This album sees the continued renaissance of Stryper. Their last four albums have heralded a return to form starting with 2013’s ‘No More Hell To Pay’, and continues unabated.
Written by: Explorer
ARTIST: Stryper
ALBUM: Even The Devil Believes
LABEL: Frontiers SRL
SERIAL: FRCD 1056
YEAR: 2020
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Michael Sweet – lead vocals, guitars, production * Oz Fox – guitars, backing vocals * Perry Richardson – bass, backing vocals * Robert Sweet – drums, percussion
Additional Musicians: Paul MacNamara – keyboards, organ * Keith Pittman – backing vocals
TRACK LISTING: 01 Blood From Above * 02 Make Love Great Again * 03 Let Him In * 04 Do Unto Others * 05 Even The Devil Believes * 06 How To Fly * 07 Divider * 08 This I Pray * 09 Invitation Only * 10 For God & Rock ‘N’ Roll * 11 Middle Finger Messiah
RATING: 80/100
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
This album sees the continued renaissance of Stryper. Their last four albums have heralded a return to form starting with 2013’s ‘No More Hell To Pay’, and continues unabated. It features everything I love about Stryper, Michael Sweet’s stratospheric vocals, the twin guitar assaults and powerhouse drumming, and the perfect marriage of both muscle and melody.
The Songs
Opening track ‘Blood From Above’, really does sound like something that could have been on any one of their first 3 releases back in the 80’s, and ‘Divider’ positively roars along a la Judas Priest. Of course it wouldn’t be a Stryper album without the obligatory ballad, and here it’s ‘This I Pray’ with the band going all Bon Jovi on us, and yes it works.
‘Make Love Great Again’ is seemingly a call to everyone to unite in these troubled times, but doesn’t come over too ‘Preachy’. The band have always had a penchant for provocative song titles and here again they don’t disappoint. ‘Middle Finger Messiah’ is just classic Stryper. The band has now been going for nearly 40 years, and show no sign of giving up just yet.
In Summary
This is a fine release from God’s favourite band… allegedly. Not quite up there with their ‘Soldiers Under Command’ opus but still giving that classic album a real run for its money.
Video
Do Unto Others
Entire Album (Select Tracks)
