Most fans know that Stryper's 2005 release titled Reborn was originally intended as a Michael Sweet solo project. Instead, the band reformed with bassist Tracy Ferrie and released it as one of their own. It was a clear departure from their classic sound of the '80s and included hints of nu metal, a style known for drawing on other musical influences such as alternative, funk, and grunge, all of which can be heard on Reborn.
I was thrilled when it came out and played it endlessly. It was an exciting new musical direction for the band, and I was on board with it. In the more than fifteen years since its release, I have continued to enjoy it just as much as I did in 2005. The lyrics are deep and the music is hard and aggressive, just the way I like it.
Now here we are in 2021, and Michael Sweet has decided to re-release the album under his own name. As he says on his website, "After years of requests and a lot of thought, I decided to release the original versions/tracks and add some things that I felt were always missing: guitar solos, high vocal notes, more rhythm guitars, synth parts and an alternative version of 'Passion.'" The question we have to answer is whether this is a good thing.
My first step was to create a playlist that included the songs from each album in alternating order. In other words, the first track was "Open Your Eyes" from the Stryper album followed by the same song off the Michael Sweet album and so on. As I began listening to this song from Reborn Again, I noticed that it sounded a bit cleaner, and had that been the only difference, I doubt I would have recommended the new album, but then the guitar solo hit and my eyes flew open. Literally. I was blown away and suddenly couldn't wait to hear each of the others songs paired with the 2005 versions.
Michael Sweet certainly achieved what he set out to do. There are indeed additional synth and rhythm guitar parts and high notes, but what really knock me out are the guitar solos, and for my money, these make this an entirely new album. Overall the feeling is heavier in places, perhaps even darker.
Let's also not overlook the cover by Stan Decker, who has worked with Sweet before on the covers of the most recent Stryper albums as well as Sweet & Lynch. For me an album is a whole work of art, from the lyrics to the music to any graphics included in the packaging, and Decker continues his powerful imagery and color scheme on this cover.
In short, I give this five of five stars. I can listen to the 2005 Stryper album and then this one and have two completely different musical experiences, each of which is a shot of powerful, aggressive rock.
For the interviews Pastor Wildman and I did with Michael Sweet and Oz Fox along with even more goodies related to Christian rock and metal, head on over to www.wildmanandsteve.com and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @wildmanandsteve! And don't forget to subscribe to The Wildman & Steve Show! Thanks!
Michael Sweet of Stryper with my Latin translation of "Soldiers Under Command" I had given him
I'm not sure what strikes people more oddly, that I am a Latin teacher who likes heavy metal or that I am a Christian who likes heavy metal. However I put it, it raises eyebrows. The first combination seems strange because Latin teachers and Classicists have an image as people who are scholarly and like the so-called finer things, such as poetry and philosophy, history and art. Heavy metal music, by contrast, seems to be about a bunch of Neanderthals who barely know three chords screaming inane lyrics that could only be heard as profound by a seventh grader. The second combination seems equally unlikely, since the metal scene is often perceived as trading in devil worship, sex, and drugs, or even drug-fueled sex as an act of dark worship. The Christian faith, on the other hand, is about love and joy and light.
Well, I do like to think of myself as a scholar in that I love to study and learn. I am positively giddy in a used or rare book store and have been absolutely beside myself tracking down a journal article in a large, research library, often in preparation for an article of my own. I love reading Homer, Plato, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristotle, Cicero, Horace, Catullus, Seneca, Ovid, and Vergil, and perhaps even more, I love teaching them, or rather, exploring them with other learners. Masterworks of art and architecture thrill my soul, and few things are better than going on a walk while pondering a particular point of philosophy.
I am also a Christian. I confessed Jesus as my Lord and Savior and was baptized as a boy. I fully surrendered to His lordship years later with my friend and noted Christian apologist Mark Mittelberg. I am at a place in life where I truly do not want to think, say, or do anything that is not in accord with the Holy Spirit, and while I do often fail at that, I am confident in the saving grace of Jesus Christ to put me back on the right path.
So how could a guy like me be into heavy metal?
There are three parts to the answer. It is a matter of taste, it is a matter of style, and it is matter of form and content.
A Matter of Taste
Loud, I wanna hear it loud
Right between the eyes
Loud, I wanna hear it loud
Don't want no compromise
So sang KISS in their 1982 song "I Love It Loud," which has become a staple in their live shows. And guess what? So do I. I love cheering for my favorite teams...LOUD! I love cranking the beginning of Star Wars and Rockymovies...LOUD! I love playing my favorite bands...LOUD!And the reason for that is the last line in the chorus of that KISS song. I don't want compromise. As John Cougar Mellencamp put it in his 1987 song "Real Life," "I want to live my life close to the bone." Such a perspective is not one based in a reckless, adrenaline-junkie, YOLO mindset, but rather in what Jesus offered in John 10:10. "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." As a result, I enjoy music that is uncompromising and, well, loud.
I have taught students for three decades to confront problems head on and not in a passive-aggressive, manipulative way. If you have something to say, say it. Don't sugarcoat it and don't qualify it to such a degree that you end up not committing to a position. For me, the straightforward poetry of Alexander Pope, the unflinching songs of blues music, and the face-melting rock of heavy metal all go hand in hand. They are of one piece for me.
A Matter of Style
At the end of the school year in 2014, my students gave me tickets to see Mötley Crüe's The Final Tour. They were sweet enough to give me two tickets, thinking I would want to take my wife. What they did not know was that my wife has no interest whatsoever in hard rock and metal. She enjoys country and pop, which is pretty much as far from Mötley Crüe and opening act Alice Cooper as you can get. Ever the good sport, she accompanied me to the outdoor show, and while I enjoyed and she did not totally hate Alice Cooper, we left just a few songs into the Crüe's set. There was only so much profanity from the stage and the crowd we could take, along with only so much debauchery amid the lawn seats at the outdoor venue. I found myself praying as much as singing along, but there came a point where we had to call it quits.
While I thrill to guitar riffs, pounding drums and bass, and soaring vocals, I do not condone and cannot participate in certain activities that some who like the same music seem to enjoy. Then again, the same can be said for some sporting events I have attended. When I am in public venues, including theme parks where I have witnessed some truly debauched behavior, I find myself praying. A lot. I pray for protection of people who are opening themselves to all sorts of spiritual attack. I pray for those who do not know Christ to find Him. I pray for His covering on children who have accompanied their parents and are witness to their less than exemplary behavior. My point is this. I can still enjoy a roller coaster despite the woman sporting the "MEN=SH_T" tattoo who is holding the hand of her little boy walking by, and I can enjoy the style of rock and metal without becoming myself the subject of a "Behind The Music" documentary.
A Matter of Form and Content
Here's where I get explicitly Christian. Hard rock and metal are two of the best genres of music for communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Christian life. Consider just two quotations from the Bible.
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. -- Jesus, John 14:6
So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." -- Acts 4:18-20
One thing Jesus was not was confusing. He made it utterly clear who He was and what a relationship with Him meant, and when it came to His disciples, they followed in His footsteps. Peter and John were big and bold in their response to the religious leaders. I can imagine kind people with good intentions telling all of them, including Jesus, that they needed to be a bit more delicate when sharing their message. They would offer tips on how to fly under the radar and how not to give offense. But if you think Jesus would have gone in for market-tested strategies, think again and consider passages like these.
To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." -- Luke 9:60-62
And I really don't think Jesus could have been more clear and direct than this. "For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." -- Acts 9:26
That sort of bold, powerful content finds a perfect form of communication in the guitar-driven, rhythm-pounding, vocal pyrotechnics of hard rock and heavy metal. Do you want to proclaim the deep theology of the atonement? You can't do much better than Bloodgood's "Lamb of God."
Do you want to announce what awaits Satan, the great plague of your life, at the end of time? Or perhaps you just want some music to accompany your study of Revelation 20:10. Either way, Stryper's "To Hell With The Devil" quite literally screams the truth.
Do you want to draw someone into the excruciating moment of the crucifixion of Jesus? Jacapone da Todi did it in Latin, and no classical version is better than that of composer Arvo Pärt, but I would argue that W.A.S.P.'s "Golgotha" is every bit as poignant and pleading. It also has the benefit of being an example of what a new life in Christ looks like, for lead singer Blackie Lawless was one of the most notorious and obscene metal musicians in the heyday of the 1980s.
So, there it is. If it still doesn't make sense how a Christian and a Classics scholar could enjoy music cranked to eleven, then you'll just have to fall back on that old Latin expression, de gustibus non disputandum est. There's no arguing about tastes.
"We are the soldiers under God's command," announced Stryper on this day in 1985, and the army of Christian metal fans continues to march thirty-five years later. For me, the cassette from Enigma Records took up more time in my Sony Walkman and Sears jambox than it did in its plastic case.
So what is it that makes this album so good that it has stood the test of time and continues to be blasted not just for the sake of nostalgia?
It kicks off with the title track, whose opening guitar riff is one of the true signatures in rock history. Its fast and furious attack makes this an anthem calling everyone to join in, and join in people do. When the chorus hits, fans over three decades have screamed their heads off in unison with the boys in yellow and black.
"Soldiers Under Command"-Official Video
This is also the song I translated into Latin many years later and gave to Michael Sweet. A few years after that, I was able to get him to autograph it for me.
"Makes Me Wanna Sing" comes up next with chugging guitar that opens into an unabashed, Christ-glorifying lyric. "Jesus, King...King of Kings" then flows into a killer guitar solo of the kind that defined the era of '80s metal. If you think that metal must be doom, gloom, and depression, then think again. This song is full on metal, but it, well, makes you want to sing!
The third track, "Together Forever," may be the only metal song in history to feature a doo-wop section. Not only does it talk about the promise of eternal life, but it shares the way to receive it. "Together, forever...all you have to do is receive the One Who died for you." And mixed with the screams and doo-wop is more solid guitar riffing along the lines of Poison, White Lion, and the other '80s guitar-driven bands.
"First Love" gives us a chance to catch our breath. It is an elegant ballad that showcases the upper end of Michael Sweet's vocal range. Some people were surprised when this was the ballad they chose for their 2015 album Second Coming, which was a re-recording of songs from their first three albums, but give this a listen and you will see why. It is a powerful, soaring ballad that could seem to be merely a secular love song, but when heard through the words of Scripture reveals a much deeper message. Plus, and this is a huge plus for me, it is not just a piano-based ballad, but once again has a soaring guitar solo.
Ok. Break time is over. The soldiers continue their attack on the next song with "The Rock That Makes Me Roll." Chugging guitars under gird a lyric that challenges you to "stand up and fight for what you believe in." And if that seems daunting, we are promised that the rock that makes us roll will give us all the courage that we need. Air guitarists and air drummers of the world unite, for this is a song that demands you get your whole body into the action.
The a cappella opening of "Reach Out" may make you think we are back for another ballad, but you would be wrong. This is another great rocker that has become a staple for Stryper fans over the years. "You don't need the darkness when there's a light to see," proclaim the lyrics, which go on to declare that it is Jesus Who will set you free. Let's be honest for a moment. While we older folks love our rock, back in the day music like this had a mostly teenage audience, and as a teacher I can tell you that young people often find themselves in dark places. This song offers a message of true hope for those who seem to be in the dark.
Organ music. Next to the guitar, I'm not sure there is an instrument that is more metal than the organ, and that is what opens "(Waiting For) A Love That's Real." Told from a woman's perspective, something that was a bit unusual thirty-five years ago, it is the story of true love, not the sappy, greeting-card version that society sells.
From the organ we move to piano for the intro to "Together As One." This is another song that could be sung from lover to beloved or heard as descriptive of the Christian's life with God. It is a soaring ballad and one that even now I could sing to my wife. Beautiful harmonies and delicious guitar combine to make a song that is as moving today as it was in 1985.
"Surrender" is one of my favorite songs every by any band. Screams and guitar assaults open this song that grows and expands into a chorus that bellows, "Freely surrender! Open up unto His majesty!" It is the battle cry of an army that conquers in love, for as these soldiers sing, "Jesus Christ is the lover of your soul." This has been a guarantee in every Stryper concert set list for more than three decades, and it's no wonder. It has the message and in-your-face sonic attack that we metal heads love.
The album closes out with "Battle Hymn of The Republic." This is a powerful hymn from the days of the American Civil War, and I have loved singing it in choirs. It is the perfect hymn to get a metal makeover. Its ominous opening grabs your attention. Its trumpet call remind you that this is a song that came from a time of war. It builds and builds so that by the time Michael Sweet finishes the first verse, you are prepared for the heavy assault that follows. A battle hymn is indeed the perfect conclusion for these soldiers under command.
*As always, check out my podcast with Pastor Wildman called Classic Christian Rock Podcast! Links are on the sidebar.
It has already been said that Michael Sweet's latest album, Ten, goes to eleven, which of course is a reference to the 1984 metal mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. In that film, guitarist Nigel Tufnel (played by Christopher Guest) explains that his custom amplifiers go to eleven when he needs "that extra push over the cliff." The question, however, is where to go after eleven, and Michael Sweet has answered that. You go to Ten. This album is a monster of creative exploration and pure metal madness.
It kicks off with "Better Part of Me," the first video to be released before the album came out.
It has the feel of Stryper until the 2:30 mark when the solo by Jeff Loomis kicks in. Suddenly you realize this is not Stryper at all, and by the time your head has stopped spinning, the song screeches to a stop. So, what's going on here? First of all, Sweet brought in a different guitar soloist for each song but the ballad, and this speaks to his continuing love for musical experimentation. We hear it on the two Sweet & Lynch albums, on his last solo album, and on the last three Stryper albums, and this is part of what keeps fans coming back for more.
My eyes flew open at the intro to "Lay It Down," the second track. It's hard, dark, and chugging, which is what a good metal fan wants. The chorus could have come from the Stryper album Fallen, but that is it. This song is well outside what we've heard from Sweet before, and while there is fine, melodic noodling on the six-string later in the song thanks to Marzi Montazeri, that heavy chugging and pounding drums prove that Sweet wasn't making things up in the pre-release interviews when he said this would be a true metal album.
What would happen if Jimi Hendrix brought his "Foxey Lady" to a Michael Sweet concert? You would get the song "Forgive, Forget." While the opening riff is Hendrixesque, it moves into a Stryper-flavored thing with a hint of Sweet & Lynch thrown in, and you ask for the first of many times, "Who IS this beast of an artist named Michael Sweet?" Howie Simon's solo makes it abundantly clear that while Ten may have been influenced by other of Sweet's works, it cuts its own metal path.
"Now or Never" is up next, and opens with a big, epic, almost orchestral metal sound with a touch of metal opera in the middle. The guitar solo by Gus G is simply thrilling, and you just want to replay this song again, only louder. As I said in my review of Sweet's prior solo album, One Sided War, he can bring a Dio-esque quality to his vocals, something he did on that album's song "I Am." He continues to show himself the true successor of Ronnie James Dio on this dark and dramatic track.
The title track comes in with a swagger befitting its lyrical content. Written from the perspective of God as
He gave the Ten Commandments, this could easily have been on a Stryper album and was the third video from the album. The Duke of Metal, Rich Ward, brings his royal touch to the solo, making this a solid rocker.
The second video for this album was for the next song, "Shine," which again opens heavy and showcases Sweet's signature lyrical theme. Michael Sweet writes positive songs. Period.
Then again, what would you expect from a guy who claims Jesus as his Lord? Ethan Brosh, who worked on Sweet's One Sided War, is back, and it's a complete toss up whether to focus more on the music or the lyrics.
In addition to soaring high note vocals and virtuoso guitar playing, Michael Sweet is known for his ballads. Obligatory on a metal album, perhaps, but "Let It Be Love" goes beyond the typical boyfriend/girlfriend scenario. It is not just a song, but a salve for a bruised and wounded world. This is one to hold hands with your neighbor and sway to or hold up a light in the arena when it is played. Sweet handles the solo, and it is straight from the '80s, perfectly matching the melodic, powerful lyrics.
Okay. Ballad time is over. Track 8, "Never Alone," is back into hard, dark, and heavy, chugging, metal, and again comes the question, "Who IS this beast of an artist?" There is simply nothing not to like about this song. It and the next one were co-written with Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, who takes on the solos. Hoekstra had worked with Sweet on One Sided War, and this is truly a musical partnership from which the world needs to hear more and more.
"When Love Is Hated" opens with a '70s hard and heavy metal sound and expands into soaring vocals reminiscent of the '80s. The solo is something the must make David Coverdale jealous that it was not on the last Whitesnake album. This is the second Sweet-Hoekstra collaboration on this album, and for my money, I could take an entire album of songs like this. It's pure, classic metal.
"Ricochet" bounces up next with more of that '70s/'80s feel coursing through the blood-pumping veins of this tune. None other than Tracii Guns sets the six-string on fire, and you start thinking how great this collaborative project really is. Sweet has brought in musicians from throughout the decades and across the spectrum of metal and has given the world a taste of what amazing music they can make.
"With You Till the End" takes us back to classic Michael Sweet territory as the familiar-yet-fresh sounds assault the ears. Ian Raposa accompanies Sweet on vocals, making you think of great sounding, different-but-complementary vocal pairs like David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes in the Mark III lineup of Deep Purple. Mike Kerr handles the guitar solo and lends a drive and passion to this song that make it one of the true standouts.
The album concludes with a full frontal sonic assault in "Son of Man," with no less than Todd LaTorre on shared vocals and Andy James on guitar. The video for this has killer graphics to match
the brutal, heavy attack of this song that, like the opening number races right to the edge of a cliff and then stops.
Bottom line: This is quite simply the best solo album Michael Sweet has released and one of the best of his career. If you love metal, get it now!
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.
Stryper's Oz Fox with LA Ellis introducing Chaotic Resemblance at Rocktoberfest
October 29, 2016. It was an epic night of metal. Rocktoberfest in Indianapolis, IN, saw Whitecross, Petra, and Stryper together, with Stryper headlining the evening on their 30th anniversary To Hell With The Devil Tour. On top of that there were three opening acts, and while I was there for Stryper and the other big name bands, the icing on the cake, the surprise in the Christmas stocking, was the band from Oklahoma, Chaotic Resemblance.
These guys rocked as hard as anything in the heyday of metal during the '80s, and I had to have more. A quick trip to iTunes helped, but it wasn't enough, and when the guys came back to Indiana for the Kingdom Come Festival in June of the following year, I was there. It was a true metal experience as winds from the coming storm whipped the band members' hair, and when the clouds opened up, no one left. We just kept banging our heads in the pouring rain.
These guys are the real deal. They've got the metal chops to take them to the next level, and with the likes of Stryper's Oz Fox working with them, you know they've got true metal cred. So sit back and enjoy this interview with Travis McConnell and LA Ellis of Chaotic Resemblance as they share the story of the band, talk about the relationship between metal and their Christian faith, and tell us about their new album coming out this year.
"Say what you want about the 80's but there will never be another era quite like it. Rock & Metal ruled the charts, arenas, magazines, television - the world. We were a part of that moment in music history. Lord willing, maybe we'll be a part of the next big rock movement. Stryper is alive & well!" -- Michael Sweet, Stryper, FB post 24 March 2018 The colors, the light shows, the hair, the outfits, and of course THE MUSIC! While it is true that I love blues, jazz, country, gospel, hymns, classic rock, hard rock, folk, and the pop songs of the '50s through the '80s, it is '80s metal that will always hold a special place in my heart. It is the first music that was truly my own and that I enjoyed in some of the most formative years of my life. So let's take a look and a listen with some of the bands whose logos are featured here, starting, in no particular order, with Poison. These guys were just straight up fun. They had some of the biggest hair in the business, and "Nothin' But A Good Time" could well have been the anthem for the whole decade.
Although there was some bad blood between Poison and Mötley Crüe back in the day, which undoubtedly bumped record sales for both bands, it seems fitting to put them back-to-back here. There's a lot to choose from in the Mötley catalog, but 1989's "Dr. Feelgood" has it all...the boys at their best and a video full of flames and plot straight out of Miami Vice.
Another anthem for the era could well have been "Cum On Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot. It's a song about loud music. It's a song about noise. It's a song about cranking those speakers to 11. What's not to like?
Readers of this blog know how big a Stryper fan I am, and with a new album coming out on April 20, 2018, these guys are not just keeping the great music of the '80s alive but taking to new heights in the 21st century. Here's the title track to their 1985 album Soldiers Under Command, a favorite for lead singer Michael Sweet and the album that introduced me to the yellow & black army.
I love that in the graphic above Stryper and Whitesnake are next to each other, since Whitesnake was my other favorite band in the '80s. Their entire body of work, from 1978 onward, is killer blues-rock and metal, but nothing, and I mean nothing, slays quite like "Still of the Night" from their quintuple platinum 1987 album.
Lots of bands have had color words in their names, and White Lion joined the palette in the '80s. I was fortunate to seem the open for Stryper in Louisville, Kentucky, and remember being blown away the gymnastic performance of bassist James LoMenzo, who went on to play with Michael Sweet on both Sweet & Lynch albums.
'80s metal may have been something of a boys' club, but Vixen proved that the ladies could rock just as hard. Following the path paved by Heart and Joan Jett, they also showed why relationships were easier in the '80s...guys and girls could share Aqua Net!
Now, I've had a taste for the blues ever since I first started listening to rock, and no one plays blues-rock/metal better than Cinderella. Once again I was fortunate to see them live when they opened for Bon Jovi in the spring of '87. "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" from their sophomore album Long Cold Winter showcases Tom Keifer's unique, gravel-filled vocals at their peak.
Is there any song from the metallic '80s that has been played, sampled, used, and even mocked more than Europe's "The Final Countdown?" Who cares! It's a classic, and for some reason I will always connect it with a college visit to Indiana University when I was a senior in high school and was planning what classes I would take. I must have been listening to it a lot then, and it sure takes me back.
I've always been a big Twisted Sister fan, and "We're Not Gonna Take It" is a straight up metal anthem. It also connects with a special memory for me. When I was in high school, some guys from the grade ahead of me had a band called Storm Front and they played this during one of our Latin Club meetings!
There are, of course, countless more great metal and rock songs from the '80s. Share favorites and leave a link to the videos in the comments below. As for me, if I ever get around to writing a will, I am going to insist that those who attend my funeral listen to a playlist of my favorites!
Yes, this one of my Christmas gifts. Must have been a good boy this year!
In late 2017 Michael Sweet (Stryper, Boston, Sweet & Lynch) released a DVD called Sole: Songs and Stories From a Life In Music, and it just that. I love behind-the-music videos and opportunities to hear the stories behind the songs I love, and this provides all of that. First and foremost it is a recording of Michael's solo show at the Narrows Center in Massachusetts from June of 2017. Interspersed are rare video clips of Michael and a new interview in which he reflects on his music, his career, and all that goes into making the sounds that form the soundtrack of our lives. What do you need to know about this disc to head over to Michael's site to buy it? It is an incredibly well produced testament to a seriously creative force in rock music. We get songs from Stryper, from Michael's solo career, and from his work in Sweet & Lynch, and we get them in a form that not everyone can bring off...acoustic solo. Some of us remember the days of MTV Unplugged, whose undeniable highlight was Eric Clapton's rendition of "Layla." That show introduced countless rock fans to the genuinely respectable musical chops of their rock heroes. This is not to say that there is not legitimate musicianship blasting through a Marshall stack, but it is easy to get caught up in the sonic tsunami of a concert and miss the nuances. When an artist stands alone on a stage with nothing but a mic and a guitar, there is nothing to hide behind. It is raw and immediate, or "starkers" as David Coverdale (Deep Purple, Whitesnake) once put it. So is Michael Sweet someone who can bring this off? Let's get this straight, folks. Michael Sweet is a serious musician. He can write music and lyrics that take songs into the stratosphere and has done so for more than thirty years. He is a technician who knows his craft incredibly well. And the guy can flat out play and sing, perhaps better than ever, and that is evidenced clearly on this disc. What makes this DVD so special is that Michael's true character comes out. He interacts with his fans and with family members, and the whole thing makes you feel as if you and your friends were hanging out with him at your house. I have been fortunate to interview Michael and connect with him after shows, and I can tell you that what you see of him on this DVD is the real deal.
One word of warning, though. Get this one quickly. It is a limited edition of 1,000, and it can only be purchased through Port Merchandise online. If you are a Michael Sweet fan, a Stryper fan, or just a fan of the magic behind music, then add this to your collection today.
There was a time when I thought there was no more good, new music. I even used to joke that "the day the music died" did not refer to the plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper, but December 31, 1989, for once we left the '80s, there was nothing good anymore in the musical world. That was, of course, an exaggeration, but let's face it. There comes a time when many of us stop listening to new material and just replay our favorite albums over and over. The 21st century, however, has seen a rebirth of some great rock music, and the latest testament is the sophomore release from Sweet & Lynch. Their 2015 debut, Only To Rise, was a solid record, but their new album, Unified, simply blows it and many others out of the water. Michael Sweet (Stryper, Boston), George Lynch (Lynch Mob, Dokken), James LoMenzo (White Lion, Megadeth), and Brian Tichy (Billy Idol, Whitesnake) have returned tighter than ever. Their individual efforts mesh on this album, and they simply sound comfortable together, a fact that gives the album its defining characteristic, creativity. I have never heard an album that experiments as much as this one from track to track, and those experiments pay off, yielding music that is intensely interesting and that makes you want to keep the album on repeat. The opening track, "Promised Land," forms a clear bridge with the last album. In fact, it could well have been on Only To Rise and has much in common with that album's title track melodically and rhythmically. After listening to it, you say, "Okay. Sounds good. Pretty much as I expected. What's next?" And that's where things get interesting and take off. Track 2, called "Walk," is unlike anything these guys are known for in their other bands. It is certainly unlike anything Michael Sweet has ever sung. It opens with a funky rhythm followed by Michael's rapid fire vocals that recall Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes on "Hard To Handle." Early comments on this song based on the video likened it to Queen, and that is clearly evident in the chorus. After two verses and twice through the chorus, things change again for a tasty solo from George Lynch that is again evocative of Queen, yet at the 3:14 mark we hear a throwback to "Under The Bridge" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. From there, it is back to a big, Queenesque finish.
At this point, any first-time listener should be wondering what is going on and curious for the next track, for it is clear that this album is not going to sound as if each song were cut from the same mold. And if curiosity killed the cat, it is probably because the cat tripped and fell as it stumbled into the dark metal of the third song, "Afterlife." It is dark, heavy, and sludgy. Oh, and did I say it is dark? It features a slow rhythm that, when it does accelerate, moves into a swagger and then back into slow...what's the word I'm looking for...darkness.
It is well known that I'm a huge Michael Sweet fan, but these opening three songs display an amazing talent. The lyrics are wildly different as are his vocal styles, and he pulls each one off with great success. For someone who has enjoyed his metal screams for years, "Walk" and "Afterlife" are delicious treats. "Make Your Mark," the fourth track, returns to the familiar Sweet & Lynch of the first album and Michael's aggressive screams, although at the 2:07 mark his vocals call to mind Steven Tyler from "Sweet Emotion." A slow, country/southern-rock groove opens track 5, "Tried & True," and turns into a melody that would have stood well alongside Bon Jovi's "Never Say Goodbye." In fact, you could well imagine this playing at the high school dance or in the car as you and your date hung out after the football game. It takes you back to a simpler time and is quite a lovely tune. And speaking of taking you back in time, the title track, "Unified" comes up next and does just that. While Sweet & Lynch is without a doubt a rock outfit built on the solid guitar work of George Lynch, it is the subtle, almost ethereal keyboard floating above the verses that conjures up images of big hair, Aqua Net, and spandex, and for this Roman Rocker, that always fits the bill. Is it the theme song to a 1970's sci-fi film? No, that's just the intro to "Find Your Way," the seventh song, but despite prompting us to imagine George and Michael dressing like Space Ace Frehley, this one is again solidly in the vein of Sweet & Lynch's first album with thundering vocals and good, meat-and-potatoes guitar work. "Heart of Fire," track 8, is a true sing-along song. Great harmonies on the chorus bring this one home, and by this point in the album, you've pretty much stopped paying attention to whatever else you were doing and have just settled back into the music. But at the 2:39 mark, you look at your device or record player with a "what is that?" expression on your face as George Lynch takes off on a solo that goes in an unexpected direction. Track 9, "Bridge of Broken Lies," could have been a Michael Sweet solo number. In both music and lyrics, it sounds as if it could have come from his 2014 album I'm Not Your Suicide. A slow number that explores the pain of broken relationships, it is a solid rocker that really opens up with Lynch's solo in a blues-rock groove. Dark and foreboding that explodes with wailing guitar. That's what you get with the opening of the tenth song, "Better Man." And then comes another surprise, for this is a love song. Again there is the '80s-inspired keyboard and driving, child-of-the-'80s rhythm and guitar wail. The final number, "Live To Die," opens with a straightforward rock drum and guitar attack, but when the vocals kick in, you would swear you were in 2005 and listening to a lost recording for Stryper's Reborn album for the first two minutes. The solo that enters at that point gives you the Sweet & Lynch vibe from their first album, and then shifts again at the 3:00 mark to sound like a Michael Sweet trademark guitar assault. This is an album for music lovers, and by that I mean it is a project that those who are genuinely interested in the making of music will enjoy. It experiments. It plays with different sounds from what we are used to from these musicians. It mixes things up, proudly reveals its roots in other eras and styles of music, and creates something new. This is what music making is all about, and this what musicians, not merely entertainers, seek to do. As I said before, I'm a huge Michael Sweet fan, but it is not for that reason that I note this is his project. Yes, George, James, and Brian brought their tremendous talents to the table, but if you watch any of the behind-the-scenes videos (here, here, and here) you will see just how much Michael was the ringmaster of this musical circus. These are some of his most interesting and heartfelt lyrics to date, his vocals in even this wide range of styles are spot on, and his ability to arrange and get the sounds he is looking for all add up to one thing. The guy is a serious musician who has aged better than a fine wine, and when you put musicians the likes of George, James, and Brian in the same studio with him, the result is fantastic music for the serious and discerning listener.
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.
