Even though I will be discussing Stryper’s music, this won’t be a traditional album review. I don’t consider myself a music critic even though I can be very critical at times. I am approaching this as a fan and nothing more. There will be times when I am probably too forgiving but I guess that is to be expected. I will be as honest as possible, especially with the older releases. I will attempt to recall how I felt when I first heard them but I am now experiencing them as a fifty-five-year-old dude whose musical tastes have evolved (somewhat) over the past forty years. There will be brief autobiographical bits thrown in along the way as well. That being said, I do hope you enjoy this. Feel free to comment.
As I mentioned in previous installments, I didn’t discover Stryper until July of 1986. They already had released The Yellow And Black Attack EP, Soldiers Under Command, and were a month away from releasing the remixed and extended version of the debut. I had also discovered Petra at the same time so I was struggling to take it all in. Both bands had new albums on the way so I was desperately trying to play catch-up. There’s no way to know how many times I listened to those first two Stryper releases. I also bought the cassette singles for Reach Out and Together As One. Reach Out had a brief interview with Sweet brothers on side two so I consumed that as well.
Even though Soldiers Under Command is forty-years-old it still hits pretty hard today. It’s still one of my favorite CCM albums of all time and it contains my absolute favorite Stryper tune. That would be the aforementioned Reach Out. It also has what I feel is Stryper’s best power ballad. That would be Together As One. I know that Honestly was a big hit and got them massive airplay on MTV but I think it’s a bit watered down when compared to Together As One.
I guess I should mention the artwork. If The Yellow And Black Attack had a “cool” cover, then Soldiers Under Command had a “badass” one. I apologize for the adjective but nothing else comes to mind. It was hard to see all the details on the cassette card but I soon had the full-size poster hanging on my wall. I also this poster next to it. Forty years later and this album cover is still, well, badass. I still own this on both black and white vinyl.
So, let’s talk about the songs. As I have said before, I don’t remember my exact reaction when I first heard the opening chords to Soldiers Under Command. If I had to guess, there was probably a smile that conveyed both giddiness and shock. This was like nothing I had ever heard before.
The songs:
Soldiers Under Command
“Oh!, oh!, oh!, yeah!
We are the soldiers under God’s command
We hold His two-edged sword within our hands
We’re not ashamed to stand up for what’s right
We win without sin, it’s not by our might
And we’re fighting all the sin
And the good book, it says we’ll win!
If ever there had been a moment my sixteen-year-old self thought that is might be cool to be a Christian, it was at that exact moment. This is still one of the heaviest songs Stryper has recorded. The chugging riff and blistering twin guitar solos are other-worldly. Years of being a Rush fan made me somewhat snobby towards drummers but objectively speaking, Robert Sweet is a beast. This is Stryper at their finest.
Makes Me Wanna Sing
This is a melodic rocker with just a hint of Van Halen. The backing vocals are exceptional and once again, Robert Sweet is banging away at the drums. The guitar work is exceptional. Michael’s scream at the end is awe-inspiring. I especially love the “Jesus” part in the chorus. While not totally up front in the mix, you can really hear Tim Gaines holding down the rhythm on bass guitar,
Together Forever
Here we have more Van Halen boogie with a taste of Quiet Riot thrown in for good measure. I confess, the “Doo Wop” backing vocals during the second verse originally threw me off but I can now hear shades of Queen in them. This was my least favorite song on the album for the longest time. I’m not really sure why because it is now one of my favorites.
First Love
The first Stryper ballad I ever heard and it’s a good one. At the time it seemed out of place after following three solid rockers. Michael really shows how diverse his voice is. This is as soft and plaintive as it gets but still manages to have an edge. It has the same vibe as Dokken’s “Alone Again” which was one of my favorites at the time. The dueling guitars are straight-up Scorpions.
Rock That Makes Me Roll
When Stryper decide to be a heavy metal band they are without a doubt, one of the heaviest. This one borders on thrash metal. The gang vocals on “Stand up and fight” make me want to pump my fist in the air. Even with the heaviness, there is an undeniable sense of melody. This may be one of Stryper’s best dueling guitar solo moments.
Reach Out
I have gone on record in the past and said this is my favorite Stryper song. It is currently blasting out of the speakers as I type this and I will stand by that assertion. It’s not quite as heavy but still rocks. It has a super catchy hook and the vocals are stellar. I probably sound like a broken record by now but the guitars are so impressive. Michael and Oz may be the most underrated guitar duo in heavy metal. Tim also shines through on bass guitar.
(Waiting For) A Love That’s Real
A pseudo church organ starts this one off before another patented Stryper guitar riff jumps in. This is another melodic hard rocker that pairs nicely with Reach Out. This one showcases everything in the Stryper arsenal: heavy guitars, bass and drums laying down a solid rhythm, heavenly vocals, and blistering guitar solos.
Together As One
I’ve already said that I believe this is Stryper’s greatest power ballad. I firmly believe that. The fact that it is a piano-based song doesn’t erase the heaviness that is there. The drums are booming and there is a great dual guitar solo. However, it is Michael’s vocals that take center stage. His tone and range rival guys like Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford.
Surrender
This is probably the second heaviest track on the album. It’s heavy enough that Deliverance covered it on their 1992 live EP. There aren’t a lot of vocals so it’s an exercise in just rocking out at full volume. Anything I say will sound redundant so I’ll just say that if this doesn’t get you to bang your head; well, you’re dead.
Battle Hymn Of The Republic
I loved this one when I first heard it. I thought it was awesome that a heavy metal band was doing a song that was in the hymnal at my church. This is the one that I would play for adults who wanted to be dismissive. I will give them credit; they nail this one. It is exactly what a metal version of this song should be. I don’t like it much these days but that’s because I’m just not a fan of the hymn. If I have to hear it, Stryper’s version is the one I’ll take.
And there you have. If you feel compelled, let me know what you think of this one.
Grace and peace.
That 80s Pastor Dude 