Stryper
Webster Theatre
Hartford, Connecticut
September 12, 2009
Tony Pijar
The reformed Stryper are back with a great new release in “Murder by Pride” and back on tour in celebration of 25 years as an entity. After many years of hit and miss albums, they’ve definitely got it right with “Murder by Pride.” It’s raw, but accessible unlike previous releases where they came across too sugary sweet. And in concert they’re far more aggressive as well.
Fresh off of his stint with Boston, vocalist/guitarist Michael Sweet stands out as a great front man who knows how to work a crowd. He’s a wonderful, dexterous talent whose voice is impeccable. The band opened with “Soldiers under Command” and followed with the excellent “Murder by Pride.” Both songs possess a great hook and chorus and are really bookends to the Stryper career with “Soldiers under Command” first appearing in 1985. The new album got a lot of airplay, and deservedly so. “Free”, “Eclipse of the Son”, a cover of Boston’s “Peace of Mind” (wonderfully done), ‘Alive” and Four Leaf Clover” were splendid live. “The Rock that Makes Me Roll” from “Soldiers under Command” and “Loud ‘N’ Clear” from band’s debut, “The Yellow and Black Attack” were excellent with guitarist Ox Fox shredding up the frets. They closed with an insistent “To Hell with the Devil.”
`The sold out audience experienced a band on the cusp of a revival. Yes, the yellow and black are back with their God- inspired musical sermons that haven’t changed for 25 years…and why should it! I find their lyrical content and in-between song banter refreshing and much-needed…and the culmination of their message by tossing Bibles into the audience wasn’t cheesy either!
