The brand new Stryper song, Take It To The Cross, was recently released online. The band’s new album, God Damn Evil, will be released on April 20th. Stryper has been getting quite a bit of attention since releasing the name of the album and the album cover art. Many are questioning the meaning of the album title. Some are even asking if the album’s title is sending an anti Christian message. Anyone that has followed Stryper’s career knows that their main thrust has always been to promote The Gospel through music. Whether it is To Hell With The Devil, In God We Trust, No More Hell To Pay or God Damn Evil the message is the same. That message is salvation through Christ. I have read several comments on social media by Stryper fans who have stated that they will not buy the new album. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and feelings, however I believe that they will be missing out.
Take It To The Cross showcases a different side of Stryper. The song follows in a similar style musically as Yahweh, the lead off single from the band’s last album. Band leader Michael Sweet promised a heavy song full of surprises. Take It To The cross more than fulfills that promise. So far I have listened to the song about a dozen times. Here are just a few comments.
- Lyrically this is one of my favorite Stryper songs.
- Robert Sweet absolutely shines on this track. The song features one of my favorite drumming performances from The Visual Timekeeper. He really does not get enough recognition for his ability behind the drum kit.
- The song’s chorus is a bit different for Stryper. But love it or hate it, the chorus sure is catchy. I heavily applaud the band for trying something so radically different.
- The death metal vocals were a pleasant surprise. I feel that the song could have used a bit more of the extreme vocals. I know that many metal fans do not like extreme metal vocals. I would love to hear an extreme mix of Take It To The Cross that features more death metal vocals.
- Apart from the above mentioned surprises the song is everything that one would expect from a Stryper song.
- I am very curious to see how the band will pull this song off in a live setting. I will be seeing the band live in a few months. I hope to hear Take It To The Cross loud and clear in their set list.
I have been a serious Stryper fan since 1995. I would count them among my favorite bands. Their discography, since reforming in the twenty-first century, has been about growth. Michael Sweet has long been the band’s main songwriter. I would say that since Stryper reformed, in 2003, he has taken more control of the band’s direction. Each album: Reborn (2005), Murder By Pride (2009), No More Hell To Pay (2013) and Fallen (2015) has shown the band’s continual musical evolution. Based on Take It To The Cross, Stryper’s new album God Damn Evil should follow suit.
Troy T.
Shades Of Noir 