Description

Yellow vinyl with pop-up gatefold cover. Limited 777 numbered copies

What in God’s name is going on with Stryper these days? Despite an ugly and rather public break up with former bassist Tim Gaines, Stryper has forged ahead, licked their wounds and banded the Sweet brothers (Michael and Robert) together, along with Oz Fox, to bring us another slab of faith-infused studio songs. Never shy on a controversy, the band seems to have intentionally stirred the pot with the new record’s title, God Damn Evil. Are they swearing? Or praying for justice? It’s ambiguous enough to piss off some of the flock. But that’s how it’s always been with Stryper. When Stryper’s landmark To Hell With the Devil hit MTV hard, many churchgoers were divided about their big hair, spandex jumpsuits, and heavy guitars. For those who believed the message of the church but had no use for the surface judgments that had more to do with tradition and control than biblical mandates, Stryper was a Godsend. They gave us license to rock for the rock, as they liked to say. Target practice was easy for the naysayers. The drastic heights of the aqua net hair. The iconic eyesore of the yellow and black attack wardrobe and staging. The saccharine sweet ballads that brought ladies out to a metal show. Love them or hate them, Stryper was doing their own thing. More than 30 years later, they still are. The fashion, hair, and ballads have all been toned down, but the guitars have been cranked up. Lead singer Michael Sweet has traded his feminine-sounding falsetto to claim his place among the upper echelon of stratospheric screamers like Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson. God Damn Evil is a heavy, punchy, memorable metal records that stand up to—if not out power—the best of their entire catalogue. Haters will hate and some people will exercise their own form of prejudice by dismissing Stryper because they are anything but subtle about their faith. But regardless of where you stand on the lyrics, there’s no denying that production is excellent, and the performances are inspired. Stryper is rocking so hard and well that even some close-minded skeptics are bound to be converted. And I say “amen” to that.

Track list:
1. Take It To The Cross
2. Sorry
3. Lost
4. God Damn Evil
5. You Don’t Even Know Me
6. The Valley
7. Sea Of Thieves
8. Beautiful
9. Can’t Live Without Your Love
10. Own Up
11. The Devil Doesn’t Live Here