Stryper
Throne of Thorns
Label: Frontiers
Score: 4 ½ / 5
Throne of Thorns is Stryper’s 18th album, and right off the bat, this album delivers: a hammering drum roll and a tight rhythm guitar track, led with distinctive vocals, followed by those harmony vocal lines, and a sense of lived experience lyricism from front man and guitarist Michael Sweet. The title track is likely to be a great live track with the pedaled bass line from bassist Perry Richardson fitting in tightly with drummer Robert Sweet’s drumming prowess. Soloing is handled across the album by Michael Sweet due to lead guitarist Oz Fox’s health issues at the time of recording. But this does not detract from either party’s contributions. It is a Stryper album in tone, feel and delivery, again using Spirithouse Recording Studio, and Michael Sweet’s production skills, with fantastic results.
Second heavier track, and recent single, ‘Here in Your Heart’ is surprisingly catchy, enhanced with some keyboard work from known contributor Paul McNamara, and a cranking Sweet penned riff, all of which works well within the arrangements. There is that minor to a brighter major key lift that pushes a chorus and allows the riffs to be metal without losing pop radio potential. A touch of flanger and wah pedal on the guitar lines adds to the sonic interest.
‘Falling’ is a driving, meat and potatoes floor tom, cymbals, and traditional heavy metal rhythm that benefits from soaring vocals. The pace builds into the four-part harmonies before soloing tackles scalar and tapping runs succinctly as the reprised opening riff has an old school, phased effect. Lead single ‘I’m Alright (I’m Okay)’ is suitably pedaled, fast paced, and vocally strong as the instrumentation works with harmonised vocals. The guitar solo is a cracker full of all the known Stryper aspects, done in a swift package before returning to the chorus.
It must be an 80’s tradition for the fifth track to be a ballad. So, presumably the end of side one for the vinyl enthusiasts, has ‘Waiting for You’ providing that sense of yearning track that reminds of early material ballads once the twin guitar parts kick in. But they do it well.
The marching feel of ‘Carry the Flame’ is both heavy and uniquely melodic. The vocals offer a combination of attitude and proclamation that shows how strong Sweet’s vocal delivery is to this day. The guitar work is also fluid, with tremolo picking and melodicism, but never drowning out the song. That secret formula follows throughout the rest of the album, and to great effect.
Both ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Beautifully Broken’ offer tales of warning, redemption, and some borderline virtuoso guitar linked with heartfelt lyrics. Richardson’s bass playing is prominent here, pushing the rhythm section in a good way. The latter song is a deep cut worth exploring for diehard Stryper fans with some slinky 80’s guitar rhythm stylings and Sweet’s vocals soaring.
‘Ashes to Roses’ provides a change in pace, again reiterating that importance of songs over technique. It’s a song that isn’t quite an earworm but would work on radio. A twin guitar solo with harmony parts, again, very much in line with earlier material, works with the brighter production that brings Stryper’s sound up to date.
The next track, ‘Along Again’ is not a Dokken cover, which given Sweet’s works with George Lynch, would not be lost on his sense of humour. However, it has some slightly atonal note choices and interesting vocal effects whilst rarely deviating from the chorus as a driving feature. Guitar work over a marching beat changes into a more solid harmony line before returning to the chorus.
To close the album, as per usual with Stryper, they deliver an absolute belter. The album release date single, ‘Shadowbreaker’ is likely to be a new live set favourite as it gallops like Iron Maiden straight out of the gate. Sweet’s vocal vibrato is impressive, as are the guitar scalar variants over a half time rhythm progression, and pentatonic tremolo guitar parts, again, without [pardon the pun] overshadowing the song itself. A flurry of bombast ends the track with pitch delay on the final chord. Perfect.
Musically speaking, Stryper are simply incredible. This is quite the release for them, especially given the tumultuous situation in their country of origin, as well as partially conquered health issues. In that light, and if viewing this on musical appreciation alone, Stryper are remarkable. Superb work.
Album Track List :
1. Throne of Thorns
2. Here in Your Heart
3. Falling
4. I’m Alright (I’m Okay)
5. Waiting For You
6. Carry the Flame
7. Hollywood
8. Beautifully Broken
9. Ashes to Roses
10. Alone Again
11. Shadowbreaker