Cult Christian metal pioneers Stryper forge onward with their Eighteenth studio album, forty-three years after their formation in Orange County, California. Amazingly, almost the whole line-up of the band bar bass player Perry Richardson (joining in 2017) has remained the same since the beginning and is a testament to the strength of these guys’ musical inspiration and belief in what they do.
Throne Of Thorns is the third album in a row in the last three years and starts with what we know them best for – hard-hitting guitar riffs, and the trademark powerful vocals of the great Michael Sweet. The title track relies on a very strong chorus, while Falling and I’m Alright (I’m Okay) bring the guitars center stage, the latter featuring probably the best solo in the album. The combination of heavy, cutting guitar riffs and the highly emotional singing style has always been a strength of Stryper. The production is very strong and crystal clear, distinguishing every single instrument and even though the album loses a bit of steam in the latter half, songs like the melodic hymn Ashes To Roses and the heavier riff-fest of closer Shadowbreaker are fantastic.
It’s quite impressive that a band with such a long history has released an album of worthy new material for three consecutive years and if you’ve been of the “yellow and black attack”, you just need to look no further. For those of our readers who are only know hearing of Stryper, expect a solid hard and heavy album with some of the best vocals in the scene.
8/10
Throne Of Thorns is out on September 25th and can be ordered from HERE
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