US band STRYPER have been around since the early 1980’s, and were among the first heavy metal bands that were openly and visible proud of the religious beliefs, openly stating that they were spreading the good word with music. The band hit a spell of inactivity in the 1990’s, but from 2005 and onwards they have been a going concern again, releasing a new studio album every other year. “No More Hell to Pay” was released in 2013 through Italian label Frontiers Music.
Personally I wasn’t all that taken with Stryper back in the day. I bought their debut album back in 1985, but even if I had a minor phase with a deeper religious interest back then I just found that the band were too much back then, where the lyrics in particular came across as rather cringeworthy, lyrics being rather more important for me when I was a teenager than what they are today when I’m fast approaching middle age. Still, this is a band with a message and a mission, and those who are not comfortable with artists being direct and open about that should take heed of that aspect of this production.
I do find that Stryper as of 2013 is a much more interesting band though. The quality of the lyrics have improved a lot in the almost 30 years that have gone since they released “Soldiers Under Command”, and they manage to get their message across in what I’ll have to describe as a much more mature manner. There are certain advantages that comes with age and experience, and being able to be a bit more subtle when stating opinions and messages is very much among the aspects to be sorted under the positive aspects of getting older.
In terms of music Stryper is a band that, like many other metal bands, are still firmly based somewhere in the 1980’s however. This is in fact a distinctly 80’s sounding affair throughout on a musical level, accessible heavy metal of the kind that bands like Dokken made a career out of exploring: Smooth, melodic and accessible, with more of a bite and edge than the fairly similar exploits of the bands commonly described as hair metal or pop metal.
Stryper have a quality vocalist as able to produce metal shrieks and emotional wails as he is in producing a more careful delivery, and when needed he’ll produce a more aggressive snarl-like edge to his delivery as well. The chorus sections often feature vocal harmonies, due to the core traits of this band they do tend to be a bit more jubilant in this department than others, but there’s also room for the traditional, masculine metal chants on this album. Well developed guitar riffs is otherwise a key element, in slow to mid-paced runs with varying degrees of intensity and distortion, with nifty details flavoring the arrangements quite nicely whenever the song isn’t of the more traditional, bass pumping variety and sometimes even then. Those careful at times delicate details among the aspects of this production that does elevate the end result into something worthwhile rather than merely pleasant. And while the accessible, almost AOR-tinged metal does dominate this production there’s also room here for tracks with a darker, grittier expression, and for me the pounding, dark, marching structure of Marching Into Battle comes across as a clear highlight. Perhaps because it is something of a contrast to the other songs with the stronger focus on a dark, brooding mood and atmosphere.
If you like accessible heavy metal as it was explored back in the middle of the 1980’s, Stryper is a band that will give you what you seek with “No More Hell to Pay”. Smooth, accessible and with plenty of singalong chorus sections, playful and often jubilant too, and as long as the religious foundation that is a core staple throughout isn’t an aspect you find troublesome this is a production that merits a check, and perhaps in particular if bands like Dokken are among the ones you treasure.
My rating: 82/100
