Back when I was in high school, heavy metal ruled our world. You had the denim vest and leather jacket clad guys who were into bands like Metallica and Slayer and you had the spandex wearing guys who had better hair and wore more eyeliner than the girls and listened to bands like Poison and Motley Crue. One day I noticed a few members of the spandex army in the hallway carrying copies of The Holy Bible and wearing rosaries around their neck. Thus began my first introduction to Christian rock via the yellow and black attack of Stryper. Fast forward thirty years and the brothers Sweet and company are back on the scene with a new record, “Second Coming.”
The new album features fourteen re-recorded classic Stryper tunes and two brand new songs. The first thing I noticed was how good Stryper actually is. People tended to focus on their Christian viewpoint and bumblebee style costumes but they are a damn good metal band. The old tracks sound heavier and crisper than the original versions with drummer Robert Sweet and bassist Timothy Gaines sounding tighter than ever. Lead vocalist Michael Sweet’s voice simply doesn’t miss a note as he trades guitar licks with Oz Fox as they power through anthems like “Soldiers Under Command” and “To Hell With The Devil.” They slow things down a bit on the ballad “First Love” and the hit single “Calling On You” which I must have listened to at least a dozen times. The two new tracks are simply outstanding. “Blackened” has a huge soaring chorus in classic Stryper style and “Bleeding From Inside Out” just blew me away. “Bleeding” starts off with the best riff on the record and has a not to be missed absolutely epic Michael Sweet guitar solo.
While the hedonistic rock and roll lifestyle was the norm for most metal bands, Stryper took a chance and stepped out of the box. They held true to their beliefs and paved the way for Christian metal bands like Skillet and Red today. Check out where it all began and get your copy of “Second Coming” today.
