Stryper - The Final Battle / Release date October 21, 2022 / Frontiers Records

[whiplash1972]

 

Legendary, long-running heavy metallers Stryper are set to return with a brand new studio album, "The Final Battle"! Firmly continuing the trend established over their last few albums, "The Final Battle" sees the band growing heavier while also maintaining their trademark melodies, virtuoso guitar playing, and air tight rhythms.
"The Final Battle" was crafted during the most challenging time of the band's career. While they suffered the same setbacks faced by all artists during the course of the global pandemic, the band also had to contend with Oz Fox's ongoing battle with brain tumors and for Michael Sweet, a detached retina which required multiple medical procedures, the use of an eye patch, and limited mobility for stretches of time. But rather than let the adversity get them down, the band accepted these challenges and channeled it into writing some of the greatest songs of their storied career.

Defying all logic, "The Final Battle" somehow manages to best it's immediate predecessors, "No More Hell To Pay" (2013), "Fallen" (2015), "God Damn Evil" (2018), and "Even The Devil Believes" (2020), continuing the band's unprecedented late career streak of releasing arguably the best albums of their multi-decade career. How do they do it? Well, we may never know the answer, but we can be thankful that the gift of musical inspiration continues to find them as they consistently share their musical fountain of youth with heavy metal lovers around the globe.

When it comes to groundbreaking bands in the metal genre, Stryper is renowned for their distinctive brand of “heavenly metal,” extraordinary crossover success, and venerable endurance. The group ascended to prominence in the 1980s with Billboard Top 40 hits like “Calling on You,” “Honestly,” and “Always There for You” and had maintained a global fanbase since. Stryper’s career album sales exceed 10 million worldwide, including 1986’s multi platinum release “To Hell with the Devil.” The band also made history when it notched two songs simultaneously in MTV’s Top 10 with videos “Free” and “Honestly.” While Stryper is known for their Christian faith, their decades plus career in heavy metal has made them much more than just a ‘Christian metal’ band. Sure, that is part of who they are, but at the end of the day, they are simply a long-running and well respected heavy metal band with a late-career rebirth that has proved their enduring talent and musical skills are well intact.

Today, some 37+ years after emerging from the southern California nightclub scene, the foursome continues to record, tour and perform for loyal fans around the globe. Comprising three original members including brothers Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar) and Robert Sweet (drums), Oz Fox (guitar) and newest bandmate, seasoned bassist Perry Richardson (formerly of Firehouse), the group finds itself creating their finest, most powerful music yet.
-777-

Tracklisting:
1.    Transgressor
2.    See No Evil, Hear No Evil
3.    Same Old Story
4.    Heart & Soul
5.    Near
6.    Out, Up & In
7.    Rise To The Call
8.    The Way, The Truth, The Life
9.    No Rest For Wicked
10.    Till Death Do Us Part
11.    Ashes To Ashes

Line-Up:
Michael Sweet - Lead Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Robert Sweet - Drums & Percussion
Oz Fox - Lead and Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Perry Richardson - Bass, Vocals

 

 

 

 

[Stefan]

Premiere for the new video 'Same Old Story' tomorrow.

 

 

[auslander]

On 9/20/2022 at 8:06 AM, whiplash1972 said:

 

Legendary, long-running heavy metallers Stryper are set to return with a brand new studio album, "The Final Battle"! Firmly continuing the trend established over their last few albums, "The Final Battle" sees the band growing heavier while also maintaining their trademark melodies, virtuoso guitar playing, and air tight rhythms.
"The Final Battle" was crafted during the most challenging time of the band's career. While they suffered the same setbacks faced by all artists during the course of the global pandemic, the band also had to contend with Oz Fox's ongoing battle with brain tumors and for Michael Sweet, a detached retina which required multiple medical procedures, the use of an eye patch, and limited mobility for stretches of time. But rather than let the adversity get them down, the band accepted these challenges and channeled it into writing some of the greatest songs of their storied career.

Defying all logic, "The Final Battle" somehow manages to best it's immediate predecessors, "No More Hell To Pay" (2013), "Fallen" (2015), "God Damn Evil" (2018), and "Even The Devil Believes" (2020), continuing the band's unprecedented late career streak of releasing arguably the best albums of their multi-decade career. How do they do it? Well, we may never know the answer, but we can be thankful that the gift of musical inspiration continues to find them as they consistently share their musical fountain of youth with heavy metal lovers around the globe.

When it comes to groundbreaking bands in the metal genre, Stryper is renowned for their distinctive brand of “heavenly metal,” extraordinary crossover success, and venerable endurance. The group ascended to prominence in the 1980s with Billboard Top 40 hits like “Calling on You,” “Honestly,” and “Always There for You” and had maintained a global fanbase since. Stryper’s career album sales exceed 10 million worldwide, including 1986’s multi platinum release “To Hell with the Devil.” The band also made history when it notched two songs simultaneously in MTV’s Top 10 with videos “Free” and “Honestly.” While Stryper is known for their Christian faith, their decades plus career in heavy metal has made them much more than just a ‘Christian metal’ band. Sure, that is part of who they are, but at the end of the day, they are simply a long-running and well respected heavy metal band with a late-career rebirth that has proved their enduring talent and musical skills are well intact.

Today, some 37+ years after emerging from the southern California nightclub scene, the foursome continues to record, tour and perform for loyal fans around the globe. Comprising three original members including brothers Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar) and Robert Sweet (drums), Oz Fox (guitar) and newest bandmate, seasoned bassist Perry Richardson (formerly of Firehouse), the group finds itself creating their finest, most powerful music yet.
-777-

Tracklisting:
1.    Transgressor
2.    See No Evil, Hear No Evil
3.    Same Old Story
4.    Heart & Soul
5.    Near
6.    Out, Up & In
7.    Rise To The Call
8.    The Way, The Truth, The Life
9.    No Rest For Wicked
10.    Till Death Do Us Part
11.    Ashes To Ashes

Line-Up:
Michael Sweet - Lead Vocals, Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Robert Sweet - Drums & Percussion
Oz Fox - Lead and Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Perry Richardson - Bass, Vocals

 

 

 

 

Love that album cover

[whiplash1972]

On 10/6/2022 at 4:35 AM, Stefan said:

Premiere for the new video 'Same Old Story' tomorrow.

 

 

Unfortunately, this one is the definition of “meh” 😕

[Geoff]

On 10/8/2022 at 2:04 PM, whiplash1972 said:

Unfortunately, this one is he definition of “meh” 😕

Yep, indeed. Some cool riffage at the start of the verses, but the chorus is rubbish.

[whiplash1972]

Ashes to Ashes

This is more like it…   

 

[metalmaniac777]

7 hours ago, whiplash1972 said:

Ashes to Ashes

This is more like it…   

 

Yeah, they saved the best for last. My favorite song on the album by a wide margin.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

36 minutes ago, metalmaniac777 said:

Yeah, they saved the best for last. My favorite song on the album by a wide margin.

Literally just finished my first sping of the album, and have to agree. 

[Geoff]

You guys like that chorus, in 'Ashes to ashes?' As with many songs on the album, I dig the verses but the chorus disappoints.

Overall, not a bad album. 'Out, Up & In' and 'Near' are my two favourites on the album and there's a couple more decent tunes like 'Same Old Story,' 'Heart & Soul' and 'Till Death Do Us Part.' A few others miss the mark but there's some okay stuff on this one.

'Ashes to ashes,' in my humble opinion, not being one of them.

 

[metalmaniac777]

43 minutes ago, Geoff said:

You guys like that chorus, in 'Ashes to ashes?' As with many songs on the album, I dig the verses but the chorus disappoints.

Overall, not a bad album. 'Out, Up & In' and 'Near' are my two favourites on the album and there's a couple more decent tunes like 'Same Old Story,' 'Heart & Soul' and 'Till Death Do Us Part.' A few others miss the mark but there's some okay stuff on this one.

'Ashes to ashes,' in my humble opinion, not being one of them.

 

Short answer--yeah, I dig that chorus. That's the only track off this album that made it onto my "Favorite Christian Metal Songs" playlist. But the album as a whole is just generally solid/consistent, with only 2-3 tracks making me reach for the Skip button. I still prefer the old, classic Stryper stuff which seemed to more often feature a catchier, "poppier" sound, but there's no denying the heavier direction they've taken since resurrecting themselves has worked out all right.

[Stefan]

New lyric video for 'Near'.