Stryper's 'When We Were Kings' - Album Review

It is getting harder to write about each new Stryper album. The California-based melodic metal band, who became popular during the hair metal movement of the 1980s thanks to their guitar prowess, melodic hooks, and Christian lyrics, have been extremely prolific in recent years - and have churned out a number of very solid albums during the past decade. Considering that so many of their peers from the 1980s seemed to run out of creativity many years ago, with many having not released anything of note for a long time, Stryper are one of the few bands from that era left still regularly writing and recording new music. I think that it would be quite easy to make the case, too, that much of Styper's recent work has been some of their best overall. 1985's Soldiers Under Command and 1986's To Hell with the Devil are classics for a reason but, for me anyway, the heaviness of the recent albums and how well frontman Michael Sweet's voice has held up has meant that each new Stryper album is one to look forward to. The latest in the long line of excellent recent releases, then, is When We Were Kings - the band's fifteenth studio album overall (thirteenth of all-original material) and their first release since 2022's The Final Battle (which I reviewed here). Following a break-up in 1993, Stryper returned as a full-time going concern in 2003 - but their current run of excellent albums really started in 2013 with No More Hell to Pay (which I reviewed here). They had released a couple of original albums prior to 2013, alongside a covers album and a collection of re-recorded classics, but I think 2013 saw the band re-solidify their trademark sound, albeit heavier, after a couple of experiments throughout the late 2000s. Clearly looking back at their influences via the covers album and revisiting their classic tracks by re-recording some of them helped to revitalise the band in a big way - as there has been very little wrong with anything they have put out since 2013. Not every song has been a classic, but each passing album has been extremely enjoyable - with one generally dropping every two or three years. The band's last album, The Final Battle, was a little more varied than some of the band's other recent albums - but it was essentially just classic Stryper at heart. In contrast, though, When We Were Kings reins in those experiments and just goes for it. This may be the band's heaviest album overall for a while - meaning that it feels more in line with 2018's God Damn Evil (which I reviewed here) than anything else in their recent canon. The band line-up which has been in place since 2017, and featured on the last couple of albums, returns again here - with frontman Michael, his drumming brother Robert Sweet, guitarist Oz Fox, and bassist Perry Richardson, the only non-classic-era member in the line-up, all returning. Paul McNamara helps out on keyboards as always, but as stated When We Were Kings is a heavy release - so the focus is very much on the guitars of Michael and Fox throughout. The pair riff and solo away throughout the album's 11 songs - showcasing why they were one of the best guitar duos of the 1980s.

There remains light and shade as always, and Michael often has a ballad or two in him, but When We Were Kings is very much a riff-fest. At this point I do not expect anything else from a new Stryper album - and they have become one of those reliable bands that know what their fans want. Opening track End of Days is a great example of this, with the heavy opener setting the tone for what is to follow. Following a big drum barrage, the first of many big riffs kicks in - with the stuttering pattern sounding like a throwback to the 1980s - before a harmony guitar lead kicks in, showcasing the melodic tendencies of Michael and Fox's partnership. This guitar lead often rears its head throughout the song, acting as a bridge between the verse-chorus cycle repeating, whilst the verses feature the heavier riff from the song's opening - over which Michael sings in his evergreen and powerful manner. Subtle vocal harmonies add depth as the verses progress, and they are also utilised during the chorus in a typical 1980s manner, but Michael's vocal hooks are memorable regardless. The chorus slows the pace down to allow for a more anthemic and memorable series of hooks - and it is the latest in a long line of memorable Stryper choruses. A lengthy and busy guitar solo section is later the icing on the cake - with both Michael and Fox shredding away before coming together at the end. If End of Days felt like a pacy opener, with harmony guitars and driving drums, then Unforgivable feels much meaner. The pace is slowed overall, with a chugging main riff and a hollow drum pattern providing the song's backbone, and things never really speed up - with the song creating a strong groove and a heavier atmosphere overall. The guitar riffing is much simpler, with a throwback to the 1970s felt at times, and Michael's vocals feel a little grittier, too - despite there still being plenty of lush harmonies and melodies to latch onto. Lead guitar moments are less prevalent, with the song emphasising a slight doomy edge, but the chug-along chorus is still extremely memorable thanks to its hooks. The guitar solo section feels a bit more stripped back, too, with less high-octane and more bluesier leads - and all of the elements of the song hang together well to create something meaty. The title track, which follows, is a real anthem. It possesses one of the album's best choruses and it is another more deliberate, mid-paced track - albeit with more of a focus on lead guitar moments. The heaviness of the previous song does return but it does not feel as crunchy overall as the riffing is a bit more varied - with big chords sitting nicely alongside a few moments of more melodic playing. Leads are used throughout the inject some additional colour into the song - and the aforementioned chorus feels so big thanks to a huge wall of vocal harmonies and some underlying melodic guitar playing. Stryper have often written stadium-ready choruses and this is another one - with a simple hook that is made to be sang by a crowd, with the slower overall pace helping the hooks to really sink in. Another two-part guitar solo maintains the overall pace of the song, too, but there are a few more flashy moments this time to spice things up somewhat.

Betrayed by Love maintains the mid-paced feel of the last couple of songs, but there is more of an organic depth from the off thanks to some acoustic guitar added to the mix. The song is not a ballad and it is another pretty crunchy mid-paced track overall - but it does feel a bit more paired back and warm than the last couple of pieces. The verses expand as they move along, with the acoustic guitars and some subtle keyboards taking on a more prominent role, but the trademark guitar crunch remains - and the track is packed with a strong groove thanks to the ever-present heavy guitars, even if the acoustic moments create the most interest. The chorus has depth thanks to the acoustic guitars and keyboards, but it is probably not as hooky as some of the choruses heard on the album up to this point. Despite this, it has a pleasing warmth - and the guitar solo builds from it nicely thanks to its choice melodies. Loves Symphony (which joins the 'no apostrophe' Hall of Shame) feels like it should be a ballad given its title, but it is another pretty varied piece like the previous track. There is no acoustic guitar depth this time, but it does open somewhat slowly with some relatively atmospheric guitar lines - but it is not too long before another pretty crunchy verse takes over. There remains a warmth, though, thanks to Michael's vocal delivery - and the chorus is slower again with Queen-like vocal harmonies and a strong keyboard presence. The chorus is perhaps the most ballad-like moment on the album to this point and it does help the song to feel pretty dynamic thanks to the crunch of the verse, some more up-tempo harmony guitar lines, and a busy guitar solo section. It is an expansive and enjoyable song, then, and a good example of the band's songwriting abilities. Trinity returns to a much heavier sound, but the pace does not really pick up. Stryper's heaviness throughout this album generally comes from mid-paced crunching riffs - and this song is another which relies on such. It might not be as dynamic as some of the others here but there is a pleasing groove throughout and I like how the band really metal it up on this track. The chorus is a little faster, with some shout-along vocal hooks that help to break up what would otherwise be a rather one-paced song. Simple twists and turns can help a song from feeling the same all the way through and the chorus here is a fun addition to the heavy track - adding some overall excitement to differ from the crunch. Rhyme of Time is similar again, at least initially, but the opening riff feels a little more bluesy and old-school overall. Mournful harmony guitar leads are soon added over the top of the main riffing - but the main change comes when Michael starts to sing, as the song slows down quite considerably and goes for a ballad-esque verse with clean guitar melodies and some subtle keyboard textures. The song is pretty slow overall, but it does get heavier again as it approaches the chorus - with crunchier guitar tones taking over again, despite the keyboards remaining a presence. There is just a bit more light and shade with this track, which is welcome. As much as I like the band to be heavy, some variety is needed - and the ballad-esque feel of parts of the track and a rather neo-classical guitar solo shake up the formula here.

Following the much slower previous song, Raptured ups the pace somewhat - but only back to the album's core mid-paced sound. Despite this, though, the track feels a bit different overall compared to some of the others here. There is a bit more focus on groove this time, and the riffing is less chugging - and there is a sharpness and a spring in the step on the main opening riff and the verse which follows. This allows Michael to let rip a bit more, his expressive and well-maintained voice soaring above this groove, whilst the chorus is a return to the classic big Stryper sound with much more of a typical chug and lots of big vocal harmonies. It is a very easy song to sing along with thanks to this chorus and the overall grooves - and I feel that the track is likely to be one that really comes across well live if the band choose to ever play it on tour. Grateful is another track with a more organic sound. There is a lot of acoustic guitar in the mix again this time and, early on at least, there are some subtle Hammond organ swells. This is not an organ-driven piece but there is certainly a warmth throughout thanks to it and the acoustic guitars - and the song reminds me a bit of some of those lesser-known Boston tracks which feature a lot more warmth. Those tracks which are not exactly ballads but they feel more organic overall with a big arrangement and a more plaintive feel. The song really brings the best out of Michael, too, who sings his heart out against this cinematic backing - whilst the harmony guitar solo him and Fox cook up actually has shades of Lynyrd Skynyrd at times thanks to the grooves and song arrangement. Divided by Design returns to this core sound, though, and it opens with a really muscular riff - which could well be one of the most memorable here. The band have generally been quite chugging on this album, but the riff throughout this song feels much more Michael Schenker-inspired - albeit much heavier. The one downside of this song, though, is the lack of a killer chorus. It feels likes it builds towards a chorus that never really comes - as the chorus which does come is a bit on the weaker side. The main riff and some of the verse hooks, which are accented by some big vocal harmonies, hit harder than the chorus - which feels a little limp in comparison. The guitar solo is a scorcher, though, so the song is still full of memorable moments despite the slight misstep. The album then comes to a close with Imperfect World picking up the pace - and it is the only genuinely faster-paced song here alongside the opening cut. Even then, this song is not as fast - but it is good that the end of album is served by a burst of energy. The riffing and harmony guitar leads here fizz with cutting melodies and the chorus here feels big and bright following the flatter one in the previous track. Stryper do this galloping sound pretty well overall and it gives the album a kick as it comes to a close - with another excellent harmony guitar solo and a huge scream from Michael as the song ends. There are more memorable moments here but I like the tone the song sets as the album ends. As such, the album is another strong one overall. There is little to separate the recent Stryper albums as they all have their standout moments - and this one is no different despite its slight focus on a heavier sound overall.

The album was released on 13th September 2024 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for When We Were Kings.