Review: Stryper 'When We Were Kings' (hard rock/heavy metal) 

Michael and Oz are the most underrated guitar duo

Another great Stryper album. End of days totally rips, title track is great, loves symphony is phenomenal, and trinity is heavy as hell and very catchy. Id say this album is very similar to their last album. Overall I’d rate it a 4/5

That is a great rating. Thx again Pete for all these reviews on Wed. 👍💯

Its a great album Pete. I'm happy with it. Just bought it. 😊

I haven't listened to Stryper in a long time. I decided to give this album a try and I really liked it. I rated it a 4 out of 5, but I could go higher. Thank you for the review, Pete.

Another solid and strong Stryper album, they are on fire since "No More Hell to Pay", they have set the bar very high in the last decades!

Their best album since ‘No More Hell To Pay’ 👍🏽

Another Wednesday, more added to the listening list. Listened to a few excerpts before watching. Liked what was heard enough for the coming full listen or two. Not that familiar with the band but that continues to be a personal benefit of watching SoT - new music from "old" bands as well as newer bands. Thanks once again, Pete, for the weekly new product episodes.

Hi Pete, can you please review the new Cold Stares album. The Southern.

🚂💨SWEET Full Circle 🤩 Full Album Visualiser Fantastic melodic rock album! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tZkpK7O_ss8.html 💫

Another superb album! Why are more people not buying it??? “End of Days” is probably in their top 5 best songs ever. Possibly as an album it’s just behind Fallen and God Damn Evil in ranking. Great, Great record. Pete, can you update your ranking for all their studio albums please? Allan M

I'm glad to see that Stryper are still going strong thanks Pete. 🎶🎤🎸🎸🎹🥁🎶

Cool Pete 🙂glad your reviewing this album 👌. Its a 4out of 5 easily

Album: "When We Were Kings" Released: 13th September, 2024 "By His Stripes, We are Healed" (Isaiah 53:5) .., there are a quite-some lot of Christian Metal bands that i've heard and appreciated over the passing years with STRYPER remaining numero ono for their sustainability and excellence! .. .., i'm a huge fan of all their efforts from 1985 to 1988 and a selected few song choices from everything they had offered from 1990 to 2020 . .., 2022's album release: "The Final Battle" had re-kindled my interest in the outfit (the entire album carried a special quality) with tracks such as 'Transgressor', 'Heart & Soul' and 'Rise to the Call' .. .., i've enjoyed this new STRYPER release (their 15th studio album, as they've remarkably remained steadfast to their craft) much as SAXON, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends (releasing their 24th studio effort: "Hell, Fire and Damnation") in January, 2024 .. .., the title track: "When We Were Kings" has got some amazing harmonious backing vocal segments and somewhat lays on a mid-tempo groove that's immediately reminiscent of RATT's 'Between the Eyes' (the opener: 'End of Days' is a ripper) and the remainder of the record with 'Unforgivable' through from 'Love Symphony' to 'Imperfect World' are all great sounding songs, though 'Betrayed by Love' is perhaps not the sort-of piece (that's to be expected from a band of their calibre ..but a goodie, never-the-less) the band's energy in deliverance is still much evident in every aspect and though most of the guitar solos may not be as memorably comparable with those on the earlier classic STRYPER albums, they are structured brilliantly and executed with a awesome amount of finesse . Album's link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pBRASjX4sFI.htmlsi=_3rF9etnCwl9WDzo

The Final Battle was better in my opinion... When We were Kings is just not as memorable...

Wow !! Thank you,Pete, for your excellent review. All the dawn time. Cool, hot, spot-on, rockin’ !! I will definitely, want the physical copy of Stryper’s new release !! Love it !! I have all of Stryper’s releases. 🎤🎸🎵🎹🥁777 Life is better with music

Love this album too. Much better than the one before imo. MICHAEL Sweet sounds sometimes like he did in the 80s. More melodic than on the album before for exemple. Must have. I have it on cd too. Nice review.

Hey Pete, I’m glad to see they’re still rocking. Anyway, I’ve been into them since the 80s, I love their 80s death, the 90s were OK, but their later stuff is great. Being a harder metal person as well, I think like things like skillet and Demon Hunter too. Anyway, I’m glad to see that striper is back.

I've only had the time to listen to it once so far, but I really enjoyed that first spin!

As always, these guys don't disappoint 🍺🤘

this album is great...so much fantastic guitar from these guys. good to see Michael and Oz are still rocking hard after their recent health issues. would definitely rate this a 4.25 / 5

Loving the album and got to see them last night. Fantastic set of classics and new and played for 2.5 hours. Sounded phenomenal.

i got 5he cd on order…can’t wait

Loving this new Stryper album. Not many bands from that era have continued to put out albums and have rather just relied on nostalgia. Stryper just keeps providing amazing new tunes every few years. And Michael keeps putting out several side projects that have been solid too. So talented.

Solid album . Much improved over their last release. 3.5/5

Great band...😃👍

I agree it's the new stuff that got me into Stryper, now I'm buying their music 😊

This is one of the biggest surprises of the year, and possibly the very best Stryper album, with the possible exception of Soldiers on Command. I can not speak highly enough of this release.

Good solid album, last five have been. Some sameness amongst the new albums, maybe a tad quantity over quantity, but still overall consistency. Each of the last five I definitely go back to four or more songs, especially on Fallen.

Thanks for another fine review, Pete! Stryper has and seems like they always will be one of the tightest bands I have ever seen live! Just fantastic and so glad to hear they have another fine album out for us to feast on!

Another killer Stryper album!!!

I really love the new Stryper album!

I have been listening to it for a week straight and I love it. I even went back and bought the record they put out before it.

I'm with Michael Sweet on this one.....Some of your excuses for not liking them that much is their message.....Every band has a message and many people have no issue with those messages but have an issue with theirs.....why not just be honest and say you don't like God and thus you dislike the band for what they stand for?

I bought it... John 1:1

One of the more consistent metal/hard rock bands of the past 40 years and definitely since 2010. They never disappoint.

Best christian metal band ever in my opinion, they keep releasing great albums in the latter period of their career, I have been a fan since the early days, those albums are still my favorites from this band, but the recent albums are awesome as well, Michael Sweet still has an amazing voice, the music is heavier too with a great christian message as we always get from this guys

If you are not a Christian, Pete, I would never expect you to be into the message, as it is only for 'those with ears to hear'. It is important to try to understand the earlier releases were produced by young and ideal believers, while these later ones are being written by men who have walked with God in a fallen world for years/decades. Being judged harshly by both the world and thise in the church. Also, with some of their more sugary tracks, they were reaching for hits. Those are a miss for me, too. The darkness shows in the newer ones, which makes it more relatable, though the light forever shines through. Praise the Living God.

Thanks for the info on the review on the newest album I ordered mine from the record store. I really enjoyed the later stuff and you are right they got a little heavier over the years.

Always cool to see you review some stryper! Got the pleasure of opening for the guys a couple times in the past year and they’re amazing guys!

Agree with you on the listening to the recent material! Obviously it was the 80s material to make them who they are but these modern songs are standing there own tbh. I got a few friends that I try to get into stryper and they don’t care for the 80s stuff bc they’re more into the harder heavy music so modern stryper they dig

Really enjoy this album. I do find it a bit funny the "Christian message" gets an asterisks, but something more black and darker from the black and death metal bands seem to be "cool". But,...it is what it is.

No more Hell to Pay up to Final Battle are great albums but this one was pretty bland..

Not for me, I'm afraid. I listen to music to be entertained and to escape the trials and tribulations of daily life, not to be lectured on the existence of mythical space deities.