STRYPER

THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL

REVIEWER – GRAEME WRIGHT

I’m an agnostic, and people always ask me why I love Stryper so much even though I’m not a Christian. Well, to be honest, I love Black Metal and Death Metal as well, but I don’t spend my Sunday evenings burning down churches and murdering rival bands’ lead singers. The point I’m trying to make here is that it’s always got to be about the music, and Stryper has produced so much great music over the years, as well as being one of the best live acts out there, so it’s pretty obvious that they would be my cup of tea regardless of lyrical content.

This is a Christmas album, but it’s a bit different from most that are produced by heavy metal bands (and believe me, there are a LOT of Metal Christmas albums out there!) This record contains five traditional Christmas songs and five that are self-penned by the band, and that statement will either have you emptying your piggy bank or running for the hills depending on your feelings about the festive season. Me, I love Christmas, and I love Stryper, so it’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned.

Let’s cover the original songs first. ‘The Greatest Gift Of All’ is a bit different from Stryper’s usual fare in that it’s a bit lighter and a bit pop/punk, but it’s still recognizable as the band even if Michael’s vocals are occasionally forced to go to areas they are not totally comfortable with. ‘Heaven Came (On Christmas Day)’ is a more traditional Stryper song. It’s superbly played and sung, has a plethora of great guitar sounds, and is intense and immediately catchy as you’d expect from these boys. ‘Still The Light’ is the heaviest of the new songs. It has a dark flair to the proceedings and a thunderous backline that carries it along to a dramatic conclusion. ‘On This Holy Night’ starts with a ringing bell and kicks off proper with a superb guitar riff and a choral backing to die for. The final original is ‘Reason For The Season,’ and it’s the most Christmassy of the five new songs on the album. On one listen I defy you not to be singing along to the chorus, which will undoubtedly embed itself in your brain for days.

Onto the traditional Christmas classics. ‘Go Tell It On The Mountain’ is a crackerjack reimagining that is beautifully produced and contains a genuinely original tilt on a very familiar song. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Stryper cover one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs, ‘Little Drummer Boy.’ It’s absolutely golden, and I’ve been playing it for days with its classic Stryper guitar sound and Michael being on fine form for this one. ‘Silent Night’ has an acoustic bent to it and is closer to the original than the other Christmas covers on the record, but it’s none the worse for that and is as impressive as the rest of the album. ‘Joy To The World’ is a heavy guitar-tinged version of that song that you didn’t realize you needed, while album closer ‘Winter Wonderland’ is a wild and playful version that sees the band really letting rip and enjoying themselves.

You probably already know which side of the Stryper fence you sit on, but if you want to hear this record, you will have to buy physical media direct from Frontiers Music s.r.l. because it’s not going to be available on the streaming sites. A refreshing change for me, and a record to properly get you in the Christmas spirit!

BAND

Michael Sweet – Lead Vocals, Lead And Rhythm Guitar

Robert Sweet – Drums and Percussion

Oz Fox – Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitar

Perry Richardson – Vocals and Bass Guitar

ALBUM TRACK LIST

1. The Greatest Gift Of All
2. Go Tell It On The Mountain
3. Heaven Came (On Christmas Day)
4. Little Drummer Boy
5. Still The Light
6. Silent Night
7. On This Holy Night
8. Joy To The World
9. Reason For The Season
10. Winter Wonderland