I grew up on 80's hard rock. Call it Hair Metal, Glam Metal, Pop Metal, whatever. Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Poison, Cinderella, etc. I still like that type of music. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of good stuff out there.
When I find some, I will let you know. And now is the time.
Stryper was right in the middle of 80's pop metal, sans debauchery. Yes, that Stryper, the Christian hard rock band. The yellow and black attack.
Being a Christian and also a fan of heavy metal/hard rock, I really wanted to like Stryper when they emerged in the 80's. But, their music just lacked something that I was looking for. Listening back to the old records and comparing it to their new release, I know what it is. They lacked musical direction. Lyrically, they were always on point, musically, not so much. The older records waver from Journey to Motley, from schmaltzy power ballad to Iron Maiden-type galloping. And the vocals never matched the harder stuff.
With the release of No More Hell to Pay, Stryper has finally nailed it. From the fantastic cover art -
They are playing tighter than ever. The entire album is very focused musically. There are a couple of slower songs, but not of the power ballad type.
Singer/guitarist/chief songwriter Michael Sweet's vocals sound better than ever and match with the music so much more than in past recordings.
This album has everything I loved about 80's hard rock, but does not sound dated. The more I listen to it, the more I like it.
This video is from the new album. Listen to the song, the video, not so sure about. What is up with the drummer? Can he not figure out how to put his kit together?
And the other single from the new album. Enjoy.
If you're a fan of Stryper and/or 80's style hard rock, this record is definitely worth checking out.
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