Written: 7th September 2024
Having followed Stryper since 1986, it has been fascinating to witness the band’s journey, from their classic 1980s albums, the controversial (but brilliant) Against The Law, their hiatus and their triumphant return. The most successful Christian metal band of the last forty years, they have more than earned the plaudits that have come their way. On a remarkable run of form since their reformation (Fallen and God Damn Evil being the brightest moments of many high points), Stryper prepare to release their new album, When We Were Kings, as confident in their ability as they have ever been.
Stryper have always been a band that combined powerful music with their underlying message and first track End of Days is no exception. It is an excellent opening to the album that combines many elements of their classic sound as crunching, rapid riffs combine with intoxicating lead guitar and insistent drumming. With typical tempo changes, an anthemic chorus and a blistering high-octane guitar solo, End of Days sets out the template for much of what is to follow. With lyrics that underscore the potential consequences of inaction and the moral crises facing the modern world, the track highlights the fragility of existence and the urgent need for collective action. The twilight of time / As Heaven declares / The end of the world’s drawing near / Skies are ablaze / The trumpets resound / It’s Armageddon's battleground.
On second track Unforgivable - slower paced and full of deliberate, heavy chords - Stryper immediately evidence the diversity that has been inherent within so much of their music. Robert Sweet and Perry Richardson make a formidable rhythm section and here they potently combine, providing a tenacious platform for the vigorous guitar work of Michael Sweet and Oz Fox. On both Unforgivable and the title track, the band effortlessly blend melody and determined vitality, offering listeners vehement power, sizzling guitar solos and the first ‘classic years tinged’ chorus of the album on When We Were Kings. Since their comeback, Stryper have made no secret of their love for the albums of the eighties but have unswervingly managed to inject this sound into many of their new songs, while pushing themselves forwards and never needing to wallow in musical nostalgia. Michael Sweet’s range remains impressive and his songwriting ability shows no sign of fading. Lyrically, the title track is a look back at the band’s career that captures the essence of their journey from youthful ambition to the inevitable changes brought by time. Bold and fearless / We set our sails / We paved the way / And blazed the trails.
Betrayed By Love is the first ballad of the album but the quartet create a more subtly sombre ambiance than on some of the band's previous songs of this nature. Delving into the emotional turmoil of disloyalty and the profound impact it has on one’s sense of trust and self-worth, Betrayed By Love finds a pained and introspective Michael Sweet expressing his despair via a wonderfully touching vocal, with a plaintive guitar solo adding to the overall poignancy. Loves Symphony begins as another slower paced track but builds in momentum and tempo as it progresses. Across the album, Robert Sweet gives some of his best performances of recent years and on Loves Symphony he drives the song forward with strength and resolve, together with several interesting fills - another excellent example of the harmonious merging with the forceful. In discussing the song, Michael Sweet says, "We’re always trying to merge the past with the present, trying to incorporate the classic sound that older fans miss with the modern sound that newer fans hope for. Loves Symphony is a great combination of both. It not only represents who we were but also who we are. We really are excited about this one and we hope you all are too."
Trinity – a contender for the best track on the album - is a juggernaut with rampant, chugging riffs. Restless and relentless over its four minutes, it has heavy metal at its heart, with every member of the band flexing their musical muscles, Perry Richardson’s bass pummelling with unyielding fire. Rhyme of Time takes the heavier elements of Trinity and fuses them with the balladlike nature of Betrayed By Love to produce a compelling slower track that drips with emotion. All I’m saying / With every night and waking / Through the rhyme of time / Your melody keeps playing.
Raptured struts with staccato riffs in the verses before more melodic choruses adds a different dimension to the track. While the guitar solo – which is varied in pitch and tempo - on Raptured is short, it is evidence of the depth of thought and different approaches within the solos to be found across When We Were Kings. The most straightforward track on the album is Grateful. Explaining his thoughts behind the composition, Michael Sweet says, “Grateful is an answer to all the fans that have been wanting to hear a throwback to songs like Calling on You. It’s a different side of the band musically with a straight ahead, pop/rock melody and groove. It’s also a message of gratitude and being grateful for what you have, no matter who you are.” Simpler in approach it may be but Grateful is a welcome addition to the album. Hook laden, layered with harmony, fizzing with twin guitars and effortlessly memorable, it allows Stryper the opportunity to revisit their past without feeling the need to ever reside there. Ending the album, Divided By Design and Imperfect World both further emphasise Stryper’s uncompromising approach to modern metal, the latter in particular being an ardent and impassioned final track. Stryper are not here to mess around.
Since fully hitting their stride once more on No More Hell To Pay, Stryper have produced a string of consistently great albums and with When We Were Kings they have produced an album that ranks highly amongst everything they have produced since then. Perfectly sequenced, the album flows wonderfully, balancing the metallic tracks with the ballads and those tracks that unify the two techniques. On an album that contains far less overtly Christian lyrics than many of their albums, Michael Sweet's lyrics are no less thought provoking and he delivers each with a voice that belies his advancing years. When We Were Kings finds each and every member of the band on stunning form. Their best album since the virtually flawless Fallen. Long may they reign….
When We Were Kings is released on 13th September 2024.
