![](\"https:\/\/www.knac.com\/images\/photos\/stryper11.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Overview:<\/span><\/p>\n 2024 is the 40th anniversary of the release of ‘The Yellow and Black Attack<\/i><\/b>, the EP that introduced the world to\u00a0STRYPER<\/b>. The band then released three classic albums, culminating with\u00a0Against The Law<\/i><\/b>\u00a0in 1990. After that, the band went on a hiatus and some compilations were released during this time. Fast forward to 2005, and\u00a0STRYPER<\/b>\u00a0was\u00a0Reborn<\/i><\/b>. The band released a few more albums (Murder By Pride<\/i><\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0The Covering<\/i><\/b>), but I consider the real rebirth of the band to be their string of albums for Frontiers Records, (which actually started with the band re-recording classic tracks on\u00a0Second Coming<\/i><\/b>\u00a0and then\u00a0No More Hell To Pay<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(both 2013).\u00a0STRYPER<\/b>\u00a0went on a prolific run, releasing six studio albums since then. Not only that, but lead singer\u00a0Michael Sweet<\/b>\u00a0is a part of several side projects (SUN BOMB, SWEET & LYNCH<\/b>, his own solo band). Let’s be honest, even if you don’t like\u00a0STRYPER<\/b>, you have to admire the work ethic here. Fortunately, their music is of high quality and very listenable. The songs are catchy and sincere. Some of the band’s albums I have enjoyed more than others, but for the most part you can’t deny the overall drive and determination in these songs and albums. I thought maybe\u00a0Michael Sweet<\/b>\u00a0was stretching himself too thin, but the man is a workaholic and a prolific songwriter. On the band’s new 2024 release,\u00a0When We Were Kings<\/i><\/b>, he is singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer.\u00a0STRYPER<\/b>‘s lineup is:\u00a0Michael Sweet<\/b>\u00a0(Lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar),\u00a0Oz Fox<\/b>\u00a0(Lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals),\u00a0Robert Sweet<\/b>\u00a0(Drums and percussion),\u00a0Perry Richardson<\/b>\u00a0(Bass and vocals).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Songs:<\/span><\/p>\n “End Of Days”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is a rocking track right out of the gate. It’s the type of track I like to hear from\u00a0STRYPER<\/b>. I love the Armageddon theme to the lyrics and Michael sounds fantastic on lead vocals. Check out that scream at the end.<\/span><\/p>\n “Unforgivable”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0relies more on groove, but is a great sounding track with power metal chords and a slinky solo. The song describes forgiving as a way of healing and moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n “When We Were Kings”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is a powerful mid-tempo track, and the chorus is huge and catchy, which totally makes the song work. A stadium anthem that celebrates the band’s past. Check out the cool video with footage from the band’s history on\u00a0KNAC.COM<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “Betrayed By Love”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is sort of a power ballad, yet somehow not a power ballad at the same time. The song describes a betrayal and feelings of regret. It’s a somewhat despondent track, which is clearly the point.<\/span><\/p>\n “Loves Symphony”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is a standout track to me; the harmony guitars are great and the chorus is right on the money. The tempo changes are really cool too. There’s a fantastic guitar solo as well. This song could easily be a single.<\/span><\/p>\n “Trinity”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is my favorite song on the album, and the closest to the band’s early sound. I love everything about this song; the lyrics, the riffs, the vocals. It all works and the song rocks.<\/span><\/p>\n “Rhyme Of Time”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is a solid anthem, with a memorable chorus. This song is a love letter.<\/span><\/p>\n “Raptured”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is another song that Michael really shines on. This song features a huge refrain and noodling solo.<\/span><\/p>\n “Grateful”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0has some cool guitar layers and is a catchy song that is a little reminiscent of the vibe of\u00a0“Calling On You”<\/i><\/b>, which I discovered was the intention on this track. I like this song a lot, and consider it another single possibility.<\/span><\/p>\n “Divided By Design”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0has an aggressive guitar riff and gang vocals, which I like. I could hear this song going over great in a live setting. The lyrics address the division in the world, and calls for finding a common ground to unite upon.<\/span><\/p>\n “Imperfect World”<\/i><\/b>\u00a0closes the album out with some nice power metal riffs and an uptempo groove. Michael hits some high notes in this song. The lyrics touch on the fact that we are all imperfect, but unique and are “shooting stars”.<\/span><\/p>\n The Artwork:<\/span><\/p>\n Artist\u00a0Stan W Decker<\/b>\u00a0continues his long time association with\u00a0STRYPER<\/b>, and provides possibly his best cover artwork so far for them. Not only that, but the layout and design is top-notch as well. It’s touches like this that make buying the physical product totally worth it.<\/span><\/p>\n Conclusion:<\/span><\/p>\n I would rank\u00a0When We Were Kings<\/i><\/b>\u00a0high in the order of\u00a0STRYPER<\/b>\u00a0albums. It’s a mature and accomplished work that will please long time fans. As you would expect, there are musical references to the band’s legacy. The production and mix sounds crisp. Like all good music, this album is best enjoyed LOUD. So crank it up.\u00a0When We Are Kings<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is available now from Frontiers Records.<\/span><\/p>\n 4.5 Out Of 5.0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Overview: 2024 is the 40th anniversary of the release of ‘The Yellow and Black Attack, the EP that introduced the world to\u00a0STRYPER. The band then released three classic albums, culminating with\u00a0Against The Law\u00a0in 1990. After that, the band went on a hiatus and some compilations were released during this time. Fast forward to 2005, and\u00a0STRYPER\u00a0was\u00a0Reborn. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[167,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3023","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-band","category-blog"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"medium_large":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"large":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-360x180":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-750x375":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-1140x570":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-120x86":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11-120x86.jpg",120,86,true],"jnews-350x250":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-750x536":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-1140x815":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-360x504":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-75x75":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11-75x75.jpg",75,75,true],"jnews-350x350":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-featured-750":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false],"jnews-featured-1140":["https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg",208,175,false]},"author_info":{"display_name":"Newssoccer","author_link":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/?author=1"},"category_info":"Band<\/a> Blog<\/a>","tag_info":"Blog","comment_count":"0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/stryper11.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3023","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3023"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3023\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3025,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3023\/revisions\/3025"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3023"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3023"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssoccer.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3023"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}