{"id":8763,"date":"2022-11-06T20:58:49","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T01:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/?p=8763"},"modified":"2022-11-06T21:08:48","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T02:08:48","slug":"stryper-the-final-battle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/06\/stryper-the-final-battle\/","title":{"rendered":"STRYPER: The Final Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Yellow and Black Attack have descended upon us once again with a new metal release. Of course I\u2019m writing about Stryper\u2019s latest album, The Final Battle<\/em>. This is what, their seventh or eighth release on Frontiers Records (the faithful will correct me for sure) and still they show no sign of slowing down. Seemingly there has been a true renaissance over the last 5-6 years for Michael Sweet and company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I\u2019ve noticed for sure is instead of a time of joy there are rustlings within the Christian Metal community: \u201cIt\u2019s the greatest Stryper album ever!\u201d \u201cI hate Stryper.\u201d \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you?\u201d \u201cI like the old stuff better.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s not Stryper without Tim Gaines!\u201d \u201cStryper is the best band of all time!\u201d\u2026 These comments are repeated often and endlessly in forums across the \u2018net echoing fandom of other artists throughout the rock and metal world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m left wondering if this type of fandom is sustainable. The hyper critical comments of the band, the hyper critical comments toward those who disagree with the perceived status quo of how great the band is. I\u2019m sure many of you are wondering where I\u2019m going with this, but I will just say not everything the band says or does is to be admired and not everything they say or do should be condemned. It really sounds simple enough but in today\u2019s \u201cus vs. them\u201d mentality its difficult to weave one\u2019s way through the battlefield of fandom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for me \u2026 I\u2019m here to review The Final Battle<\/em> and I will just say this about my fandom. I bought the EP in 1984, one of the early pressings as the bottom part of the cover is chopped off. Saw them the first time in San Francisco January 1985 at Wolfgang\u2019s. There are some bootlegs out there of that night. My last show was in 2012 and it was a monster, they crushed it. I\u2019ve seen them many times and rarely have I left a show disappointed. It\u2019s happened, but not many times. I\u2019ve had members of Metallica compliment me for wearing a Stryper shirt, seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I dig a lot of the Stryper catalog and yet there are some of the early 2000\u2019s output that was somewhat lack luster in my opinion. Coupled with my general avoidance of ballads might lend you to think I\u2019m not much of a fan, don\u2019t let that fool you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This finally brings me to the album at hand, The Final Battle<\/em>. The lead off single “Rise to the Call” was a cannon shot as far as I was concerned. Double kick, powerful, melodic and MEMORABLE!! It was a track I hit repeat on right after I heard it the first time. The lyric of \u201cWe fight and we wrestle, Risk losing it all; When we could win battles and RISE TO THE CALL!!\u201d I will put it out there, this is one of the best Stryper tracks in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several of the other singles issued, the melodic yet initially dirge like \u201cSee No Evil, Hear No Evil\u201d ultimately opens up and climaxes with a highly memorable chorus. Album opener “Transgressor” is a bullet train that speeds along with Robert Sweet doing double time throughout. It\u2019s memorable with a terrific guitar solo. The fourth single “Same Old Story” is a mid tempo rocker which arrives at another memorable chorus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stryper has seemingly developed their sound, their “formula” if you will. All of the classic bands have one. Iron Maiden has it, you hear one of their songs and you know it\u2019s a Maiden track, good bad or indifferent. AC\/DC is the same way, they\u2019ve defined a sound. A piece of musical turf if you will. I don\u2019t buy their albums looking for much deviation, it\u2019s not that I don\u2019t mind something different but it\u2019s not what I desire from these artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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