Stryper - "Fallen"

Stryper - Fallen
2015, Frontiers

1. Yahweh
2. Fallen
3. Pride
4. Big Screen Lies
5. Heaven
6. Love You Like I Do
7. All Over Again
8. After Forever
9. Till I Get What I Need
10. Let There Be Light
11. The Calling
12. King of Kings

I've never been a huge Stryper fan. I like them alright. I really like the older stuff, but their newer stuff has never really done much for me. Even when they made a move back toward their classic sound, I remained uninterested. However, I did notice that Fallen had made a lot of "best of" lists for 2015 so I decided to check it out. I'm glad I did! Fallen is not merely "one of their better albums from the latter period" but one of their best albums period. I would go as far as to say this is probably the finest album of their career. This is also probably the heaviest I've ever heard them. Michael Sweet is at the top of his vocal game here - even hitting the high notes of days gone by. The songs are infectious, with great hooks and riffs. Twin leads abound! Even the ballad ("All Over Again") is probably the best ballad they've ever done. They've even thrown in a cover of "After Forever." Now, it won't ever replace the Deliverance version as my favorite, but it's still really good and fits well on the album. If you're trying to get someone into Stryper, this is definitely the album to show them.

Useless Fact: Didn't Stryper do a covers album? And an album of rerecordings? I think they did. I wonder if they're any good?

Stryper - "In God We Trust"

Stryper - In God We Trust

1988, Enigma

1. In God We Trust

2. Always There For You

3. Keep the Fire Burning

4. I Believe in You

5. The Writings on the Wall

6. It's Up 2 U

7. The World of You and I

8. Come to the Everlife

9. Lonely

10. The Reign

In God We Trust has the distinction of being the very first tape I ever got. For that reason alone it will always have a special place in my heart even though I don't listen to it that much. I remember my mom taking me to the Christian book store in the mall to get it. Mom hated it. My friends hated it. But I loved it. Didn't know at the time just how commercial the band had gotten at this point. MTV was playing them all the time. I only have a few favorite tracks off of this one because as I look back now, I was a little too young to realize how forgettable some of these tracks are. So while this disc will always be on my ipod and in my collection, it's something I hardly ever pull out.

Useless Fact: After this disc the guys abandoned their stripes and caused a lot of controversy by going "secular." Of course they caused a lot of controversy by being a Christian metal band too... so I guess they were used to it.

Stryper - "To Hell With the Devil"

Stryper - To Hell With the Devil

1986, Enigma

1. Abyss (To Hell With the Devil)

2. To Hell With the Devil

3. Calling On You

4. Free

5. Honestly

6. The Way

7. Sing-Along Song

8. Holding On

9. Rockin' the World

10. All of Me

11. More Than a Man

I was a HUGE fan of Stryper back in the day. HUGE. These days I don't really listen to them that much for whatever reason. Sometimes I wish I was born just a few years earlier so I could have really experienced these guys in their prime. As it is To Hell With the Devil is a bit more commercial than their previous efforts but that doesn't bother me any. In fact, I would say all their stuff was pretty commercial. However, this was the first disc to have a single and video blow up on MTV - that being "Honestly." As far as the whole album goes I think I like the first half a lot better than the second half with the exception of "More Than a Man." That song is awesome... and very close to my heart. It's one of my top ten metal worship songs.

Useless Fact: Only true fans know that the cover above was supposed to be the original cover for the album, but some idiot in his infinite wisdom decided on the black cover. Why? Who the heck knows. I just know that the one pictured above is cooler than the one I have.