![\"the](\"http://thefrontrowreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/stryper-the-covering1-300x300.jpg\" "\\"stryper\\"")
Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS and more. This is the latest from Stryper. On their latest release, The Covering, the glam-metal band covers songs by the bands that influenced them in their early days.
Typically, when a band releases a cover album, it’s hard to impress critics and is usually over-produced with maybe half the record being impressive. It’s usually from the band trying too hard.
Well, with The Covering, Stryper accomplish a lot.
The album as a whole is spectacular. You have to hand it to Stryper, a lot of bands will cover the most well-known songs like “Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by Scorpions.
Big kudos to Stryper for not just scratching the surface of hits by taking the most cliché songs from the past. Instead they covered the songs that showcase their talents the most.
The Covering opens with “Set Me Free” from British rockers Sweet. Fading in with a static guitar intro, “Set Me Free” is the perfect song to kick off the album with. The fast-paced guitar riffs, unified singing of the band and speeding-down-the-highway tempo of the song make the album open with a pure, full-fledged adrenaline rush.
Heading into Scorpions’ “Blackout,” it is obvious Stryper stuck to their roots- 70’s and 80’s metal.
You really have to hand it to Stryper on this record. They made the songs their own and still reproduced the classic hits to make them sound very similar to the originals.
“Heaven and Hell” from Black Sabbath, also one of the lead singles of the pre-release, may end up as a favorite, not just of the Stryper faithful, but of all classic rock fans. Ronnie James Dio would be proud to hear Strypers’ version of the Black Sabbath classic.
Throughout the record, Michael Sweet’s vocals are immaculate and he can still hit the high notes and go north in a split second just as well as he did in Strypers’ early days.
The risky move of the album was the Led Zeppelin classic “Immigrant Song.” When a lot of bands cover Zeppelin, it’s not good and usually shouldn’t be done. However Stryper doesn’t make this mistake. Their cover of the old classic is spectacular and Michael Sweet nails the intro vocals.
With The Covering, Stryper has brought many songs from the classic rock days to the current times, giving younger rockers a very accurate and well-done glimpse into the past.
This is one album that belongs in the collection of any Stryper fan and any fan of metal music in general.
Rating- 9/10
Track Listing:
“Set Me Free”- Sweet
“Blackout”- Scorpions
“Heaven and Hell”- Black Sabbath
“Lights Out”- UFO
“Carry on Wayward Son”- Kansas
“Highway Star”- Deep Purple
“Shout it Out Loud”- KISS
“Over the Mountain”- Ozzy Osbourne
“The Trooper”- Iron Maiden
“Breaking the Law”- Judas Priest
“On Fire”- Van Halen
“Immigrant Song”- Led Zeppelin
“God” (New original recording)- Stryper
![\"the](\"http://thefrontrowreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/stryper-the-covering1.jpg\" "\\"stryper\\"")
Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS and more. This is the latest from Stryper. On their latest release, The Covering, the glam-metal band covers songs by the bands that influenced them in their early days.
Typically, when a band releases a cover album, it’s hard to impress critics and is usually over-produced with maybe half the record being impressive. It’s usually from the band trying too hard.
Well, with The Covering, Stryper accomplish a lot.
The album as a whole is spectacular. You have to hand it to Stryper, a lot of bands will cover the most well-known songs like “Rock and Roll All Nite” by KISS “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by Scorpions.
Big kudos to Stryper for not just scratching the surface of hits by taking the most cliché songs from the past. Instead they covered the songs that showcase their talents the most.
The Covering opens with “Set Me Free” from British rockers Sweet. Fading in with a static guitar intro, “Set Me Free” is the perfect song to kick off the album with. The fast-paced guitar riffs, unified singing of the band and speeding-down-the-highway tempo of the song make the album open with a pure, full-fledged adrenaline rush.
Heading into Scorpions’ “Blackout,” it is obvious Stryper stuck to their roots- 70’s and 80’s metal.
You really have to hand it to Stryper on this record. They made the songs their own and still reproduced the classic hits to make them sound very similar to the originals.
“Heaven and Hell” from Black Sabbath, also one of the lead singles of the pre-release, may end up as a favorite, not just of the Stryper faithful, but of all classic rock fans. Ronnie James Dio would be proud to hear Strypers’ version of the Black Sabbath classic.
Throughout the record, Michael Sweet’s vocals are immaculate and he can still hit the high notes and go north in a split second just as well as he did in Strypers’ early days.
The risky move of the album was the Led Zeppelin classic “Immigrant Song.” When a lot of bands cover Zeppelin, it’s not good and usually shouldn’t be done. However Stryper doesn’t make this mistake. Their cover of the old classic is spectacular and Michael Sweet nails the intro vocals.
With The Covering, Stryper has brought many songs from the classic rock days to the current times, giving younger rockers a very accurate and well-done glimpse into the past.
This is one album that belongs in the collection of any Stryper fan and any fan of metal music in general.
Rating- 9/10
Track Listing:
“Set Me Free”- Sweet
“Blackout”- Scorpions
“Heaven and Hell”- Black Sabbath
“Lights Out”- UFO
“Carry on Wayward Son”- Kansas
“Highway Star”- Deep Purple
“Shout it Out Loud”- KISS
“Over the Mountain”- Ozzy Osbourne
“The Trooper”- Iron Maiden
“Breaking the Law”- Judas Priest
“On Fire”- Van Halen
“Immigrant Song”- Led Zeppelin
“God” (New original recording)- Stryper