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.

Paid In Full

No More Hell To Pay, the tenth studio album released by Stryper on November 5, 2013, may simply be the single best album ever of all time anywhere on planet earth.  How's that for a bold claim?

There are many albums that I loved initially, but whose enjoyment for me faded over time.  There are albums that are fantastic, but that have one or two songs I can comfortably skip.  There are albums that I still love and sing along with in the car, but if someone starts talking, I will just turn them down a bit, happy to let them play in the background.

And then there is No More Hell To Pay.  I want it loud, start to finish, with no interruptions.  If someone starts talking while I'm playing it, I will hit pause, because I do not want the music interrupted.  Oh, and the combination of the music with the cover art...well, all that will be discussed in what follows.

The opening track (Revelation) begins with a nice, dark tone and opens up into a broad, full-throated piece that sets the pace for hard, in-your-face tunes that continue through the fading note of track 12, and lyrics like "blood, blood, blood will run and turn the waters red" set the stamp on its metal credentials. Track 2, the title song, continues with a dark intro and a pounding rhythm with scorching guitar.  If "apocalyptic faith" were a genre of music, this song would be its poster child with its chorus line, "If the dawn reveals the end of days, I'll follow You 'til there's no more hell to pay." 

Track 3 (Saved by Love)...good night! A fast, aggressive track that grabs your face from the first note, smacks you hard with Michael's screaming chorus, and makes you reach for the volume dial again. It ends in a frenzy of screams, guitar, and drums and without even letting you catch your breath blasts straight into Track 4, which is simply the best cover of any song ever. Stryper takes the Doobie Brothers classic "Jesus Is Just Alright," shoots it full of nitrous, and makes it hot.  When it slows down at the 2 minute mark, we are treated to the best of muscle-car '70s meets 21st century rock. Track 5 (The One) is the power ballad, guitar driven rather than piano driven, and it reminds me of "Blue Bleeds Through" from Michael's solo album Truth. Track 6 (Legacy) takes us to modern metal and a grittier tone to Michael's voice than usual. The chorus is reminiscent of Twisted Sister from the Stay Hungry days.  Track 7 (Marching Into Battle)...again, good grief. How can I keep my hands on the wheel when this song makes me start drumming along with Robert? Once again, Tim's powerful bass drives it home. This is a true anthem made to be heard in arenas, and with a lyric straight out of the book of Revelation, it is picks up where "Soldiers Under Command" left off.  And yes, I do have the opening as the ringtone on my phone.  And yes, my son and I made a Lego music video of it.

Track 8 is "Te Amo," which is a bit lighter, but is still solidly in the Stryper vein.  Although it is Stryper's nod to Oz' Hispanic roots and their legion of fans in Spanish-speaking countries, the words te amo are also Latin, which makes this Roman Rocker want to bang his head.  Track 9 (Sticks and Stones) has it all...great message, driving sound, and even a bit of humor. An honest song ("Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, so they say.  Oh, well, yours hurt like hell."), it is one we can all relate to. Track 10 (Water Into Wine) again opens up with the wrecking crew of Robert's and Tim's drums and bass. This one has me singing at full volume and would easily have rocked the '80s. Track 11 (Sympathy) opens with severe guitar and Michael's trademark, full-chested vocals. A great melody takes this one through the roof.  Oh, and according to Michael, it was Dave Mustaine's (Megadeth) preference for this song that led to its becoming a music video.

The final track (Renewed) is right in line with "Blackened" and "Bleeding From Inside Out" from the Second Coming album and even has a chorus that, intentional or not, has a clear link with John Donne's Holy Sonnet 14.  With Stryper we hear, "Take me, shape me, break me, make me renewed," and with Donne we read, "break, blow, burn, and make me new."  Now who says rock doesn't have literary cred!

The whole album screams with Michael's and Oz's incomparable guitars, and the cover art, well, it is again, quite simply, the best album cover I have seen in decades of listening to music. I keep staring at and don't want to take my eyes off it.  Stanis Decker, who also did the cover for Stryper's Fallen and Sweet & Lynch's Unified, created this masterpiece, the full size poster of which hangs framed in my garage.

I am something of a synesthete.  For reasons I cannot explain, certain sounds and colors are the same for me, and the colors of the No More Hell To Pay cover perfectly match the music in my mind.  The sounds ARE the cover for me, and this complete package of killer music and cover art is what makes this the perfect album.