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STRYPER “When We Were Kings”
STRYPER “When We Were Kings”
By Colonel Angus
STRYPER and I go way back to the very beginning when they released “The Yellow and Black Attack”. I thought their pro-Christian lyrics and themes were a fresh approach to a genre that was dominated by either Satanic lyrics, partying, or having sex with women (not that I’m against the last two). They were able to rock out with the best of ‘em and still put forth a positive message. Then they released their defining record in my mind, “Soldiers Under Command”. That record was so good that I even dared to attend one of their Bible throwing concerts. Their follow up “To Hell With the Devil” was a worthy album but by the time they released “In God We Trust”, I was not impressed with their softer ballad hits and I moved on to other heavier bands. “Soldiers Under Command” still emanates from my speaker on a regular basis but I have not sat down and listened to a new STRYPER record from start to finish for over three decades.
Since 2005’s “Reborn”, the band has been putting out material consistently but aside from a song here and there, I have not really listened to newer material When I was given “When We Were Kings” to review, it finally broke the cycle and forced me to finally sit back, grab some popcorn, and give this band’s new disk a proper listen. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with this new album but I made a point of really listening with the hopes that it was going to be a great release.
Well, it came really close to being a great STRYPER record but there were a few tunes that didn’t quite satisfy my metal hunger. Oddly, the title track was one of the songs that didn’t hit the mark for me. The verses were really good and I was diggin’ the track until the chorus where it got a bit too sing-songy for my tastes. It’s a shame as the rest of the tune is really good but unfortunately, that chorus ruined it for me. Also, “Grateful” suffers from that same sort of vibe and I almost wish the band would have kept the chorus as heavy as the rest of the material. “Loves Symphony” comes really close to falling in that same category but Michael Sweet’s vocals raises the track to one that I would put in the “Do Not Skip” list. I’ll touch on the band’s performances a little later in this review but let’s focus on the songs.
Album opener “End of Days” is a rip-roaring piece that starts “When We Were Kings” in a proper manner and brought me back to that “Soldiers Under Command” era. There is a fire in the performance that really sells the songs and lets you know the band means business. Things don’t let up with the stomping “Unforgivable” and the chorus will have you humming it for days. I wish the title track had this kind of chorus because that would have made the first three tracks off the disk a winning trifecta. Even though there is isn’t a ballad per se on “When We Were Kings”, “Betrayed by Love” would be the closest the band comes here but this is a great tune that has some solid riffing and doesn’t have the usual syrupy lyrics/vocals.
As the record progresses, “Trinity” has a cool stop/start riff that lends itself to a heavier feel for the overall track. The chorus and bridge are also top-shelf STRYPER fare and showcases the band’s ability to stay melodic and heavy at the same time. “Rhyme of Time” is a great walk down memory lane with it’s infectious chorus and 80s metal sound. This is the kind of material that made me a STRYPER fan in the early days. Another song that comes close to ballad territory is “Grateful” and while it has a great chorus, I gravitate more to the previously mentioned “Betrayed by Love”. It’s by no means a track that I would skip but it is a very slightly weaker moment on the disk.
The other three tunes “Raptured”, “Divided by Design”, and “Imperfect World” are all heavier tunes with “Raptured” containing this strutting riff that reminds me of late 80s metal and “Imperfect World” follows closely with a similar style. Both tunes have great verses but the chorus are a bit lighter which I guess is kind of their style. Meanwhile, “Divided by Design” stays heavy throughout and is a standout tune on “When We Were Kings”. All in all, I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this record. When listening to it straight through, I did get the STRYPER bug again and it made me realize that these guys are not only great players but they can write great tunes as well. I have to give special mention to Michael Sweet as his vocal performance is still amazing. He has quite the set of pipes and after all these years, he can still run circles around some of the newer talent. “When We Were Kings” has reinvigorated my fandom in STRYPER and anyone who wants to get back into the band should definitely get this release.
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