Stryper - The Covering

ultmetal wrote:

Did they have it?

Not goin' till tomorrow. Too much crap goin' on to sneak out today.

This is a superb cover album. The guitar solos are awesome (not at all carbon copies) and Michael's vocals are better than ever IMO.

Temple of Blood wrote:

I'm sure they did a fine rendition of these songs. But to me these songs are a bit played out and I would've preferred if they would release a strong original album in something closer to the style of their early works. I just can't get fired up about them covering these particular songs but I'm sure they had commercial reasons for doing so.

Stryper is a commercial band.

I like the songs I have heard. Now to get the cd.

exact33 wrote:

I like the songs I have heard. Now to get the cd.

I also like what i`ve heard so far. Ordered it yesterday and really look forward to hearing all of it.
Stryper must be the only so called Hair Metal bands that have aged with grace IMO. Maybe the lack of booze and jumping every groopie around pays off in the end. They still kick butt and i think a cover album was a great idea now, next up will have to be a killer album with their own material of course.

Olafsto wrote:

Maybe the lack of booze

Unfortunly not for Tim Gaines who had an alchohol problem for several years. Luckily he realized he had a problem and has since recovered.

It's funny how those anti-Christian rock Pharasies used this fact to say Stryper weren't really Christians. I guess when a Christian falls into a bad habit, they automatically are not really a Christian. I guess I'm out then.

Finally got my copy yesterday! Woohoo!

Got my copy in the mail today. It's a really good album. And the new song God is a great tune!!

I am still waiting for my cd to arrive. I hope to get it soon. I also ordered the RALF SCHEEPERS solo album and some other cool stuff.

So has anyone seen this album in an actual store, like Walmart or Best Buy? I'm really liking what I hear. Not that I can't order it on-line, like 98% of my purchases anymore. Just wonderin'

MetalGuy71 wrote:

So has anyone seen this album in an actual store, like Walmart or Best Buy? I'm really liking what I hear. Not that I can't order it on-line, like 98% of my purchases anymore. Just wonderin'

I wanted to go to the Wal-Mart up the road to look for it last week but never found the time to do so.

The song "God" makes me wanna hear a new album instead of covers....

Fat Freddy wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

So has anyone seen this album in an actual store, like Walmart or Best Buy? I'm really liking what I hear. Not that I can't order it on-line, like 98% of my purchases anymore. Just wonderin'

I wanted to go to the Wal-Mart up the road to look for it last week but never found the time to do so.

I have to check out my wally world too.

I was in a Wal-Mart this AM so even though I knew it was probably futile, I looked for the new Stryper in the music department. Aaaaaaaannnnd....nothin'.

Fat Freddy wrote:

I was in a Wal-Mart this AM so even though I knew it was probably futile, I looked for the new Stryper in the music department. Aaaaaaaannnnd....nothin'.

same thing here in Montucky (Montana)

Had it at Hasting's but I refuse to pay $14.99 for a single cd

I got mine at one of those places called a used CD store...remember those? Haha...they're a dying breed...place called Disc-Go-Round. Great little place to browse for metal right here in my town 5 minutes away from me.

They have new stuff, too...my Covering CD was new.

metalheaded wrote:

I got mine at one of those places called a used CD store...remember those? Haha...they're a dying breed...place called Disc-Go-Round. Great little place to browse for metal right here in my town 5 minutes away from me.

They have new stuff, too...my Covering CD was new.

The Disc go Round in my area closed... was a decent place..

metalheaded wrote:

I got mine at one of those places called a used CD store...remember those?

I have one that I frequent quite often. I always find some great CDs there and it has stood while other used CD stores have fallen. Most places that have used CDs around here are Movie Trading Company and Half-price books.

I hit the local FYE tonight after work looking for The Covering. No luck there either. I couldn't even find a Stryper section in the pop/rock or metal sections. I then went and looked under Gospel/Christian music and while I did find a Stryper divider, they had zero cds and 1 dvd. Bah.

I did however finally score something decent in the used racks there. I haven't found diddly squat for awhile now. But that's for another thread.

I posted this "first spin impression" of THE COVERING at another forum:

Stryper - THE COVERING
Stryper was one of my favorite bands in the '80s but I've been less than enthused with what I've heard from them post-reunion (I thought REBORN sucked rocks, and what little I heard off of MURDER BY PRIDE didn't make me wanna rush out and buy it either). However, I was still interested in hearing this disc. I mean, it would be hard for them to screw up a bunch of classic cover songs. I'm happy to report that THE COVERING is the best thing I've heard from the band since AGAINST THE LAW (1990).

Not all the songs work, but the ones that do are home runs. Stryper hits Sweet's "Set Me Free" out of the park to start the disc, and their reverent take on Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell" definitely has the spirit of Ronnie James Dio smiling down upon it (nice "Whoa-ooohh-ohhhhh!" backing vocals in that one by the way). UFO's "Lights Out," Kansas' "Carry On Wayward Son" and even KISS' "Shout It Out Loud" (one of the tracks I was most worried about them goofing up) are all satisfyingly ass-kickin.

However, their takes on the Scorpions' "Blackout," "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden and Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" fall short, at least in this metalhead's book. The Scorpions and Priest covers sound like the band needed to push the gas pedal down a few more notches, neither of them sound as fast-n-frenzied as the originals. Michael Sweet's voice sounds too, well... "sweet" to pull off the snarling nastiness required of the Maiden track. Fortunately the disc redeems itself with the late-inning rips through Van Halen's "On Fire" and Zep's "Immigrant Song," plus the lone Stryper original on the disc, the album closer "God," which is a hard rockin track that hearkens back to their golden '80s era.

All in all, a very impressive showing from the Sweet Brothers and company. It definitely sounds like they had a blast making this disc and the end result is a fun listen. If their next album of originals can keep up the standard set by this disc, I'll definitely be on board to check it out. Nice work.

Nice review there FF.I have to disagree on The Trooper though.Thats probably my fave on the album.I think they nailed that one.Blackout was a bad choice for them IMO.They should've done No One Like You instead.

Thrasher73 wrote:

Nice review there FF.I have to disagree on The Trooper though.Thats probably my fave on the album.I think they nailed that one.Blackout was a bad choice for them IMO.They should've done No One Like You instead.

Who knows, my opinion on "Trooper" and the other ones I didn't dig may change with future spins. I just banged that out on the fly after one listen. It could be that I'm such a Priest and Maiden geek that I just don't like the idea of anyone messing with their songs.

Can't wait to pick this CD up. Hopefully FYE (on my way home) has it!!

I like The Trooper but I think a different song then Breaking the Law would've worked better.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Thrasher73 wrote:

Nice review there FF.I have to disagree on The Trooper though.Thats probably my fave on the album.I think they nailed that one.Blackout was a bad choice for them IMO.They should've done No One Like You instead.

Who knows, my opinion on "Trooper" and the other ones I didn't dig may change with future spins. I just banged that out on the fly after one listen. It could be that I'm such a Priest and Maiden geek that I just don't like the idea of anyone messing with their songs.

Cool review - the only track I though was lacking was 'Shout It Out Loud', they could have done it better. I would have liked them to have Oz sing the Gene parts of the song and that would make it perfect!