A Bit Distracted

Sorry about the lack of posts the past few days. My computer Natasha has been acting up, and I've been working on articles that will end up here (hopefully) soon. I also am speaking at the house church I go to on Sunday. So...I'm a bit preoccupied.

Of course, I have been waxing nostalgic this week when I got the new Stryper CD, Reborn on Wednesday. When I demoed it at the store, I wanted it immediately. That doesn't happen often, even with CDs I want.

In case you were curious:

The Bottom Line

Not totally convincing on the first listen, the album takes some time to grow. But importantly, it contains enough class to draw the listener back in and it's then you discover something new. And so it goes until you realize this is a great record and the guys deserve a lot of credit for the contents of this album. I dare say that the sound and style might alienate a few, but I think the vast majority will agree that this is a very credible album and should see the guys sticking around for a while yet.

---MelodicRock.com

All in all this album is a steady reintroduction for the band. It doesn’t sound dated, as many suspected it would (myself included), and many fans will be pleased to know that the band is not trying to be Stryper circa 1987. If you haven’t followed the band since their breakup in the early 90’s you may want to check out some song samples before buying this. The key to whether or not you like this album lies completely in what YOU expect to hear.

---the great nothing

...it's understandable that the thought of a comeback album would be greeted with considerable trepidation; after all, most attempts by old '80s hard rock bands to redefine themselves while simultaneously trying to cash in on the retro rock crowd usually yields mediocre results. That makes Reborn all the more of a shocker. Not only has Stryper pulled off the unthinkable, putting out a very solid hard rock album, but they've done it with their heads held high, pandering to no one. Trust me, I'm every bit as surprised as you are.

More rock than metal this time out, Reborn has the reunited Stryper (minus original bassist Tim Gaines) forgoing the blazing riffs of the old days, in favor of the more straightforward, open chord style that today's emo acts use, and any notion that the band is deliberately "alternafying" their sound is rendered irrelevant once singer/guitarist Michael Sweet kicks in. The man is now in his forties, but his voice has not lost a step, sounding as powerful as 20 years ago, but thankfully without the theatrics he too often displayed in his younger days. He and the band prove they still know a thing or two about pop hooks, as nearly every track boasts contagious, soaring, instantly memorable choruses. The most aggressive track, "Open Your Eyes", quickly gives way to more mainstream-friendly fare, highlighted by "Make You Mine", "Rain", and the rather superb "If I Die", which, in younger, Hoobastanky hands, would be massive mainstream rock singles.

The band are still as religious as ever, and Reborn contains their most outspoken in their lyrical content since Soldiers Under Command, but despite their uncompromising approach, they don't browbeat the listener. Yes, there are some very outwardly spiritual tunes, like "I.G.W.T." and "The Passion", but lyrics are tasteful and not syrupy, and the songs are so incessantly catchy, they're good enough to win over the doubting Thomases out there. Anyway, if it makes you uncomfortable, just mentally replace the word "Jesus" with "baby".

---Pop Matters

Reborn, however, faces the same issues that a lot of the band's contemporaries from the hairspray and spandex days deal with on returning to the studio. It's difficult to find the line between being true to the history of the group while making the sound current. Many artists end up leaning too far to one side or the other and find themselves falling short of expectations. On this set, Stryper bounces back and forth between the two worlds with some luck....

The album doesn't go nearly as dark as the questionable album cover might suggest but there are some elements in the album where the band shows an attempt to modernize its sound. Many of these forays work to some degree but don't have the appeal that some of the group's classic sounding material does. Still, it's a pretty decent effort from the band and worth a listen for those that were interested in the group beyond its handful of MTV hits.

---Oregon Music Guide