Having just seen Stryper in concert for their 40th anniversary tour and in my early days of listening to their latest album, I am in a bit of a Yellow & Black frame of mind, so be warned. There is some gushing praise ahead for these guys, but it is not just the sugary words of a fanboy. These guys have chops like no others, and they have proved it again in the studio and on stage.
21st Century '80s
When we were kings
Of our own time
We started young
And hoped to climb
But seasons change
And so did we
Now we long for what
We used to be
So runs the chorus of the title track to Stryper's fifteenth studio album When We Were Kings, and it captures the feel of this record perfectly. There is so much here to remind you of the '80s, but never does it just seem like a rehash of MTV favorites. The ballads are there, although with a far harder driving force than a classic like "Honestly." The killer metal is there. The sonorous vocals, the hooks that stay with you all day and are in your head when you awake the next morning, and the killer guitar solos by both Michael Sweet and Oz Fox are there. And it is all wrapped in tight production. The sound is phenomenal.
There is a clear line dividing this band's discography, something the guys acknowledge with the setlist on the 40th anniversary tour (more on that in a moment), which has an intermission in the 2-hour extravaganza. The latest album is squarely in the camp of recent offerings like Even The Devil Believes and The Final Battle, yet there is something different here and hard to put one's finger on. It simply has the feel of the best of the '80s yet with a 21st century sound, and for my money that makes it one of their all-time top efforts.
One quick word is necessary about the sixth song on the album, "Trinity." This is such a solid song lyrically that it begs for a new word to describe it, so I propose "theometalolgy." Theometalogically speaking, there is nothing like it. It is so hard hitting musically, with a slightly dark tone and brutally driving guitars, yet with lyrics worthy of unpacking in a collegiate course. Consider...
There are realms beyond our sight
An essence pure and bright
Father, Spirit, Son unite
Earth's eternal light
Ho- Holy, Tri-nity
A force to be, mystery
Nothing Like Live
I recently saw the band on their 40th anniversary tour. I saw them on the To Hell With The Devil and In God We Trust tours decades ago, have seen them play an acoustic set back in 2014, and then again fully electrified multiple times in the 2000s. Friends, this concert is flat out better than anything they have ever done. They play twenty-one...TWENTY-ONE...songs across two hours, not counting their version of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" that plays as the band takes the stage. The lights and video are spectacular, and I particularly enjoyed the gigantic displays of album covers that alternated with cool graphics, video clips, and images of the band. They threw Bibles as they have always done, wore yellow and black outfits, and played multiple way-cool guitars. Michael talked with the crowd between numbers, and everyone was belting out the songs as part of the great Stryper choir.
Friends, you must see them live on this tour. There is nothing like it. Yes, my headphones are high quality and do a fine job, but when you feel the music pounding in your chest and your heart asks, "Can I take the night off?" it is an experience of music as it was made to be heard.
Bottom Line
Visit Stryper.com or your favorite online retailer today to get a copy of this album. I bought the CD, vinyl, and digital download because I want to support the band. Don't just stream this one. Buy at least one copy.
And while you're on the website, get some tickets for a show. This is one not to be missed, but it will be remembered for years.
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