson screeching this one out with Angus and Malcom Young grinding away on guitars in the back.\u00a0 However, those similarities end when the trademark team vocals kick in on the chorus.\u00a0 And what a chorus!\u2026as this might be the sing along track of the album.\u00a0 In their heyday this song no doubt would have been a huge hit anthem on radio and MTV.\u00a0 That is not to say it sounds dated.\u00a0 It\u2019s not at all.\u00a0\u00a0 It rocks along with Stryper\u2019s updated sound.\u00a0 Title or not, this one is a keeper.<\/span><\/p>\n \n The 5th song, \u201cYou Don\u2019t Even Know Me,\u201d is a mid-paced rocker where Michael takes to task those who are two faced, judging others while sinking to their own devious lows.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t even know me, but you think you\u2019re a god. You continue to show me that you\u2019re only a fraud.\u201d\u00a0 If I was forced at gunpoint to pick a least favorite track, this would probably be the one, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s weak. I\u2019m sure many reading that statement love this song and wonder if I\u2019m off my meds, and that\u2019s OK.\u00a0 Music is personal.\u00a0 What I like others don\u2019t.\u00a0 And that what makes it so fun to talk about, discuss and debate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \n And now on to to the 6th track, \u201cThe Valley.\u201d\u00a0 I love this one.\u00a0 I mean LOVE this one.\u00a0 I catch myself singing the chorus walking through the halls at work.\u00a0 Certainly my favorite on the album.\u00a0 The 23rd Psalm is the chorus and this tune contains everything you love about this band.\u00a0 It\u2019s heavy.\u00a0 It has dual guitars riffing over an Egyptian type theme.\u00a0 Michael\u2019s vocals are gritty and powerful, and he sings like he wants to rip the mic off the stand.\u00a0 The drumming is bombastic and really gives this song a serious foundation.\u00a0 And then that chorus!\u00a0 Luscious.\u00a0 Without a doubt an instant top 10 in the band\u2019s entire song catalog.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cSea of Thieves\u201d is a rollicking, rocking guitar picking good time.\u00a0 I like how you can really hear Oz isolated on the background vocals leading up to the chorus. (Does he ever get enough credit for his voice?)\u00a0 I really like the breakdown in the middle of this tune too. A solid effort.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cBeautiful\u201d starts with Robert beating the skins into submission, followed by some crunchy riffs, leading into a signature Michael Sweet chorus, which is lush and full of layers.\u00a0 Another one of my faves on this disc.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cCan\u2019t Live Without Your Love\u201d is the closest thing to a ballad on this disc.\u00a0 Just a hint of keyboard in the opening and chorus, but really it chooses its mood with understated guitars (yet with a hint of crunch under the surface) setting the pace, once again pulling us into a chorus like only Stryper can.\u00a0 Michael does not sing this one like a ballad either, keeping with the throaty vocals found throughout the record.<\/span><\/p>\n \n \u201cOwn Up\u201d is a dirty, gritty little number in which the groove builds as the song progresses.\u00a0 The chorus keeps the song moving at a nice pace and is just fun.\u00a0 I am pretty sure I even heard cowbell!<\/span><\/p>\n \n The last tune, \u201cThe Devil Doesn\u2019t Live Here,\u201d is a headbanging closer, full of crunch, pace, and nifty riffage, with Stryper proclaiming loudly what they are all about and is a fine way to finish things off.\u00a0 \u201cThe Devil doesn\u2019t live here, only Jesus. Sold out with no fear, only to Jesus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \n Overall this might just be their best effort since THWTD (wait\u2026what?\u00a0 Really?).\u00a0 To me, it has the best elements of NMHTP and Fallen, and takes them another step forward. This is a metal album, pure and simple.\u00a0 Not really any filler tracks (amazing considering Michael says he wrote these songs in about 10 days).\u00a0 The songs are guitar driven that hit hard.\u00a0 Michael Sweet\u2019s voice is preternatural.\u00a0 He sings higher and harder than I can remember and sounds like he is still in his 20\u2019s.\u00a0 I know some people are not happy because Tim is no longer in the band, but I can assure you that the bass work here is not lacking and in some cases really drives the music.\u00a0 If I wanted to nitpick, there could be a few more hooks in the choruses.\u00a0 And there is that whole title issue.\u00a0 But make no mistake, Stryper have proven they have a lot left to offer and are not slowing down.\u00a0 They are just starting to rev the engines.<\/span><\/p>\n (Frontiers Records) \u00a0\u00a0 Release Date: April 20, 2018<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0Another review for this record by a member of the Karew?\u00a0 Really?\u00a0 Well\u2026yes.\u00a0 Because we…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1020],"tags":[556,760,80,373,69],"class_list":["post-3225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-review","tag-80-39-s-metal","tag-controversial-title","tag-michael-sweet","tag-pop-metal","tag-stryper-d17"],"yoast_head":"\n