Engels review: Stryper - Second Coming

Graag deel ik met jullie: m'n eerste echt albumreview in het Engels! :)

Voor het internationale Twitteraccount http://www. twitter.com/7TJC (hetzelfde idee als http://www.twitter.com/GospelTJC maar dan in't Engels) schreef ik het volgende over deze geweldige nieuwe schijf van deze geweldige band:

It is just too much! Another album hits the world, jammin’ and glammin’ those eighties right back at ya. Stryper is doing it again! Who would have figured that these holy metal workers would still rock it like a diamond after 27 years (after To Hell With the Devil, my first experience with this band)?!

This new album called The Second Coming is just one big recognition; a nice choice of songs for this makeover album. Honestly didn’t make it for this album, maybe its tunes have gone through too many makeovers already, but First Love is a great referral to the band’s personal believe. The whole record breathes ´believe´. Every song is a honourable referral to our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. It’s just great to see how this band still stands for what they believe in.

Two new songs shine like the others: Bleeding From The Inside Out and Blackened. Is Blackened an eyewink to Metallica or is it just a coincidence? I couldn’t find any lyrics yet... The sound of both songs is definitely Strypers’ :).

My first musical impression: the former songs from the albums The Yellow And Black Attack and Soldiers Under Command sound more perfect then ever! Michael Sweets’ probably a bit worn down vocal cords, compare easily with an eye shot, to the early works :). To the real fan, To Hell With The Devil is just too hard to enhance any further. It’s more like a live session without a screaming crowd. Brilliant in its own way. To the new fans the whole album probably sounds plain fabulous.

Tim Gaines steps forward in a great way on certain special occasions, like in the (to me) prehistoric songLoud ‘N Clear (remember: my history with Stryper began at THWTD ;) ) I guess it’s a base player’s disadvantage. Oz Fox throws in his marvelous guitar solos from time to time, And the totally ramming drumbeats of drummer Robert Sweet, as well as Michael Sweets’ melodic almost heavenly singing, are the prefect finishing touch of this musical painting.

I’d say: “This album is a great purchase and surely not for the true Stryper fan only. If they ever start touring again: be there! It’s a great experience to see them old rockin’ fans sing the incomparable Soldiers Under Command en masse, leaving singer Michael Sweet unemployed on the stage... ;) I think he’s simply energizing right at those moments, right?

Greetings,

Harold Prost

7TJC