Album review: STRYPER – Even The Devil Believes

Frontiers [Release date 04.09.20]

Stryper’s 13th studio album, “Even The Devil Believes” follows hard the heels of “God Damn Evil” (their fourth on Frontiers). When you’re hot you’re hot.

Vocalist/Guitarist/producer, Michael Sweet lets loose a high pitched howl as he strides onto the opening track’s melodic metal battlefield. It is clearly a statement of intent. Not for a moment does ‘Blood From Above’ shy away from the band’s beliefs. It carries an emphatic emotional weight, calling out the redemptive power of love and sacrifice.

Sweet’s been around so long now that anything bearing his vocal imprint cannot immediately be dated. His voice straddles several decades of rock and metal transition, and that’s a distinct advantage for a band with a past. His voice has matured and evolved subtly over the years, often adding a veneer of operatic grandeur to the uplifting stuff, like ‘Let Him In’ and ‘Invitation Only’.

Strangely, world events might perversely be good for rock’n'roll. Violence in the streets, the disenfranchised, the homeless, are all perennial topics that rock has proved adept at exploring – even illuminating over the years. And the charged lyrics of ‘Make Love Great Again’ and ‘Divider’ don’t need explanation.

Politicised metal is a rare commodity, and these tightly structured songs, full of hard hitting observations and empathy for wounded souls, dispense their own form of lyrical justice.

Despite being surrounded by the music’s unabashed brazen power and steel reinforced riffs, ‘Do Unto Others’ and ‘How To Fly’ might just remind you of the band’s softer rocking beginnings. Their trademark, Beatlish harmonies constantly seep through the armour plating, here there and everywhere, forming an underlying soundtrack to the album.

Arguably, “Even The Devil Believes” might just be Stryper’s most significant album, one where they’ve felt free to express their beliefs without restraint. At the same time marrying bruising metal meditations to the echoes and residues of a softer rock past. *****

Review by Brian McGowan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)