STRYPER: Soldiers Under Command (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Between Michael Sweet's high voice, the yellow and black zebra outfits, the proselytizing lyrics and the distribution of Bibles during his concerts, there were few chances for Stryper to go unnoticed, especially since the artistic quality is also at the rendezvous with the marked identity of the quartet creator of Christian Metal. So here are the Californians back with a first real album produced by Michael Wagener (Dokken, Accept, Great White, Mötley Crüe...) and entitled "Soldiers Under Command". And if the outfits worn by the members of the band on the cover can make you smile, it is quite different from the music delivered throughout 10 tracks which only suffers from a production sometimes still too dry.

For those who discovered the band with "The Yellow And Black Attack" in 1984, there is no real surprise, but a confirmation of the talent of the members of Stryper, these last ones having composed the entirety of the titles apart from the conclusive 'Battle Hymn Of The Republic', rereading of the patriotic and ecclesiastical song written in 1861 and become the anthem of the Northerners during the Civil War. Out of the nine other pieces of this opus, seven were written by Michael Sweet alone, who thus imposes his signature. Although particular with its often feminine intonations, Michael Sweet's vocals is impeccable and even impressive of power, while the guitaristic pair that he forms with Oz Fox multiplies the demonstrations. The riffs are hyper effective and the soli cross ('Soldiers Under Command') and answer each other in fiery duels ('Makes Me Wanna Sing') or get married in beautiful harmonies ('Reach Out').

It is difficult to launch into a detailed state of the qualities of each title without becoming boring, especially since apart from 'Together Forever', very rock'n'roll in the soul and with groovy drums, but whose choruses show too much naivety, the faults of taste seem to have deserted this album. Even the ballads avoid to be dumb, 'First Love' offering a beautiful rise in intensity, while 'Together As One' is a demonstration all in control of the art of the softness with a solo full of feeling and a bewitching chorus. We will also quote the eponymous title, powerful, catchy and almost epic, the driving energy of 'Makes Me Wanna Sing', and the heavy and warlike accents of 'The Rock That's Make Me Roll' and 'Surrender', this last one proving to be downright hymnal.

As for its predecessor, this album will require for some to ignore the recurrent religious theme. For the others, and for those who will have accepted this approach, this opus will be a beautiful opus combining the power of the heavy and the melodies of the Californian hard-rock. The hopes born the previous year are thus easily confirmed and Stryper imposes himself at the same time as the leader of a style of which he is at the origin, but also as a formation with a strong identity and an undeniable talent within the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal landscape. - Official website

STRYPER

SOLDIERS UNDER COMMAND

ENIGMA

HARD ROCK