STRYPER – “FALLEN” REVIEW

Two years after the band’s last effort, Stryper releases their eleventh studio production, Fallen, which offers a heavier tone to the group’s mix on top of the pristine vocals and iconic 80’s guitar. Although the band continues to stand out among their metal peers by singing about religious messages, their delivery of the subject matter can affect any metal-head no matter their standards. Coming off of Stryper‘s previous album, No More Hell To Pay, the band maintains that fierce intonation and carries it over to Fallen, embedding it with fresh new material.

Opening the album with a track such as Yahweh is truly a representation of the band’s capacity, leaving their mark on how they’ve evolved since their past work. Next up is the title track which  combines a gripping guitar riff and a visual story behind the cover of the album, bringing that entire song to life simply by merging those two elements together. There’s also an abundance of brilliant hooks from tracks like Pride, Heaven and Let There Be Light. These provide a lens for the larger picture depicted in these songs, emphasizing the beliefs fueled behind each one.

Additionally, Stryper makes room for a tribute to Black Sabbath by covering “After Forever” based on the like minded meaning within the tune that is relevant to the remaining tracks. Finalized with a strong conclusion, The Calling and King Of Kings closed the album with catchy choruses and a sincere projection of Christian principles that feels like a dynamic climax, meant to reflect the concept of Fallen in its entirety.

Fallen is the face of Stryper‘s aggressive underbelly being reestablished throughout the tracks. As the band thrives in the world of metal to this day, they are surely a unique factor that bypasses all the typical, modern topics of songwriting material and stay true to their devoted faith like they have for over 30 years.