Stryper Fallen CD

Heavy metal certainly has no shortage of rebels. It seems like everybody’s rebelling against something, and that’s part of the genre’s allure. However, the most rebellious thing anybody can do is hold steadfast to personal beliefs and never waver. Stryper indisputably do both.

They’re not shy about their Christian beliefs, but they’re also consistently as heavy as any of the genre’s pillars. Following up 2013’s seminal opus No More Hell To Pay, which debuted at #6 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Chart and #2 on the Christian Albums Chart, their eleventh full-length original album, Fallen [Frontiers Music SRL], is their heaviest offering to date.

In early 2015, Michael and his band mates Robert Sweet [drums], Oz Fox [guitar], and Tim Gaines [bass] retreated to Spirithouse Recording Studio in Northampton, MA. The four musicians collectively immersed themselves in the recording process for Fallen with Michael handling production yet again.
Album opener “Yahweh” certainly does. Penned with Clint Lowery of Sevendust and Call Me No One, the six-minute plus anthem fuses tight thrash guitars with soaring vocals and a galloping beat. Airtight solos nearly collide with an orchestral refrain bolstered by a muscular groove.

At the same time, the first single “Pride” weaves together intricate fretwork with a slamming refrain that seesaws between swooning and searing. “Sometimes, pride gets in the way of what we want to accomplish or what we want to do,” he sighs. “Everybody goes through that. It’s my reminder saying, ‘Let’s not allow pride to tear us apart.’ Nine times out of ten, that is what separates us. Beat our pride down, and we will survive.” Following a tradition of some bombastic and bruising covers, Stryper also tackled Black Sabbath’s classic “After Forever.”
The foursome infused a new kind of fire into this timeless gem. “We grew up on Black Sabbath,” he says. “It says something. Stryper covering a Sabbath tune causes much controversy. The lyrics are very interesting because it questions if Sabbath was a Christian band or not. They could have been the first Christian group if you take a closer look at those lyrics.”

Stryper continue to remain metal stalwarts, leaving an indelible mark on the genre with every subsequent album. With hits in their arsenal such as “Calling On You”, “Free”, “I Believe In You” and “Always There For Your,” album sales exceed over 10 million worldwide with their discography including one of the most successful Christian rock albums ever, 1986’s multi-platinum, Grammy Award-nominate To Hell With The Devil. They also have the distinction of being the first band in history to notch two songs in MTV’s Top 10 with “Free” and “Honestly.”
Ultimately, for all the heaviness, Fallen possesses the power to uplift. What’s more rebellious than that?