Search - Stryper :: Reborn

Stryper is "Reborn"!!

Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 08/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fresh on the heals of their successful reunion tour, Stryper has returned in full force with "Reborn", their first album of all new material since 1990's "Against The Law".

For this album, the band has not only added a new bass player, Tracy Ferrie (who replaces original member Tim Gaines) but also adopts a heavier edgier sound than what was heard from them during their hair-band '80s heyday. Despite this, the album still comes off as a genuine Stryper effort and is arguably their best since "To Hell With The Devil".

Tracks such as "Make You Mine", "Wait For You", "If I Die" and "Rain" retain the classic Stryper sound 2005 style with Michael Sweet's signature vocals and melodic songwriting. Other tracks such as "Open Your Eyes", "Live Again" and the title track have a more raw in-your-face feel with their thick edgey guitars and gritty vocals. "Passion" finds the band moving slightly into a worshipful territory while "10,000 Years" adopts a new approach to the hymn "Amazing Grace".

Just the show that Stryper isn't ashamed of their past, the band closes the album with a new rendition of their 1988 classic "In God We Trust" which has a heavier darker feel to it but is still awesome nonetheless.

What else can be said about "Reborn" except for the fact that it is an amazing album. Stryper is definitely back for the long haul and are sounding better than ever. All of the band's musical trademarks are still in tact with some new elements thrown in. "Reborn" was definitely worth the wait and it's great to see Stryper back in business again.

Still Rocking for the One Who Is The Rock!!!



Small Footnote: The track listing on the back cover as well as inside the CD booklet is slightly incorrect. Here is the correct track listing as it appears on the CD: 1.Open Your Eyes/2.Reborn/3.When Did I see You Cry/4.Make You Mine/5.Passion/6.Live Again/7.Wait For You/8.Rain/9.If I Die/10.10,000 Years/11.In God We Trust."

Disappointing, weak return

Sean Pearson | Upstate NY United States | 08/20/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I loved Stryper's previous work, even when I didn't relate to their strength of faith, so I was really excited to learn they had reunited. I also loved Michael Sweet's "Truth," rating it highly for its superior songwriting and performance, so I didn't mind the expectation that he would bring his more matured, diverse approach to this album. Just to let everyone know, I guess - I really wanted to like this album, and I expected to like it...so what happened? Well, three things went wrong, at least from my perspective:



#1, songwriting - nowhere near as strong as "Truth," and not even close to previous Stryper work. No song stands out, except for "I.G.W.T." because this was the *only* song where Robert and Oz actually became noticeable. And this wasn't even a new song, it's a remake from their own collection! What a letdown, at least for me. Everything is mid-tempo, even the ballads, so there's no up-tempo pieces to get us pumped up - even "Against The Law" had some good rockers on it; this has nothing with a driving pulse (except "IGWT"). It's hard to get excited when the songs just don't change their tempos or styles much.



#2, performances - Michael is still a great singer, just with a more limited range, but he has more experience now so what he may lack in high notes he replaces with more emotion and sincerity. I don't mind that a bit. What I do mind is that Robert does *not* play anything near to the level he did 10 years ago. Everything except IGWT is only cliched rock drumming, with the kick on 1 and 3 and snare on 2 and 4. Nothing adding rhythmic interest, not like he did on albums like "To Hell..." and "In God..." What happened? And Oz Fox - taking your cues from Kirk Hammett now? Where did you go? Sure, the songs don't easily lend themselves to solos, not like in the earlier albums, but when you do solo it's really low-intensity stuff. None of the technique from years ago, and I know a Gibson can wail (witness John Sykes). So what happened here?



#3, mixing - the drums sound dreadful, especially the snare. The other reviewers can blast the guy who compared the drums to Metallica in "St. Anger," but he's right - Robert sounds like he recorded in a bathroom and severely overcompressed his snare. Also, on many tracks you can't hear the new bassist consistently, which is a shame because the guy can clearly play very well and does add some much-needed counterlines to the tepid guitar parts. But this is just a badly mixed CD all around, which makes it even harder to listen to on top of the weak songwriting and weak performances.



Other people obviously don't agree with me. And it's not that I have anything against this band - no, I still love their earlier works, even "Against The Law," so don't label me a hater. I never minded their image or mission. But on "Reborn," they haven't quite returned to form. Nothing stands out as exciting or gripping or inspirational, and the production is really substandard for a band that has sounded great for almost its entire career. This is not what I expected from Stryper, not after all these years of waiting patiently. I'm disappointed, and if you come to this CD looking for the Stryper of 10 years ago, you won't find it here. It's not terrible work compared to some current bands, it's just not the strength and range of previous albums. Not heavy, not fast, not dazzling, just a collection of songs without a lot of variety among them.



This is not heavy metal the way Stryper used to do it, and it's not even pop metal now. It's just a tepid rock CD, a shadow of the great stuff these guys used to create. What a bitter disappointment for me. I guess Jacob's Dream now fills the role of top Christian metal band..."

The yellow and black attack is back--again!

Brian Reaves | Anniston, AL USA | 01/15/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Pioneers of Christian metal Stryper have had a rough history. The first real "metal evangelists" in the 80's, the church didn't know how to accept them even as the crowds at their concerts were given songs with more honest lyrics than many songs on adult contemporary radio at the time. Known for harmonic guitar solos between Michael Sweet and Oz Fox, Michael's stratospheric vocal range, and the most visually active drummer around, Stryper thrilled their fans with amazing concerts and consistently good records. Eventually, though successful, the 90's hit and metal died. Stryper disbanded after a powerful career, with each member going their separate ways. After reuniting for an anniversary tour, the band stayed together to bring a new batch of songs into the twenty-first century.



Over a decade since their last studio album, Stryper is back with Reborn. Just to prove they haven't softened much, the CD cover alone should cause enough controversy to shake a few Christian retailers (they actually had to hide the cover with a yellow wrapper to soften the "transformation" look). Original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and Oz Fox are back, joined this time on bass by Tracy Ferrie (already well known to Christian music in bands like Seraiah and Whitecross). The yellow and black spandex is gone (to be fair, they actually dropped that with their final release Against The Law), but how's the new sound?



It's hard to know what to say here. Bands like Bon Jovi and Aerosmith keep their fan base and grow new ones because they gradually update their sound with each record (even though they went several years before putting out a new one themselves). Stryper, on the other hand, was known for the "hair metal" sound. Can a glam rock band put out another type of music and still be considered the same band? Yes and no. This is definitely not Soldiers Under Command or To Hell With the Devil. There are flashes of the old band here and there, but for the most part this is an updated sound that rocks. If this was a new band, the CD would probably do well. Being an established band known for a particular sound, it's hard to break the mold and still keep everyone happy. Sweet's banshee wailing is gone completely, and the harmonic solos are done in different ways, but for the most part the essence of the band remains.



"Open Your Eyes" starts the CD off with a weak opening. It really doesn't sound like a Stryper song at all, and doesn't actually fit with the rest of the CD. The title cut is great, with deep guitars and a hard-rocking chorus. "When Did I See You Cry" takes the sound a step further, and at last we hear the harmonies we're used to from Stryper. This finally gives you an idea that you're really hearing the band you knew.



"Make You Mine" easily falls into the vein of "Honestly" or "Always There For You". It's the rock-power-ballad-love-song they're known for. That's not a cut-down, but a compliment. These guys can put together some great stuff without falling into the syrupy trap of trying to sound too corny. The guitar solo here is great too. It's the harmonic solos of old Stryper, done in an updated way with each guitar using a different effect. It doesn't sound "80's" at all.



Unfortunately, the middle of the CD seems to lack any shining songs in it. Most seem like filler. "Passion" is about the passion of the Christ, rather than another love song. "Live Again", "Rain", and "Waiting For You" are decent songs, with the last one having some memorable guitar work. "If I Die" is a good rocker and picks things up again.



They save the fun stuff for the last two songs. "10,000 Years" is an updated version of the old hymn "Amazing Grace", and I'd love to hear it done in church this way! A lot of singers have tried lately to modernize the hymns, and most sound like the exact same song in a different key. Major points to the band for totally re-imagining the song from the ground up. The drums here are reminiscent of Robert's greatest moments in the 80's.



To close it all up, the band updates another song with "I.G.W.T.". This time it's one of their own songs they're bring back ("In God We Trust"). The song starts off strong and heavy, drifts into the old feel of the original, and then blows you away with the guitar solos. Oz and Michael do things this time around that really give a shot in the arm to the old favorite. The last two cuts on the disc alone are worth the price.



If the band had stayed together and the change had been a little more gradual over several discs, I don't think anyone would have a problem identifying this as a Stryper release. While I welcome the band back with open arms and look forward to years of new releases, I hope their next ones sound a little more polished. There's nothing wrong with being known for a certain vibe or sound; but in an effort to avoid the dated sound of their old songs, I think they swayed into the "plain vanilla" feel a little too often. You probably could listen to this in ten years and not immediately plant it in a certain time frame like you do with Soldiers Under Command or In God We Trust-but would you really want to? Still, it's good to see the guys together again and I hope they stick around for years to come. Reborn is for the fans who've asked for their return, and just like the past, they're not afraid to try new things with their music.

"