Stryper - No More Hell To Pay

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

After one full spin of NMHTP I just have to say....wow.  

It's really, really good...I don't know why I'm surprised cuz Stryper used to be a fave of mine and it's no secret that Michael Sweet is one of my biggest vocal influences early on...but I am surprised by how good this actually is and how much I enjoyed it after just ONE spin.

i am really surprised too. I thought Murder By Pride was eh but this is really good.

Excellent album and only ONE ballad this time around. It's even a good ballad, though it heavily borrows from one of Micheal's old solo songs, "Blue Bleeds Through".

ultmetal wrote:

Excellent album and only ONE ballad this time around. It's even a good ballad, though it heavily borrows from one of Micheal's old solo songs, "Blue Bleeds Through".

That ballad really suprised me. IMO, Stryper's weakness has always been their ballads (except for Lady)......but I love this one.

Whatever...."First Love" is awesome!! As is "Lonely"...

I like Stryper's ballads, I just don't want a whole album of them. "Together As One" was my wedding song actually (even though I tried to convince my wife to use "Love Me Like a Reptile" by Motorhead. Haha!)

ultmetal wrote:

I like Stryper's ballads, I just don't want a whole album of them. "Together As One" was my wedding song actually (even though I tried to convince my wife to use "Love Me Like a Reptile" by Motorhead. Haha!)

  

bgsully wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Excellent album and only ONE ballad this time around. It's even a good ballad, though it heavily borrows from one of Micheal's old solo songs, "Blue Bleeds Through".

That ballad really suprised me. IMO, Stryper's weakness has always been their ballads (except for Lady)......but I love this one.

+10

Normally I love ballads(Warrant's "Heaven" and "Sometimes She Cries" are big time guilty pleasures of mine) but Stryper's are too sappy even for my tastes, "Honestly" is sickeningly sweet almost to the point of inducing diabetic shock.

If I were choosing a wedding song, i'd pick something like say Kiss "Forever" or Firehouse "When I Look Into Your Eyes"

Vexer6 wrote:

Normally I love ballads(Warrant's "Heaven" and "Sometimes She Cries" are big time guilty pleasures of mine) but Stryper's are too sappy even for my tastes, "Honestly" is sickeningly sweet almost to the point of inducing diabetic shock.

Because the keyboards are wet and soggy as Sponge Bob and they simply ramble without going anywhere. And they're horribly lazy in composition and lack any originality. I've always had this feeling that Stryper wrote them out of sheer obligation.

AOR, Rock, and Metal ballads were my world at 16. Stryper's, not so much.

corplhicks wrote:

Vexer6 wrote:

Normally I love ballads(Warrant's "Heaven" and "Sometimes She Cries" are big time guilty pleasures of mine) but Stryper's are too sappy even for my tastes, "Honestly" is sickeningly sweet almost to the point of inducing diabetic shock.

Because the keyboards are wet and soggy as Sponge Bob and they simply ramble without going anywhere. And they're horribly lazy in composition and lack any originality. I've always had this feeling that Stryper wrote them out of sheer obligation.

AOR, Rock, and Metal ballads were my world at 16. Stryper's, not so much.

Exactly.

As bgsully said, Lady is a huge exception. Than again, that whole album was like a different band.

Against the Law is still my fave Stryper record (keeping in mind that I haven't heard the new one yet)... it's certainly the one that's aged most gracefully from their early catalog.

"Lady" is a great tune, ballad or not !

Fat Freddy wrote:

Against the Law is still my fave Stryper record (keeping in mind that I haven't heard the new one yet)... it's certainly the one that's aged most gracefully from their early catalog.

TBH other than the latest record which is intense as hell, ATL is the only Stryper album I can stand (and I do declare it is a helluva package). There are moments on Soldiers, two songs on Yellow/Black, one on Hell with the Devil (and it's not the title track), and zero on God we Trust.

ATL is hands down my favorite of theirs. It has my favorite Stryper tune: "All For One." I like SUC a lot, as well. The others are fine, but I can live without them. Like what I've heard from the new one, though.

As a long term fan, I rate the new album very highly. It has the ATL attitude, some SUC heaviness and more consistency in quality through the tracks. it's as good as they've ever been, and the first post-reunion album to fully deliver.

Some Stryper news:

Michael Sweet will launch his latest solo album, I’m Not Your Suicide, on May 5 – and he’ll release his autobiography at the same time.

The Stryper frontman’s 12-track album features guest appearances from Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich, Chickenfoot stand-in drummer Kenny Aronoff, Fozzy mainman Chris Jericho, TNT singer Tony Harnell, Sweet’s brother Robert and his Stryper bandmate Timothy Gaines.

Sweet has been busy recently, working with Dokken offshoot T&N and recording then releasing latest Stryper album No More Hell To Pay. But he’s not finished yet.

The vocalist says of his book Honestly: “It was much more difficult than I could ever imagine yet it’s been somewhat therapeutic. I get into everything and share things that may surprise you.

“I talk about the dysfunction in this band, why we were driven to bankruptcy and how we climbed our way back from complete loss and despair. I share my personal pain from the day I broke the news that I would be leaving the band.

“I had everything a man could ask for – and then, in what seemed like an instant, it was all taken away.”

Geez. Stryper released two albums in 2013, now Mike's got a solo record, his book, his work with T&N, and (according to Stryper's FB page) a Stryper live album on the way in 2014. When does this guy sleep?

I must be the only one that is not crazy about NO MORE HELL TO PAY. I bought it on cd+dvd version but to me the songs are not amazing or anything special. Okay, its great you can not find modern influences on this cd but i think the songs are a little boring, without catchy parts. I must be the only one thinking like this after reading your opinions. It even didnt get into my top 20 from 2013. Not a bad album but not a killer one either imo.

krokus wrote:

I must be the only one that is not crazy about NO MORE HELL TO PAY. I bought it on cd+dvd version but to me the songs are not amazing or anything special. Okay, its great you can not find modern influences on this cd but i think the songs are a little boring, without catchy parts. I must be the only one thinking like this after reading your opinions. It even didnt get into my top 20 from 2013. Not a bad album but not a killer one either imo.

No catchy parts? Did you forget to push play on the CD?

krokus wrote:

I must be the only one that is not crazy about NO MORE HELL TO PAY. I bought it on cd+dvd version but to me the songs are not amazing or anything special. Okay, its great you can not find modern influences on this cd but i think the songs are a little boring, without catchy parts. I must be the only one thinking like this after reading your opinions. It even didnt get into my top 20 from 2013. Not a bad album but not a killer one either imo.

It hasn't really hit with me either. Same with the last one. Not sure why.

ultmetal wrote:

krokus wrote:

I must be the only one that is not crazy about NO MORE HELL TO PAY. I bought it on cd+dvd version but to me the songs are not amazing or anything special. Okay, its great you can not find modern influences on this cd but i think the songs are a little boring, without catchy parts. I must be the only one thinking like this after reading your opinions. It even didnt get into my top 20 from 2013. Not a bad album but not a killer one either imo.

No catchy parts? Did you forget to push play on the CD?

The songs just dont catch me, they dont grap me by the balls. I dont remember the songs after listening to them. I even like the album before more, at least some songs were better. Maybe i have to listen to the new album more times but after 3 times i am not happy.

mc666 wrote:

krokus wrote:

I must be the only one that is not crazy about NO MORE HELL TO PAY. I bought it on cd+dvd version but to me the songs are not amazing or anything special. Okay, its great you can not find modern influences on this cd but i think the songs are a little boring, without catchy parts. I must be the only one thinking like this after reading your opinions. It even didnt get into my top 20 from 2013. Not a bad album but not a killer one either imo.

It hasn't really hit with me either. Same with the last one. Not sure why.

Nice to read i am not the only one.

They were supposed to play Uncasville CT on the 3rd it got rescheduled.