Stryper - No More Hell To Pay (2013)

Every band that has had any measure of success has "that record" that they can't escape, the one that all future releases are compared to, and the benchmark by which fans judge what they do.  It's an inescapable part of human nature to set a standard by which all future actions or work will be stood up against to see whether or not it surpasses past glories.  For some bands, that is a blessing, as they are able to record material that meets or exceeds the release they are judged by.  For others, it's a curse, as fans never seem to be pleased enough with subsequent albums and always fall back to "that record" as their creative peak, even if their songwriting prowess has improved.  For Stryper, that record is arguably their 1986 album "To Hell With the Devil".

I am of the opinion that while Stryper never topped that album, the 1988 follow-up "In God We Trust" wasn't nearly the disappointment that some people have claimed.  Firstly, about half of the tracks are among the best Stryper ever recorded, that being the 3 barn burners "In God We Trust", "The Writings on the Wall" and album closer "The Reign", along with power ballad "Lonely" and mid-tempo rocker "Keep the Fire Burning".  The other half of the album did sag with lesser tracks, most of which tried to hard to replicate the sing-songy mid-tempo success of some of THWTD's radio fare.  In the end, however, it was still a highly listenable and enjoyable release.  "Against the Law" took the band in a decidedly more hard rock direction, and they didn't really look back to the more balanced approach of pop metal and melodic metal until more recently, with the 2011's release of "The Covering", a scorching collection of cover tunes of mostly melodic heavy metal classics that the band grew up enjoying.  Building on that album's credibility, and the strength of the "Second Coming" CD of re-recorded Stryper classics, "No More Hell To Pay" has momentum to spare, but is it enough to propel the album into becoming a Stryper classic?

As a longtime Stryper fan, I can answer that with a resounding YES!  Michael Sweet has stated in a recent interview that "No More Hell To Pay" was the album Stryper should have recorded to follow up "To Hell With the Devil", and I'd say that's an accurate statement.  This record has that classic Stryper feel and sound to it, with an obviously more modern production and including elements the band likely wouldn't have included in an album during the late 1980's.  Still, the lion's share of the songs here could have been recorded during that time and sounded pretty good as a follow-up to the band's breakthrough release.  There are some updated production techniques, some vocal touches, and slight nods to modern rock here and there that would not have been present, but all in all, this is a worthy successor to their 1986 record.  The biggest strength here is the songwriting and consistency of the material.  There aren't as many absolute standout tracks here as there were on "To Hell With the Devil", but the album's overall quality from track to track is improved over that release's song list.

Oz and Michael's guitars have that familiar "Stryper sound", as Michael has expounded upon in videos and interviews, but with modern production techniques, the sound is fuller and thicker than it ever was.  There's a touch less bite in the tone because of the increased weight of the overall guitar sound, but it's a good trade-off because it comes across as heavier than the band has been since that time.  In fact, the guitar sound here, along with the riffs, and the songs themselves, makes this arguably the band's heaviest album.  Solo work is as strong as ever, and while there's a bit less of the band's trademark harmonized soloing going on, everything sounds great and the solos work well within the framework of the songs.  Robert's drum work is as good here as anything he's brought to the table before.  While Stryper's production has always favored Robert's drums and given him a more weighty sound than many of the band's peers, there's such a balance here that hasn't been struck on a Stryper album before because the rest of the band has as much weight as the drum sound.  Robert is still high enough in the mix that his drums are still quite prevalent and punchy, but it's nice to hear the rest of the band's instruments on nearly equal footing.  There's lots of energy in Robert's performance here, and he hasn't lost a beat over the years, his playing is as strong as ever.  And it's great to have Tim back on bass again, after a number of years out of the band.  Tracy Ferrie was a welcome addition to Stryper, but let's face it: if you're going to attempt a "return to form" and sound like your old albums, getting the band back together with original members is always preferred, and adding Tim back into the mix was a good choice.  His bass rumbles along in the mix nicely, and he shows why he was a bit underrated during the band's heyday, as he does more than just follow along with the riffs and play one-note rhythms underneath, but adds a bit of harmony at times, and brings a little extra energy when needed, like in "Sympathy".

Many vocalists who utilized the upper registers of the tenor vocal range often lose that ability over the years, partially due to age, but also often due to destroying their natural instrument through drink (Joe Elliot) and/or drugs (Vince Neil, anyone?).  Michael Sweet has, thankfully, avoided most of those pitfalls and remains a top notch vocalist.  He can still hit the highs and do the high pitched wails, even if they're a bit tempered now compared to what he pulled off in his younger days.  That said, he brings an impressive performance here that has the dynamics and nuance of his solo material, while bringing the energy, grit, and spirit of what he's done in Stryper over the years.  Lyrically, the songs are as bold and up front as ever, though there are some additional topics covered here aside from looking to Jesus and love relationships, such as the pain of ridicule ("Sticks and Stones"), looking beyond our mortal lives ("Legacy"), and some Revelations-inspired lyrics with opener "Revelation" and the title track.

The thing about this album that I appreciate so much is that it's just so consistent.  Most every Stryper album before this has had at least 1 or 2 tracks that could be considered filler, or just don't match up to the songwriting of the other material.  I feel as though every track here is essential to the experience.  "The One" is the band's best ballad, and fits in nicely with the other material.  "Sticks and Stones" and "Water Into Wine" are both mid-tempo rockers that follow the album's triumvirate of heavy tracks, "Legacy", "Marching Into Battle" (being arguably the album's centerpiece), and "Te Amo", but they don't feel out of place or lacking when following those tracks.  The band has taken heat for their cover of "Jesus Is Just Alright" as being out of place, but I feel like it's a perfect companion to the original material and describes in few words what the band is, and has always been all about.  My first impression of the title track was that it was a bit slow and plodding, when they initially released the video, but after repeated listens, it's as stuck in my head as the other melodies on the album.

If you've never been a Stryper fan because of the cheese factor or because they're just not heavy enough for you, this new record is one that could change your mind ever so slightly, because they've truly made a melodic, yet heavy album that is better and more consistent than the bulk of their discography.  Does it scale the same heights as the 1986 album it echoes?  I would say it does, though that album has a couple tracks that may help keep it's place firmly cemented as the band's best overall work.  Regardless, "No More Hell To Pay" is the best album a Stryper fan could have hoped for in the year 2013, and certainly one that I will be coming back to nearly as often as I get the urge to listen to Stryper.  Highly recommended!

90/100

Bloodgood - Dangerously Close (2013)

Bands from the 80's coming back and reactivating has become more than a trend in the last few years.  Indeed, it has become cliche, to the point where every nickel and dime group that made any impact is getting back together to try and make another run on the 'nostalgia circuit'.  Fans of any band can't be faulted for wanting their favorite group to come back and make another record, go on tour, etc. because we all have that desire to 'relive the good old days' from time to time, and old favorites reuniting to record, tour, and so on, help scratch that itch.  Most of the time it's a cash grab, and fans eat it up even if they're aware of it, because it's a favorite and they want to support them.  Sometimes, though, the comeback is completely legitimate when a band was truly broken up, away from the scene, with little or no indication that something was going to happen to bring that back.  I'd argue that Bloodgood is a prime example of the latter.

Bloodgood broke up in 1993, after an 8-year run, 5 studio albums, 2 live albums, and VHS releases of those 2 live records, complete with theatrical performances, and a compilation of singles and material from several albums.  In particular, their "Detonation" album garnered high praise and worldwide acclaim for it's quality songs, high energy, and emotional material.  The band moved in a less metallic direction after that, with "Rock In a Hard Place" bringing a more diversified sound, and "Out of the Darkness" continuing with that trend after the departure of original guitarist David Zaffiro.  The band's final studio album, "All Stand Together", suffered somewhat from having too many tracks and not enough "rock" in the mix.  The band's comeback album, "Dangerously Close", rectifies that by practically forgetting that album exists and providing what could have been a direct followup to "Out of the Darkness", with surprisingly good results after a 22-year hiatus.

Right off the bat you know this is a modern album by the production, sound quality, and guitar sound, but the songwriting and style hearkens back to an earlier time of hard rock music, not the overly compressed and artificially heavy sound of a band like Nickelback.  Instead, we get real hard rock and melodic heavy metal music from a veteran of the sound, and it sounds genuine and real.  Too often, new bands that play this style come along with production that makes the music sound too "plastic" to try and capitalize on modern production techniques, but ends up taking away from the music by having too much of an "in your face" sound.  This record strikes a nice balance between a modern sound, a heavier guitar element, and that more "organic" sound that helps music like this feel less like a product and more like real art from real artists.  Everything here is well produced, the instruments all sound good and come through in the mix (including Michael's bass!), and the levels are appropriate for the material.

Paul Jackson and Oz Fox's guitars have a nice crunch in the heavier parts, and though they have a modern feel to them, they feels like good hard rock and melodic metal guitar should, with enough whine and wail when the sound calls for it.  There's some real nice dual guitar work here and there, with some layered soloing and harmonized riffs that work really well.  I kind of wish they had capitalized on that a little more, but what's here works quite well.  I also like the fact that it's not just one guitar tone or texture through the album - they use various levels of distortion and crunch, as well as some nice clean guitar work (such as in "Father Father") that brings more variety to the table.  Unlike "Rock In a Hard Place", Michael's bass is loud and clear here.  In spots, it almost feels like too much, as if the bass is a little too prominent in the mix, but he can be forgiven for wanting to be out there, given the lack of bass in some of their material, and the prominence of bass guitar in modern hard rock and commercial metal mixes.  As it stands, he sounds as good as ever, and adds that extra thump as would be expected.  Returning skinsman Kevin Whistler provides a solid, workmanlike performance here with a couple nice surprises, such as the double-bass work in "Bread Alone".

Les Carlsen is in fine form here, and frankly, sounds way better than any rock vocalist at his age has a right to.  You'd think he'd lose some of his range or ability over time, and while he doesn't wail at the same level here as he did on "Detonation" or the debut album, the material doesn't really call for that.  Instead, he still hits the high notes with aplomb and shows he has a sense of dynamics, as well as adding that emotional resonance that has made past performances so interesting to listen to.  His unique vocal sound is still his own, and he continues to bring that element to the Bloodgood sound that helps give the band their own sound and feel.  The way he flawlessly double-tracks his vocals as well gives the vocal sound on the album that extra something.

I don't have any specific criticisms of the album, per se, other than the fact that leading off the album with "Lamb of God" is perhaps slightly underwhelming, given the strength of the other material.  It's a mid-tempo rocker with a simple hook, but it's not the strongest track on the album, nor is it the strongest musical statement.  Otherwise, the songwriting here is pretty strong, as compared to the band's back catalog, and they've created a winning album here that stands up well against what I'd call the second half of their discography.  Comparing this to early works like "Detonation" is like comparing apples and watermelon - two variations of a similar theme, but different enough that they really aren't wholly comparable.  If you prefer the more metal side of Bloodgood, spin the first couple records, because chances are, they're not returning to that sound.  However, if "Rock In an Hard Place" or "Out of the Darkness" are among your favorites, consider "Dangerously Close" in the same league as those records, and pick up a copy to support the band. These are some catchy tunes that I've been spinning for weeks, and they haven't got old yet.  Recommended.

87/100

Desert Island 500 - Guardian's "First Watch"

For any music lover, there are some albums which are so ingrained in the mind that impartial judgment as to the album's true artistic merit and potential flaws becomes an exercise in futility.  All but the most ardent of logicists have a handful of releases that escape the microscope and are listened to proudly and without abandon, despite perhaps not containing material that marks the zenith of the artist's career, or even of the style of music present.  I'm guilty of this phenomenon just like the next guy, and while I know it's not logical, it's just the way it happens.  Some albums introduce us to music that becomes the "gateway drug" to the style as a whole, or opens up our world to something new and exciting, and those albums usually escape the harsher judgment we heap upon releases of the same style years later because they hit us at the right time in our lives so that their influence trumps their merits.  Such is the case for me with Guardian's debut, "First Watch".

I cannot understate how important this album is for me, personally, in terms of my introduction to proper heavy metal, or how it helped to shape my perception of what the style was, was supposed to be, and potentially could be.  Indeed, there are few albums in my collection more important and vital to me than this largely forgotten gem of a release.  For me to sit down constructively and try to write an impartial review of the album based solely on the music would be like building a skyscraper out of cheese puffs - an impossible task.  I may take that on one day, in the hope that my education in the ways of music has advanced enough that I could see this with more critical eyes, but for now, I can only heap praise upon the album for all it did for me as a fan of music.  Simply put, this was the first album of heavy metal music I heard from beginning to end with no preconceptions, no concept of what it was or was supposed to be, and no idea what my ears were to behold.  It was a glorious experience.

Let me take you back to the summer of 1991 when this album first graced my ears.  I was a silly kid, dorky and nerdy, uncomfortable in my own skin, perhaps more so than most kids my age.  I had very few friends, and my options were limited.  Thankfully, one of the kids in my church who was a year younger than me latched on to me and we became fast friends.  After all, he had a Nintendo Entertainment System, and his mom's boyfriend had a Sega Master System, so we spent plenty of time together playing video games.  But one thing we sort of discovered together was music.  Another guy in our church, many years older than us, had been following the edgier side of the "Christian Contemporary Music" scene for about a decade, and had gone from the early alt rock of The Seventy Sevens, Steve Taylor, and The Choir to the hard rock and metal stylings of Stryper, Whitecross, and similar artists.  Of the bands they had already "graduated" from was Guardian, and the band's debut came into the hands of my friend Casey in the form of an original Enigma cassette, sans sleeve.  Little did this older guy know that this cassette would become one of the most frequently listened to albums for the two of us geeks.

I had previously been exposed to the idea of "Christian rock" by a long-time friend and former school mate.  I used to hang out at her house after school sometimes while my mom worked part-time, and we'd often listen to an album called "Who Do You Love?" by the group Glad, who later became far more well known for a cappella recordings.  That sparked my interest in the electric guitar, in part because of a handful of skillful solos present on that record.  But when I heard Tony Palacios burning up the fretboard on "First Watch", my love affair with heavy metal was first ignited.  Even on Casey's cheap boombox, the guitar riffs came screaming out of the speakers at me, as if they were meant for my ears.  Paul Cawley's vocals spoke directly to me, because they were easy to understand and I could relate to the lyrics.  I didn't appreciate bass guitar then like I do now, but David Bach's bass work helped bring a bit of power to the sound that would have been absent otherwise.  And though Rikk Hart's drumming wasn't out-of-this-world incredible, it was solid, and helped to tie the whole thing together.

This picture just makes me want to go buy a denim jacket and leather chaps.

I dubbed that cassette from my friend because, by that time, Enigma Records had been swallowed up by EMI, and most of the bands either flowed over to Restless Records, or went their own way.  I couldn't get a copy via the local Christian book and gift shop, and I never saw it in the store anywhere, so that was seemingly my only option.  I listened to that dub countless times, and practically memorized every note.  Some time later, I had the opportunity to get the actual cassette from Casey, and sort of "borrowed it forever" from him.  I haven't seen Casey in years, but based on the last few conversations we had, I suspect he hasn't missed it much.  That's okay, because I have held on to it all these years, so if he ever wants it back he just needs to ask.  Needless to say, the cassette is probably nigh unlistenable due to the years of use and abuse, having quickly become a personal favorite.

Fast forward five years.  I'm in college, my musical tastes have expanded to where I like everything from Poison to Mortification, and I've branched out even more the first couple months in college.  I found out that Guardian themselves were re-issuing "First Watch" via their own independent G-Man Records label, and I had to have a copy.  I knew that this might be my one and only opportunity to score a copy on CD, so I ordered 2 copies.  When they arrived at my dorm room, I turned into that dorky kid again, and as I popped one into my CD player and began listening, a revelation overtook me - there were 2 songs on here that I didn't have on my cassette copy!  With the internet still in its infancy, I didn't have access to the boundless musical databases that we have now, so I had no idea that the CD version had 2 bonus tracks, "Hyperdrive" and "Marching On".  So I listened to the whole thing to hear the CD quality tracks, eagerly awaiting the "new" songs I hadn't heard yet.  While they didn't completely blow me away at that point (I had discovered bands like Dream Theater and Tourniquet by this point), they fit in perfectly with the rest of the material, and it was just one more reason for me to continue to love "First Watch".

Fast forward a few years later, and I'm married, working full time and living back in my hometown again.  I had been casually collecting vinyl for a number of years, having started during my senior year in high school.  My younger brother bought me a vinyl copy of the album (same track list as the cassette) as a Christmas gift.  It was awesome to finally have an original copy of the album that was my own and had the sleeve and everything.  And a couple years later, I nearly scored an original Enigma CD copy when my brother and I were browsing a used CD store, but he found it first, so he got it instead.  But it didn't take me long after that to finally have an original Enigma CD copy in my collection.  In 2009, RetroActive Records re-issued the album in a digipak format, with 2 bonus tracks, "Spiritual Warfare" and the 1987 version of "Marching On", both of which were culled from the classic "California Metal" compilation.  This features a remaster by J. Powell, which just gives the album a slightly "bigger" sound to it, but doesn't mess with the mix or feel of the record.  Save for CD and LP issues out of Europe via RoadRunner Records, and possibly a Japanese pressing via Enigma/EMI, I have at least 1 copy of each major issue of the album.  Yes, I'm a fanboy, and I'm not ashamed to say so.

Now more than 20 years from when I first heard the album, it's not overly difficult to put my finger on exactly why it thrilled me so much that first time, and why I still enjoy listening to the album frequently.  Sure, Paul Cawley is a bit of a Don Dokken clone, but honestly I think I like his voice a bit more, because I feel that his combination of gritty and smooth is so good.  I wish I knew who wrote which riffs on the record, because with Paul playing rhythm guitar, it would be interesting to know whether some of my favorite riffs on the album were written by him or by guitar whiz Tony Palacios.  My guess would be, Tony wrote most of the riffs, because his Nuno Bettencourt type of style is all over that album.  Tony has always been one that wrote and played riffs that did more than just chug away, often incorporating small licks and such.  As for recording, it would also be interesting to note whether Paul played the rhythm parts, or whether Tony tracked most (if not all) the guitars in the studio, and whether or not producer Oz Fox (Stryper guitarist extraordinaire) contributed any of his guitar magic.  And while Oz's production sounds a touch thin in places where either 70's full analog big budget production, or modern Garage Band methods would give the album a more "full" sound, it fit what other bands were doing at the time, and takes nothing away from the record's overall presence.

Now, if I had to pick a version to take with me, it'd probably be the 2009 remaster, if only because it includes all the tracks, the remaster, and the "California Metal" tracks as a bonus, but even the original Enigma version would be a perfect companion to a lonely man on a desert island.  I can think of few records I'd want with me more than this one.  I can't say it's my absolute favorite at this point, nor can I say that it'd be the one I'd take if I had to choose only one (I'll speak to that topic more in later posts), but certainly for a personal top 5 or top 10, this would most definitely make the cut.  And that is reason enough for me to add it to my list, and make it one of the first records I thought of when coming up with this Desert Island 500 idea.  I encourage all fans of melodic 80's metal and hard rock to seek out this one and give it a try.  You really can't go wrong with this quality platter.