Evil Be Damned

The #1 album on Amazon's Hard Rock list is the new release by Stryper, God Damn Evil, and while we may be waiting on certain evils in the world to go away, one thing is clear.  The evil of wimpy music has been condemned and the triumphant flag of hard rock has been planted on its grave with the release of Stryper's twelfth studio album.

Everything about this release is old-school, yet updated for the 21st century.  Back in the day, a band would release singles that we heard on the radio, getting us excited for the full album.  In the '80s we had music videos that told stories and took us into the world of the songs.  With the release of God Damn Evil, Stryper and Frontiers Records went back to this strategy and gave the world "Take It To The Cross," "Sorry," "Lost", and "The Valley" before the album came out today.  Each one had its own video, and the ones for "Sorry" and "The Valley" were true MTV-era works that featured a dramatic story along with shots of the band in action.

To say that this strategy got fans hyped is an understatement, and I know this because of the 21st century part of the formula, social media.  Michael Sweet is one of the savviest users of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.  He knows how to light a fire and stoke it to a blaze with words, pictures, and videos sent at the just the right times to keep conversation about the record at a fever pitch.  And of course, there are all the fans and fan groups that keep the Internet buzzing with retweets and shares of everything that comes out from or about the band.

Early reports said this would be Stryper's heaviest and best album to date, and Michael Sweet confirmed this in numerous interviews.  Guess what?  Those articles were right.  This is an album that is clearly in the Stryper catalogue while making hard rock and metal relevant with fresh, new sounds worthy of being blasted from the best speakers of you've got.

"Take It To The Cross"...Opens with an eerie, moody sound that evokes images of swirling mists in the darkness.  And then the doors blow off with a fierce drum attack and what quickly became the early talking point surrounding this album, the thrash sound of the course and the high vocals screaming, "TAKEITTOTHECROSSTAKEITTOTHECROSSTAKEITTOTHECROSS!"  This song is perhaps the biggest departure from the traditional Stryper sound, but the guys handle it well, and let's be honest.  True musicians aren't just making music for commercial reasons.  They like to experiment, and this experiment produces a great result.

"Sorry"...I commented on the YouTube video that the early riffing is reminiscent of "Ready An' Willing," the title track from Whitesnake's 1980 album.  The vocals would have worked well on a Sweet & Lynch album or a Michael Sweet solo project.  He is very aggressive on this, yet the guitar solo is melodic and simply delicious.

"Lost"...If the first track was the greatest departure from the typical Stryper sound, "Lost" will be the most familiar to longtime fans.  A great guitar attack with impossibly soaring vocals on the chorus make this a number that would have been at home on the No More Hell To Pay or Fallen album.

"God Damn Evil"...This is my early favorite, hands down.  A swaggering opener turns into a scream that demands your attention.  Although it could easily have been a bonus track on Fallen, this one is sure to be stand-alone and concert favorite. The lyrics are in your face as is their delivery, but it is that chorus that, when translated, says, "Get your fists in the air and scream this one back at the band to help take the decibel level in the concert hall to a deafening level."  Oh, and there is a twist starting at 2:56 that just puts a smile on your face.

"You Don't Even Know Me"...This is a slower, thoughtful number, but with a solid, hard rock punch.  The guitar solo takes you back to the glory days of guitar solos in the '80s and has you rocking right along with the band.

"The Valley"...This track opens with Oz Fox reading Psalm 23:4, which, when combined with lyrics about fighting the good fight, makes this song the rightful successor to "Marching Into Battle."  Once again, there is swagger and attitude to spare in the vocals and guitar work.  Hey, if you were looking for the meek and mild, try the easy listening station at the office, because you certainly won't find it on this song.

"Sea Of Thieves"...Michael Sweet said in an interview I did with him that he was always a Deep Purple fan, and that shows in the intro to this song.  It pays homage to "Bloodsucker" from Purple's 1970 In Rock album and then comes back throughout the song.  This one caused me to stop writing this review and break out my own air guitar.

"Beautiful"...Robert Sweet's drum opener will turn your head from whatever it is you're doing while listening.  It is unlike anything on any other Stryper album.  This, my friends, is a rock ballad.  I have to confess that I often fast-forwarded (in the days of cassette tapes) through the obligatory ballads on metal albums, but I won't be skipping this track.  Yes, it is a ballad and, true to its title, is quite beautiful, but there is enough punch and, oh, yeah, a guitar solo, that make it impossible to forget this is a rock record.

"Can't Live Without Your Love"...Let your mind drift back to the '80s.  Can you see your favorite band on MTV in a video?  The scenes cut back and forth from the band on stage to the members standing along a cliff as the sea breezes blow their hair that is long than their girlfriends' and then transitions to a dramatized mini-play of the lead singer and his girl.  That's what you get with this song.  And the guitar solo...good grief, this is fine stuff!  I'm going to have to replace the strings on my air guitar when I listen to this!

"Own Up"...This has another opener that makes you ask, "Is this Stryper?"  This is in no small part because of Robert Sweet's rhythm again.  I may need to break out the thesaurus to find another word for "swagger" in this review, but there it is, making this a hugely fun song to sing along with.

"The Devil Doesn't Live Here"...Fast and hard!  It may just be me, but I had a faint impression of Motorhead.  With a title like this on an album titled God Damn Evil by a band that has regularly told the devil where to go, you have to know that this is going to be a sonic blitz against sappy music and a vocal attack on Satan even as it lifts up Jesus Christ.

Fans of rock and metal, this is as good as it gets.  Buy this thing now and you'll see what I mean.

Stryper faithful, your band has given you an amazing gift, new music that reminds you of why you have listened to them for decades even as it takes you to a whole...notha...level.