Review of the new Stryper Album, "Throne Of Thorns".
Band Name: Stryper
Album Title: Throne Of Thorns
Tracklist:
Throne Of Thorns
Here In Your Heart
Falling
I’m Alright (I’m Okay)
Waiting For You
Carry The Flame
Hollywood
Beautifully Broken
Ashes To Roses
Alone Again
Shadowbreaker
Rating: 8.5/10
Release Date: September 25, 2026
Running Time: 40:45
Label: Frontiers Music SRL
Version Reviewed: Jewel Case CD
Band Members:
Michael Sweet - Lead Vocals, Lead And Rhythm, Guitars
Oz Fox - Vocals, Lead And Rhythm Guitars
Robert Sweet - Drums And Percussion
Perry Richardson - Vocals, Bass
Additional Album Info:
Artwork By Rafael Tavares Gripp
Produced By Greta Di Iacovo And Ray Sperlonga At Kinorama Studio
Photography By Manuel Moggio
In my opinion, Stryper has always gotten way too much shit from die hard, anti-religious metal fans over the years. Do I agree with them lyrically? No. But I’m an Atheist, so I don’t agree with Deicide’s or Marduk’s lyrics either. I find the lyrics of Deicide and Marduk more appealing, but all three bands are good in my opinion. I can love a band’s music without being a “believer” in their lyrics. See what I did there? I’m clever. Anyway, I got into Stryper way back when their debut album “Soldiers Under Command” came out. I loved their first two albums and then they spent decades being too mellow for me. They got a lot of attention for a few ballads, and I think they went overboard with them for a while. The last few albums have been heavy and fast again and I really liked them. “Throne Of Thorns” is the band's sixteenth album since forming in 1983. Does it continue on the track started by the last few great albums? Let’s see!
Well, yeah, it does! It’s not a perfect album, but it's a damn good one. It’s on the heavier side and is a nice reprieve from the overtly dark music I usually listen to. Nothing really needs to be said about the professionalism of the band as if you are into them, you know the band is full of amazing musicians. Oz Fox is so damn underrated as a guitarist. He has his own unique style of playing, his own sound and it’s his guitars that make the music damn near thrash at times. I heard he has been battling cancer, so it’s nice to hear him here laying down some crushing power chords as well as excellent solos and leads. You rule, Mr. Fox! Robert Sweet also impresses with his hard-hitting drums. There are of course a few ballads on here. I mean, it is a Stryper album, but even on the ballads Robert hits hard! I’m not too knowledgeable with bassist Perry Richardson, but his bass is very in-your-face, and I love a good bass guitar presence on any album. That brings us to Michael Sweet, who is still impressive on both vocals and guitars. A few years back I saw a live video of them playing a smaller club and his vocals were as good live as they are on albums. He can soar and scream almost as well as Halford could back in the day. As always throughout their career, the band uses gang vocals here and there that are operatic and sound like a choir. This reminds me of Blind Guardian as they do that a lot too. I wonder if the power metal bards from Germany were somewhat influenced by Stryper? The lyrics are very religious. Blatantly so, but that is nothing new with Stryper, right? They also touch on other topics like love and even loneliness. The lyrics are all well written and just might save you from going to hell. Just kidding. The overall production on the album is stellar!
The cover art is beautiful and shows what (I think) is some sort of grand hall in Heaven with thorny stems with flowers on them meandering through the hall. It is extremely detailed and a pleasure to look at. Inside of the sixteen-page booklet you will find all of the lyrics in an easy-to-read font. My 55-year-old eyes thank you! There are also some band photos and the band and album information too.
Come on, guys. Give the band a chance. If you’ve always found yourself shying away from the band because of their Christian beliefs, just listen to the music and vocals instead. You might be surprised at how good “Throne Of Thorns” is. Fans of 80’s metal should especially take note. The band formed forty-three years ago and still kick ass as much as they ever did. They just kick ass for Jesus, and that’s okay with me. I promise the next review will be about a really evil album. Lol.
As always, I like to ask my readers to support the bands, labels and artists by purchasing the physical copies of the albums they love or by going to their Bandcamp and/or Facebook pages and supporting them there.
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