CD.GIF CD.GIF CD.GIF CD.GIF CD.GIF CD.GIF

Updated 081230





Choose reviews either by clicking on the bands or by scrolling down the site.

Sacred Reign Shining Star Sacred Warrior Sin Dizzy Sacrificium
Sons Of Thunder Slav Simanic Saint SonX Shadows of Paragon
Sanctifica Stairway Still Small Voice Sardonyx Scott Bradley
Step Cousin Sculpture Stronghold Secretion Stryper
Seventh Avenue   Supreme Seventh Angel Shining Force Step Cousin
Strangeland Scourged Flesh


A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Z  DVD


Back to mainpage





SACRED REIGN - Food For Thought

Independent release

Classic Metal fans rejoice! Here is Sacred Reign, the band you have been waiting for. They play a genuin kind of Classic Metal and have a real feel for good rhythmes and catchy hooks. This is good, almost a must-have. The only bad things I can say about this album is that some of the tunes are monotonous and they have too many short ones. But most of the tunes though are good Classic Metal. Their lyrics are very Christ-centered and full of hope. All in all I would say that this is a good debut from a very promising band.


References: Classic Metal with a unique sound. Recommended for fans of Van Halen and other Classic Metal bands.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://members.aol.com/lordsong/sacredreign.html


Back to top





SACRED WARRIOR - Live At Cornerstone 2001

M8 Records M8D-1132

Sacred Warrior strikes back! Finally this classic Heavy Metal band have dug up their battleaxes again, and are now back again in full armour ready to lead the battle against darkness and evil. This cd was recorded at last years Cornerstone festival. Some of the tunes on the album are Rebellion, Remember Me, Wicked Generation and many more including their cool worship tune Holy, Holy, Holy. There are tunes from all their four albums. One thing that dissapoints me though is that they have only included one tune from their heaviest and best album Master's Command. Sure, there are many good tunes on their other albums as well, but that album will always rule.

Except their album tunes they have also included 3 brand new tunes that will be on their new album. Yeah, Sacred Warrior is indeed back and are recording a new cd! Unfortunately though I don't really like the new tunes, they are way too light sounding and not as heavy as their old material. Overall I think their sound nowadays is too light and not as heavy as it was back in the day. But the classic tunes still rocks and it's really nice to have the boys back again, so I give this cd a 3. Sacred Warrior fans will definately enjoy it. As all the Cornerstone Live cds it is a limited edition only so you better pick up your copy quick before it's out of print...


References: Check it out if you like Heavy Metal. For those of you that are not familiar with christian bands Sacred Warriors sound can be described as a mix between Queensryche and Iron Maiden.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.sacredwarrior.net


Back to top





SACRIFICIUM - Cold Black Piece of Flesh

Whirlwind Records

Sacrificium is a death band hailing from Germany. As you can guess this is brutal stuff and nothing for your grandma :) Music is really brutal but it also contains plenty of timechanges between slow and fast tempo. Vocals are very low and growling. Production is good and the tunes are tight. Favourite track is Zustand Tod. It has a real catchy and melodic rhythm. Reminds me of the band Acoustic Torment. Some other great tunes are Vast, Come Close and Existance and Labyrinth. More tunes in this direction would be great.

The band already has a promising sound that is both melodic and brutal, but what I want this band to do is to write the tunes in are more direct way and not make them more complicated than neccessary. If they do this, the music will flow even better. They can also make some of the tunes more melodic and crunchy. I definately hear some talent here, just keep working with the songwriting guys and next release can be a real shredder. All in all a promising debut that gives good hope for the future.


References: Check it out if you would like to hear a new fresh death metal band. Closest comparison I can think of is Acoustic Torment. If you take some of the melody of Schaliach and add a bit brutality this is what you get.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.sacrificium.com


Back to top





SAINT - The Mark

Armor Records

Saint is back with a new cd, this time a theme album about the Book of Revelation in the Bible. The theme fits Saint very well since they often write tunes inspirated by this cool book. Musically it's full on Heavy Metal in true Saint style. Favourite tracks are The Vision, He Reigns, Alpha & Omega, The Mark and the instrumental Gog & Magog (with guitarmaestro Dee Harrington). All these tunes totally shreds! There are however some tunes that don't cut it, especially The Spirit (big mistake to start an album with this repetitive track!) and Bowls of Wrath (it gets better in the end though). The problem with these tracks are that they are way too repetitive and have too little catchy harmonies and hooks to grab me. All in all in all it's however a good solid release, it's just that I know Saint can much better than this. On next release I would like them to keep their cool heavy sound but incorporate more catchy harmonies, hooks and make the tunes more varied just like they did on Too Late For Living.


References: Heavy Metal to the bone. For those of you that aren't familiar with christian metal I would recommend Saint to everyone that like the sound of Judas Priest.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.saintsite.com





SAINT - Live 05

Armor Records

Saint delivers classic Heavy Metal and they do it well. Finally they have recorded a live album that captures their energy live. The production is typical for live albums. Not studio quality but not bad either. The album contains classics from all their albums. All in all the cd consists of 13 tunes including Here We Are, Too Late For Living, Primed And Ready, Ryders, Plan 2 and other classics. As a longtime Saintfan this album is really enjoyable to listen to, since it's like a collection of their best tracks. Think it's a good selection of tunes, it's only Full Armor I don't like. The band seems to be really inspired and full of energy and they pull off the tunes well. My only complaint is that Josh Kramer could have used some more aggression in the vocals in some tunes. Besides this it's a really cool cd. So put your spikes on and put your fists up in the air and enjoy this cool live album. If you are fan of true classic Heavy Metal this album is for you.


References: Saintfans will eat this up! This is really Heavy Metal to the bone, just as it should be. For those of you that aren't familiar with christian metal I would recommend Saint to all that like Judas Priest.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.saintsite.com





SAINT - Warriors of the Son

Independent Release

This is a reissue of Saint's first cd. They have rerecorded the whole album. Soundquality has been greatly improved which makes this much more enjoyable than the original. The drums also sounds much better now. As an extra bonus the band has also added two bonus tracks that weren't on the original. The bonus tracks are Killers And The Destroyers and The Reaper. Of these two, The Reaper is definately my fave. It has the classic Saint sound with heavy noncompromising metal and on top of it Josh Kramer's great screaming vocals.

I'm glad they rerecorded this album. Saintfans will be delighted of the improved sound. Saint is surely back to stay and I really look forward to next studiorelease!


References: Saint fans will really enjoy this improved release. For those of you that aren't familiar with christian metal I would recommend Saint to all that like Judas Priest.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.saintsite.com





SAINT - Collection 1984-1999

Armor Records AR-004

Saint is a classic Heavy Metal band that has been going since the beginning of the 80s. After taking a pause for around 10 years they are now back again in full force. Musically the sound on this double cd is pure Heavy Metal in NWOBHM style that is musically influenced by Judas Priest. The singer Josh Kramer has a really cool dark voice with lots of attitude, which fits perfect with the music. Saint also has plenty of enjoyable guitar solos in their sound and the music is really HEAVY, and it's the heaviness and the attitude that sets this band apart from most of the other Heavy Metal bands. The band has put all tracks from their first four releases on this double cd. With the exception of the short The Perfect Life era when the band temporarily had another singer and a different sound, both cds are filled to the top with real heavy Heavy Metal. Saint's lyrics are mostly from the Book of Revelation in the Bible and they fit like the hand in the glove to the music. Except great music and lyrics there is also plenty of cool pictures in the booklet showing the band in full metal armour. The double cd has plenty of great classic metal tunes to enjoy, and also works great as introduction to this cool metal band. Saint is one of the absolut top metal bands all categories and I can really recommend all that missed the great 80s to check in Saint. They are just too good to be missed!


References: Fans of Heavy Metal gonna eat this up! Highly recommended to fans of Recon. Also a must have for those of you that have been looking for a quality christian band in the veins of Judas Priest.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.saintsite.com


Back to top





SAINT - In The Battle

Armor Records AR-004

Yeah!! Saint is back in the battle again! Saint fans rejoice, Josh Kramer is now back as vocalist and the band has gone back to it's metal roots delivering real Heavy Metal again! It's so good to see bands that stay true to their style and don't surf on trends. Saint do what they do best, Heavy Metal that is and they do it great. This is a comeback not just musically but also visually, it's great to see that they have picked up the spikes and leather again. Now I just hope that they let their hair grow out again to make the picture perfect... Anyway, when it comes to the music it's both heavy and catchy and contains plenty of enjoyable guitar solos by new guitarist Jerry Johnson. My favourite tracks are Ryders (fantastic tune!), Here We Are, When (very catchy and cool track with some great guitar solos) and the title track. The album also contains Star Pilote's Return which is part two of the Star Pilote track on The Too Late For Living cd. Lyrics are Christ-centered written in true Saint battle style and you can really feel the annointing of God all over the cd.

There are to say it short, plenty of great music to enjoy on the cd and the fillers are very few. Something, I don't like though is the lame spoken voices on Sacrifice. They just don't fit.

To sum it up this is is a great comeback album that shows that Saint is back to stay. Recently, I also heard the good news that Dee Harrington has re-joined the band so next release will have two guitarists! Until then it's about time to get the full armour on and get In The Battle.


References: Fans of Heavy Metal gonna eat this up! Highly recommended to fans of Recon. Also a must have for those of you that have been looking for a quality christian band in the veins of Judas Priest.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.saintsite.com


Back to top





SAINT - Time's End

M8 Records M8D-1132

Saint fans rejoice! Finally we can enjoy Time's End on cd! This is an exclusive special edition of their 2nd album. Except all the tunes from Time's End the cd also contains nine bonus tunes that were recorded live at their gig at Cornerstone 1986! Favourite tunes are Through You and Primed And Ready. Musically it's not really in pair with their classic Too Late For Living, but it's not far from. What keeps this cd back is that some tunes are repetitive and not as variable as on Too Late For Living. But it got that cool Saint-vibe over it so I'm sure any Saint-fan will enjoy it and gladly add this cd to their collection. Especially since it's limited to 1000 copies only. Definately a cd I can recommend. I give it a 3+.


References: If you like heavy Heavy Metal you should definately check this out. Especially if you are into Saint's typical sound or are looking for a christian alternative to Judas Priest.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.saintsite.com


Back to top





SAINT - Warriors of the Son

M8 Records M8D-1094

The classic Heavy Metal band Saint is back again! This time with an exclusive special edition of their first album. Except the tunes from Warriors of the Son the cd also contains four bonus tunes from the demo which was recorded while they still were called the Gentiles. The booklet contains plenty of cool pictures with the bandmembers wearing full metal-armour. Musically the tunes on this cd is not in pair with Too Late For Living, but die-hard Saint-fans would still gladly add this one to their collections. Especially since it's limited to 1000 copies only.


References: Check it out if you are a die-hard Saint fan.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.saintsite.com


Back to top





SAINT - Too Late For Living

Independent Release

Yes! Finally this classic has been rereleased! To you that haven't heard this album I would describe it at as Heavy Heavy Metal similar to secular metallers Judas Priest. The singer has a dark fitting voice that is easy to hear and the music is real Heavy Metal. One thing that stands out on this album is the heavy sound and the fantastic guitarsolos. There are also lots of crunch and hooks that stays in your head. But above all this is Heavy! As heavy as Heavy Metal can be. The lyrics are to the point and mostly taken from Revelation. Production is excellent and I don't think I can say a bad word about this release. It's one of those classics that you don't wanna miss.


References: A must have if you like Heavy Heavy Metal and especially if you are into Judas Priest.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.saintsite.com


Back to top





SAINT - The Perfect Life

Independent Release

Saint is back! Yeah the Heavy Metal band from the 80s is back again with a new album! The new setting contains of Richard Lynch on bass, Dee Harrington on guitars and new member Tim Lamberson handles the vocals. Those of you whom have heard their album "Too Late For Living" knows that Dee Harrington is a good guitarist, which he also shows on this album even if he doesn't solo as much as on the TLFL album.

Stylewise they have made a dramatic change from Heavy Heavy Metal to Melodic Metal. To say the truth I was pretty shocked when I heard this cd the first time. After coming over the shock and listening through the album many times I'm starting to like it. It has great hooks and melodies, it's just that I miss the old HEAVY sound! I also miss the real drumsound. Drummachines and Metal don't match at all in my opinion. There are also some cheesy sounds in the background on some tunes. The lyrics are Christcentered and also talks about real life situations.

I miss the old sound but maybe they will go back to it the next album. We'll see, anyway it's nice to have them back again. All in all I give this 6 tune CD a 3 because of the great melodies. But I do hope they will be heavier again.


References: This is something for melodic metallers.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.saintsite.com


Back to top





SARDONYX - Linear Progression

Independent Release

Are you tired of "wimpy" worship music and want some Heavy music to worship the Lord with? Then this is definately something for you. Sardonyx, the classic metal band from the 80s have recorded a fourtrack cd filled with praise songs in real metal style. Cool! I also love that each tune is a Bible study with plenty of references to the Scripture. Master And My King is my favourite track. It has both wonderful harmonies, tasty guitar solos and great lyrics. The other tracks are cool as well, although it would be good if they were a little less progressive and more hookbased. Power Unto You has a powerful hardhitting chorus that goes like this: "Power unto you so that you may overcome the plans of the evil one". The only problem with the cd is that it's over way too quick, I want a fullength! Truly a cd that makes me wanna worship the King, our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ.


References: Check it out if you want some Heavy music to praise the Lord with.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: www.lightshineministries.com


Back to top





SANCTIFICA - Spirit of Purity

Little Rose Productions/CL Music & Publishing

Hailing from the dark forest in Sweden, there is a talented black band that are spreading light in the darkness. Their name is Sanctifica and here we have their first fullength cd. I really liked their demo In The Bleak Midwinter. The cd continues on with Sanctificas significant sound of atmospheric black metal. The keyboards does a big part in creating the special atmosphere that fits so well in this genre. The music is mostly ultrafast and vocals are shrilling so it ain't nothing for your grandma. :-) But if you are into atmospheric black you will most probably enjoy it. I do anyway, even though it took some time before I got into this cd. My favourite tunes are Landscape, Riket and the Wanderer. Sanctifica is best when they speed up and play real fast. Hubertus also got a great shrilling voice that fits good to the music, one of the best when it comes to black metal. On the negative side the drums are mixed way too low. A few cuts also gets repetitive and are too chaotic. I want more melodic harmonies and less chaos. Most of the tracks is good though so I give this album a 3+ rating overall.


References: Check it out if you are into atmospheric black metal like Crimson Moonlight, Mordecai, Emperor and Dimmu Borgir.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here


Website: http://www.sanctifica.com


Back to top





SCOTT BRADLEY - In The Beginning

Independent Release

Glam metal is back! You know the big hair, catchy hooks and all. Scott Bradley truly got it all. There are plenty of great hooks and melodies to enjoy here. If you only like brutal metal you better look elsewhere but if you are like me and like melodic catchy metal this might be what you are looking for. Bride fans will also be delighted to hear Dale scream like he did on the old days on one of the tunes. Lyrics are loud'n'clear, no waterdowned lyrics here. Scott Bradley truly loves the Lord and it shows in the tunes.

I haven't heard this good glam metal in many many years. Ahhh, it's like being back in the golden 80s when this music ruled the airwaves! The only drawback with this album is that a few tunes are fillers. Besides that this album shreds. Glam metal fans will love this cd.


References: Glam metal for fans of Electric, Poison, early Holy Soldier and Stryper.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailordercompanys listed here





SCULPTURE - Spiritual Matrix

LOWROOF RECORDS LRR1001

Thrash from Holland, could this be something? Yeah, it truly seems so after hearing this album with Sculpture. Since Thrash is one of my favourite styles I'm always interested to hear what the new thrash bands sounds like. Sculpture's sound is quite unique and it kicks! Great heavy chugga-chugga-thrash. Deliverance-what-a-joke and Believer-sanity-obscure comes to mind. I would say that Sculpture's strength is their heaviness. The music has plenty of timechanges and the sound is tight. Production is good too.

The lyrics are evangelistic and also shows that the band have good knowledge in the scriptures. My favourite tunes are Grinding Sacrifice and Death To Death.

The letdowns is that some riffs becomes repetitive and the vocals goes on my nerves on a few tunes. They would also gain if they let loose and speed up more. But the band got great talent and if they continue to write tunes that are as good as Death To Death they will go to the top.
To sum it up I would say that this is a good thrash album from a very promising band. I give it a 3+.


References: Thrashers will eat this up!


Orderinfo: Available directly from the band at their page http://bounce.to/Sculpture


Back to top





SCOURGED FLESH - Released From Damnation

Rowe Productions

Great to see this new wave of evangelistic christian metal in Australia! Since we liven in the endtime I think it's important to don't hide our light but let it shine so people can find out about the hope we have in Christ, therefore I'm very glad to see this new way of metal bands that boldly talks about the message of Christ. Scourged Flesh and Grave Forsaken are two of the bands in this new movement. Scourged Flesh gives us some death metal reminding slightly of early Mortification. What I like is that they try to variate the tunes and make them intereresting with lots of timechanges, harmonies and guitarsolos. At times it's also really crunchy. My favourite track is Spiritual Awakening. More tracks in the caliber of this and next release can be a real shredder! Other favourites are Resurrection Day and Prince of Peace. While not an album that strikes me to the floor it's a solid debut album from a promising band. With some more catchy harmonies added to their brutal sound and some more practise they can go far.


References: Death metallers check it out.


Orderinfo:Orderinfo: Check with the mailordercompanys listed here


Back to top





SECRETION - The Crucifier

Independent release

Secretion is another band hailing from America. They play brutal death metal. I like the first two tunes but I feel something lacking on the other three. Vocals are deep and growling but too unclear which makes the words very hard to hear. They are also mixed slightly too low, a common mistake for independent releases. Lyrics are biblical and Christcentered.

For coming releases I would like this band to add more catchy harmonies and more variation to their sound. They should also speed up more. More tunes in the direction of the two first on this cd would do good. As I said I like the first two tracks so with some more work and improvement future releases will be really interesting to hear. They got the brutality, they just need to incorporate more crunch and catchy melodic harmonies in their sound to get over the top.


References: Death metallers might want to give this a try.


Orderinfo: Available directly from the band at http://www.secretion.com


Back to top





SECRETION - Reborn

Independent release

This is Secretions 2nd release and their 1st fullength. As always they play brutal death metal. Vocals are so extremely deep and brutal that it almost sounds like a bass! Because the voice is so deep it's very hard to hear the words. That's why you need the lyricsheet! :-) Lyrics are very Christcentered and shows that these dudes know their Bible well. In fact it's some of the best lyrics I have seen lately. Production is better than their previous release. They have also incorporated more harmonies to their sound which is definately a step in the right direction. Highlights on the cd are The Feast, Take It Back, Freed From Torment, Fight For Light, Our Daily Prayer and Found In Truth. More tunes in the caliber of these would be great to hear on cds to come.

For coming releases I would like this band to add more catchy harmonies and more variation to their sound like they did on tunes like The Feast and Freed From Torment. More tunes in this direction will keep them from falling in the trap of getting repetitive tunes. They can also variate the vocals more. They got the brutality, they just need to incorporate more crunch and catchy melodic harmonies in their sound to get over the top.


References: Check it out if you are into death metal.


Orderinfo: Available directly from the band at http://www.secretion.com


Back to top





SEVENTH ANGEL - Heed The Warning

Bombworks Records

Bombworks is a relatively new record label that focus mostly on underground bands and special releases by more wellknown bands like Seventh Angel. Seventh Angel hails from England and brings us their own kind of doom-influenced thrash metal. The band's strength is their heaviness and originality. This special cd brings us the entire Heed The Warning demo. Although it's a demo the production is album quality. The remaining eight tracks are recorded live and here we can really experience the energy this band had. The production on these tunes is however not in the same league as the demotracks. Unfortunately the band is now no more but this album marks a good ending to this cool band. Seventh Angel fans will really enjoy this cd. Thanks Bomborks for digging up this treasure!


References: Check it out if you are looking for some heavy thrash in the veins of the secular bands Forbidden, Re-Animator etc.


Website: http://www.nolifetilmetal.com/seventhangel.htm


Back to top





SEVENTH ANGEL - The Torment

Retroactive Records

Finally this cool thrash cd has been reissued! Seventh Angel is a Brittish thrash band and The Torment is their first release. First thing that strikes me is the cool cover that Rodney Matthews has designed. Seventh Angel's strength is their heaviness, their tunes are so incredibly heavy. My favourite track is the anti abortion anthem Dr Hatchet. Fantastic track, a true classic! (It's worth buying this cd for this tune alone). Typical for Seventh Angel is that they seldom thrash on i full speed but rather let the music go in halftempo and instead of speed focus on heaviness. Besides heavy tunes the album also consists of two acoustic tracks that makes a good contrast. As a whole a good solid album for all you thrashers out there.


References: Check it out if you are looking for some heavy thrash in the veins of the secular bands Forbidden, Re-Animator etc.


Website: http://www.nolifetilmetal.com/seventhangel.htm


Back to top





SEVENTH AVENUE - Terium   

Massacre Records

German Power Metal band Seventh Avenue is back again with a new cd that in all ways surpasses their previous albums. Herbie sings better than ever and music is filled with great guitar solos and very catchy hooks. In fact, there are so many hooks and catchy choruses here that the album almost never gets boring although the total time is over 70 minutes! Previous albums have been somewhat inconsistent with some fillers, but this album is great all the way, save for one track. The production is also excellent and definately their best so far. Lyrically Seventh Avenue shares the Christian message via a science fiction story and they do it very well. A good thing with the cd is also that you get much music for the money, since the total time is over 70 minutes of great melodic classic power metal. I really enjoy this album and I can highly recommend it! Definately one of the top albums of 2008!

A brilliant album, almost a masterpiece! I'll give it a 4+ rating. If you have waited for an outstanding Seventh Avenue album this is the one you have been waiting for.


References: Check it out if you are looking for a quality power metal band. Recommended if you like Treasure Seeker or are looking for a christian alternative to bands like Gammaray, Blind Guardian and Helloween.


Website: http://www.seventh-avenue.de


Back to top





SEVENTH AVENUE - Eternals

Massacre Records

Seventh Avenue is one of the top bands in German Power Metal. The production on Eternals is even better than Step Between The Worlds and vocals are also improved. Music is fast and heavy while still being melodic. Favourite tracks are Remission, Storm III, Voices, Domination of Sin and Heaven Can't Wait. These tunes are phenomenal, especially Heaven Can't Wait!

Mike Plüger has written all the lyrics this time and they are both insightful and to the point. I really like their boldness. It seems like the more the famous the band become the bolder they get lyrically. The lyrics on Heaven Can't Wait goes like this: "Jesus came to set us free. He is the key to eternity, key to eternity. It is more than just a feeling. More than just a tear in your eye... Changes may come and people pass by. But this one will stay. You know deep in you heart. No time to lose cause heaven can't wait."

A cool album, but I'm still waiting for the masterpiece. What they still can improve is to incorporate some more catchy hooks to their sound and make the tunes even more melodic. If they do this next release will be a masterpiece. For now I give Eternals a 3+ rating.


References: Recommended if you like Treasure Seeker or are looking for a christian alternative to bands like Gammaray, Blind Guardian and Helloween.


Website: http://www.seventh-avenue.de


Back to top





SEVENTH AVENUE - Between The Worlds

Megahard Records MHR 080

Seventh Avenue is a german Power Metal band. The band has existed for many years and Between The Worlds is their fifth release. Something they have improved a lot compared to earlier releases is the production. The singing has also been considerably improved. When it comes to the music it has been improved as well and the quality is now more even. The harmonies and the guitars have been lifted to the foreground which has made the music more fluently. Seventh Avenue has always been a good band but with this cd they have taken the step from just being a good band to being a great band. Something I really like with this album is that it's full of great hooks and guitarsolos. Another good thing is that the lyrics now are bolder than ever and clearly shows that the band are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I especially like the lyrics in Until You Come Again "Jesus, you are lord, you are saviour. Only through your blood we are worth to come before God's throne some day. You died and have been risen. Only those who believe in that and accept you as their Lord will have eternal life when you come again"

There are still a few things to work on for this band but as a whole is Between The Worlds a very good cd that should not be missed if you like Power Metal. If they keep on improving like this they can blow the best secular bands away in coming releases. This is a great album that you can recommend to anyone without being the least ashamed. To say it short this is a very good release that gives good hope for the future...


References: Check it out if you are looking for a quality power metal band. Recommended if you like Treasure Seeker or are looking for a christian alternative to bands like Gammaray, Blind Guardian and Helloween.


Website: http://www.seventh-avenue.de


Back to top





SHADOWS OF PARAGON - Shadows of Paragon

Independent release

Looking for fresh christian black metal from Sweden? Then maybe this band can be something for you. This 5-track cd is their first release. Sound is brutal but still has melodic parts where they incorporate influences from classic metal. The two tracks I like most are Screams of Silence and Psalm that are both melodic, brutal and majestic. Vocals are overall very brutal. The guitarplayer Zharlie also adds female vocals on some tracks that makes a good contrast. On the negative side I feel some tracks could be better thought out and sound could also be tighter. On coming releases I would also like them to include more melodic harmonies to their sound. Lyrics are really good, they are Christcentered and show that the band has good knowledge in the Bible. Lyrics are both comforting and upbuilding.

Overall this is a cool release so I give it a 3.


References: Fans of black metal that want some something fresh can give this a try. They are not in the calibre of Crimson Moonlight or Antestor yet but with some more work they may be. So check it out and hear it for yourselves.


Orderinfo: Available directly from the band at http://www.shadowsofparagon.com


Back to top





SHINING FORCE - Holy Nation

Independent release

Shining Force is a new american metal band. Good to see that the metal scene is growing in the US again. Shining Force delivers melodic hardrock/metal. This is their first cd and it's an independent release with good production. Lyrics are Christcentered and overall very biblical and uplifting to your spirit. This is like the bold lyrics that was so common in the middle of the 80s, which also is my favourite kind of lyrics.

Over to the music, I would say that it's good but not anything that knocks me to the ground. But I do like the guitarplay. One of my favourite tracks is Holy Nation with it's catchy rhythm and chorus. Other highlights are the tunes Bow Down, Take Authority and Moving On To Zion. For coming releases I would like this band to incorporate more catchy melodies to their sound and also speed it up a little. More heaviness would do good as well. More tunes in the direction of Moving On To Zion would do good. Overall Holy Nation is a good relase that gives good promise for the future. Recommended.


References: Check it out if you are looking for a new and fresh Metalband with biblical lyrics.


Orderinfo: Available directly from the band at http://www.eternityministry.org


Back to top





SHINING FORCE - Shining Force

Bloodbought Records

Shining Force are here with their 2nd release. The production is better than their debut and the tracks are overall faster and heavier on this release than they were on their first. Stylewise they play classic metal with a heavy edge. I like the heavy rhythmes and boldness this band have. The cover is brutal and it would be good if the band had explained it in the booklet. I think though that it means to kill the old sinful self and let the life of Christ shine through us. Lyrics are Christcentered and deals with topics like the return of Christ (Come Quickly), the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (The Blood) and what it means to us today (The Holy One). Lyrics are really uplifting and strengthening to your faith. Shining Force don't hide their faith behind the bush. The purpose of the band is simply to be a light in the darkness and shine for Christ and they base their name on Matthew 5:16 that says "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven."

One thing that can be improved though is the vocals. On a few tracks especially on The Old Serpent Whispers they are too screaming and become annoying.

All in all a cool release from an up'n'coming classic metal band. My favourite tracks are Come Quickly, Holy Nation, Bow Down, Holy of Holies, Exodus and The Holy One. If they do more tracks in the caliber of these and incorporate some more guitar solos and hooks next release can be a real shredder. They have the potential just have to sharpen their talents some more. I'll give this release a 3+ rating.


References: Check it out if you are looking for something new in the melodic metal vein.


Orderinfo: Available directly from the band at http://www.eternityministry.org or through their label http://www.bloodboughtrecords.com


Back to top





SHINING STAR - Fatal Mistake

Independent release

Shining Star comes from Brazil and their debut cd is a pleasant surprise to my ears. Cause what we have hear is some quality guitar play influenced by the guitarshredders C-J Grimmark and Yngwie Malmsteen. There are many blistering solos by guitarist Fabio Rocha that make this cd to a real metal feast. Favourite tracks are You're not Alone, Alive and Well, Master of the Skies, I Wish and the beautiful instrumental 1000 Years Ago.

The tune Fatal Mistake has great lyrics that goes like this: "How can you say there's no God up in the sky if you never searched, never tried to find". In You're not Alone the lyrics talks about Jesus: "I feel, I can see. In the cross he is dying for me. He paid the higher price. I trust in his sacrifice. You know the history. Why don't you trust in him?"

On the negative side the vocals are a big drawback. The singer should try to sing more fluently. His voice sounds very forced as it is now. Despite the vocals this is still a good release that I really can recommend. I'm already looking forward to Shining Star's next release.


References: Check it out if you are looking for a new guitar metal band in the veins of Narnia/Malmsteen.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailordercompanys listed here


Website: http://www.shiningstarweb.com


Back to top





SIN DIZZY - He is not dead

Independent release

There I was, awaiting to hear what Tim and Oz new band would sound like. Sorry to say I became very dissapointed when I finally got it. I was hoping for some hooks and the great Stryper-sound, but nope. Here was nothing of it. Instead, what we have here is a very rough, groovy sound with raspy vocals. It reminds of "against the law" but much rougher. But where are the great harmonies and where are the hooks?? The lyrics are Christcentered so that something good anyway. I also like the bluesy ballad Rise Above and two more tunes. But that's about it. So if you are looking for the Stryper-sound you better look anywhere else. In my opinion this is only for the serious collectors that want to have every disc where a Stryper member is involved.


References: Fans of roughy, groovy hardrock/metal might like this.


Orderinfo: Available directly from the band at their page www.sindizzy.com


Back to top





SLAV SIMANIC - Water of Life

Latter Reign Records LR-CD0001

Slav Simanic is a new name to many. He has his roots in former Jugoslavia but has been living in Canada for many years. Slav is a a fullblown guitarist and he has such a fantastic feeling in the guitarplay!! Except guitar Slav also handles all the other instruments on the album. Water of Life is an album that is filled with tons of enjoyable guitar solos and is a perfect album to relax to. Just sit down comfortable in your favourite chair, close your eyes and enjoy this wonderful music. A catchy riff is constantly followed by another and the whole cd is truly a metalfeast for all guitarlovers! Slav's guitarplay reminds both of Rex Carrol and Carl Johan Grimmark, eventhough he mostly plays at a slower speed than Carl Johan do. Many also say that Slav's guitarplay reminds of Joe Satriani.

Slav focus on enjoyable hooks and he has a great feeling for making it to sound good. He is also good at variating the tunes and make them interesting. Slav has produced the album himself and released it on his own record company Latter Reign Records. All tracks except one are instrumental so the cd really gives you plenty of guitarsolos for your money. Many of the instrumental tracks also contains spoken voices associating to different episodes in the Bible. The only negative about the cd are the programmed drums that even though they are well programmed disturbs a bit. But besides this, Water of Life is a fantastic album that you really can enjoy, over and over again! With a real drummer this would have been a masterpiece, but it is an extremely good release anyway and definately a must have to anyone that are into guitar solos. I'll give it a 4+.


References: Fans of guitarsolos are gonna eat this up! Highly recommended if you like guitarshredding bands like Narnia, Harmony, Whitecross. If you aren't familiar with the christian scene I can highly recommend it to fans of Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen.


Website: http://www.slavsimanic.com


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here People living in Sweden can also get it through Metal Community


Back to top





SLAV SIMANIC - Let It Go

Latter Reign Records LR-CD0002

Slav is back again with another great album for all guitarlovers to enjoy. This time he is backed up by a full band. Another difference from Water of Life is also that this cd contains more tunes with vocals. As usual Slav gives us a smorgasbord of fantastic guitarsolos and moving hooks. I just wish that the music had been slightly more heavy. The album overall is very good but it still isn't really in the same caliber as Water of Life. While Water was more direct and hookbased, this is a bit more complicated and the band sometimes takes too long before they kick off the tunes. There were also some more guitarsolos in Water of Life. With this said the album is still a real feast for all lovers of guitarsolos. Slav is truly a master when it comes to do catchy riffs and fantastic solos. If you liked Water of Life this is another must have. When it comes to the lyrics Slav doesn't hide his faith behind the bush, but is very open in Who he believes in. Most of the lyrics are also taken directly from the Bible. You can also feel the presence of God in both his albums. With these two cds under his belt Slav Simanic truly shows that he is one the best guitarists there are. It would awesome to see a jamsession with Slav, Rex Carrol, Markus Sigfridsson and Carl Johan Grimmark. :-) All in all I give this album a 3+ rating.


References: Fans of guitarsolos are gonna love this! Highly recommended if you like guitarshredding bands like Narnia, Harmony, Whitecross. If you aren't familiar with the christian scene I can highly recommend it to fans of Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen.


Website: http://www.slavsimanic.com


Orderinfo: Check with the mailorder companys listed here People living in Sweden can also get it through Metal Community


Back to top





SONS OF THUNDER - Metal Praise

Independent Release

Sons of Thunder strikes down like thundering flashes from the sky. They play 100% Metal and the lyrics are 100% praise so the title saids it all, this is Metal Praise. And it works very well! Finally we got a Praise album that we metalheads can sing along with! The guitarsound is very heavy and it's full on for Jesus. The cd have 4 tunes. The first two lacks something but the other two shreds. Their last one called Psalm 151 really sticks out with it's shredding guitars and crunchy rhythm. All in all this is great stuff and I'm really looking forward to hear a fullength with this promising band.


References: Sons of Thunder have a style of it's own so I can't really compare them to anybody. Their sound is like a combination of Heavy Metal and Thrash with very heavy guitars. I highly recommend it.


Orderinfo: Available from Nordic Mission You can also get it directly from the band. Mail sonsofthunder777@hotmail.com or check their page http://listen.to/sonsofthunder


Back to top





SONS OF THUNDER - Load, Aim, Fire

CL Music & Publishing

The swedish metal band Sons of Thunder has just put out some more thundering metal with their new release Load, Aim, Fire. Apart from their previous EP this is a fullength CD. What I like most with this band is their combination of heavy Heavy Metal and Praise lyrics. Yeah man, this is Heavy Metal Praise folks, a combination that we christian metalheads have missed so long. It's so great to be able to worship the Lord with the music I like most! The music on the cd has lots of shredding guitars and crunchy rhythmes that makes us starving metalheads satisfied. :-)

On this release the band have also used some cool unusual instruments and effects that makes the sound more variable. At times though the music has too long slow parts before they kick of, they could be more direct. The last tune has a cool ending but it's way too long. Michael's vocals also sounds a bit thin in the tune S.O.S. But all in all this is a kickin´solid release that I gladly can recommend. I really feel uplifted and glad when I listen to it. If you are into their EP you will love this one as well.


References: Check it out if you are into Heavy Metal with Thrash influences and want some cool fresh Metal to praise the Lord with.


Orderinfo: Available in the US from the Crossing You can also get it from Nordic Mission as well as directly from the band. Mail sonsofthunder777@hotmail.com or check their page http://listen.to/sonsofthunder


Back to top





SONS OF THUNDER - Circus of Power

Rivel Records

Circus of Power is Sons of Thunder's latest release. Typical for their sound is their heavy riffs. Production is made by Thorbjörn Weinesjö from Veni Domine and he has done a great job! Lyrically they maintain to be very Christcentered and bold. When it come to the music I like half of the tracks very much, but I feel the others lacking in melody and speed. I also want more guitar solos! Michael Hero is a great guitarplayer, I just wished he showed it more by doing more cool solos. Favourite tracks are Rescue Me (fantastic tune! More tunes like this would be awesome!), 777, Jesus for President, Flames of Fire, Circus of Power and God Rulez.


References: Check it out if you are into Heavy Metal with Thrash influences. Reminds me somewhat of Eternal Decision. Metallica fans will also like this release.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailordercompanys listed here


Website: http://www.sonsofthunder777.com


Back to top





SonX - Staring At The Son

Independent Release

SonX a new band to me and surely for many of you as well. The style they play is heavy hardrock in the veins of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. They are no clones to these bands though but got a sound of their own. And there are plenty of catchy melodies and lots of heaviness to enjoy here! They got a very promising sound. My favourites are Don't play with the devil and Living in despair. If they continue to write tunes like these this band will go far. The weak points are that at times the music gets repetitive and boring and sometimes the singer falls short in holding the tone. But as I said before this is their first album so hopefully they have improved these things until their next recording. The lyrics are both Christ - centered and educating, and also shows that they have a real heart for people that are hurting and living on the edge.

SonX got both talent and a promising sound, they just have to sharpen it a bit more.


References: Oldstyle hardrock for fans of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne and David Benson.


For orderinfo send a mail to rome@intaccess.com


Back to top





STAIRWAY - On Hallowed Ground

Independent Release
Do you like NWOBHM (New Wave of Brittish Heavy Metal)? Then this is definately something for you! Stairway hails from Britain and they deliver true classic metal in true NWOBHM style. They have been around for many years and this is their 3rd release. The best thing with this cd is the many flashy guitar solos. Favourite tunes are Under The Gun, Stop The Pain, Silent Dreams (fantastic track with fantastic guitarplay!) and The Sky Is Beautiful. Foolish Heart is also a great tune with a cool bluesfeel in it. Lyrically Stairway talks about people's search for God, the importance of turning to Christ, love and about prophecies that soon will be fulfilled.

Great to hear some classic metal again! However, what keeps the rating down is that some tracks are too slow and take too long before they take off. If they write more direct, add more hooks and speed up the tempo next release can be a real shredder. They have the potential, they just need to improve their skills a bit more.


References: Fans of NWOBHM will love this album! Recommended to fans of Recon and Whitecross. For those of you that aren't familiar with christian bands I can recommend it to fans of Iron Maiden and Saxon.


For orderinfo visit the band's website at http://homepage.virgin.net/stairway.deoduce/deoduce.htm


Back to top





STEP COUSIN - Experiments in Sound

Independent Release

A new american band this is. Don't understand the cover. An explanation of it in the booklet would be good. Over to the music. Step Cousin sounds like a mixture of Vengeance Rising and old Mortification with a hint of Deliverance/Metallica thrown in. Very interesting mix indeed! The music is mostly crunchy thrash/death metal with plenty of melody. They even got a cover of Vengeance's tune Can't Get Out which they perform well. Definately the best Vengeance cover I have heard. Raised From The Silence reminds me very much of Mortifications Raise The Chalice. It almost sounds like a ripoff. The tune really has plenty of Mortification influence all over it and it sounds very cool. Their own tunes is mostly really enjoyable and I like almost all of them. Lyrics are both personal and biblical. A very good debutalbum overall. A promising band indeed. Future releases will be very interesting.


References: Check it out if you are into early Mortification and Vengeance Rising. If you are not familiar with these christian bands I would recommend it to people that are into Slayer and early Metallica.


For orderinfo send a mail to matthews@sheltonbbs.com


Back to top





STEP COUSIN - Innocence Before Oblion

Independent Release

Step Cousin kicks off with their second release titled Innocence Before Oblivion. A change from their first album is that it's not pure thrash anymore but more a mixture of thrash and melodic slower metal. The tunes have a lot of crunch in them, somewhat like the crunch in the Deliverance tune After Forever.

My favourite track is Lonely Garden with it's heavy and thrashy rhythm. Hook Through The Lip, Deceiver, God in a Box and Treading Tainted Waters are some other of my faves. Wash Away reminds a lot of Mortification's thrash tunes . Lyrically they deal with issues like abortion, temptations, materialism and standing for Christ.

What Step Cousin need is to speed up the tempo more and incorporate more harmonies to their sound and do more tunes in the caliber of Lonely Garden, cause that's what their strength is - to combine melody and thrashy rhymes. More of these things and coming releases will be real shredders.


References: Check it out if you are into Eternal Decision, Mortification and Vengeance Rising. If you are not familiar with these christian bands I would recommend it to people that are into Metallica.


For orderinfo visit the website http://www.lordchain.com


Back to top





STRANGELAND - Strangeland

Independent Release

Strangeland is hailing from USA. This is their first demo-cd and it consists of three tracks. Production is very good. First track titled The Enemy is an excellent melodic metal tune with driving guitars and a great hook. Very good track! Jesus Walk follows next and this track is more like a filler. Third track Saviour is better but not in the caliber of The Enemy. Lyrically it is bold and clear and very Scriptural. A promising band indeed. With more tunes in the caliber of The Enemy this band can go very far. They definately have the talent and focus to succeed. Would love to hear a fullength! Definately a band to check out and keep your eye on.


References: Check it out if you are into melodic 80s Metal


Orderinfo: Available from the band's website http://www.strange-band.com


Back to top





STRONGHOLD - Prayer From A Yearning Heart

Nordic Mission NMCD02

The splendid metaldistributor Nordic Mission has now also started up a record company! Stronghold is their second release. (The first one was Vaakevandring). The music truly sounds norwegian with slow blackmetal a la Antestor and Vaakevandring. The mini-cd contains five tunes, all performed by Erik Hellem Bö. Erik also handles the vocals. Guestplayer on the cd is Kjartan Vestvik on synth. The lyrics talks about prayers and worship to God. My absolute favourite is the tune Tears. Really nice catchy black with atmosphere and melody. More tunes like this would be awesome! Truly a top worldclass tune. First two tunes on the cd are too sorrowful to my taste, but then it gets better. My advice to Stronghold is to speed up the tempo, do more melodies and make more tunes in the calibre of Tears. All in all the cd overall sounds good and they got a promising sound, which makes "Prayers From A Yearning Heart" to a good debut album.


References: Recommended to fans of Antestor and Vaakevandring


Orderinfo: Available from Nordic Mission


Back to top





STILL SMALL VOICE - Embers

Independent Release
 

A cool thing with this band is that they are hailing from North Ireland. The first band I have heard from that region. Lyrics are all about Jesus and are really uplifting. Vocals is mostly screamy reminding of typical metalcore. I'm no fan of this kind of vocals which makes it hard for me to enjoy this cd. With a different kind of singing I would have like this cd a lot more. But taste is different. Anyway, sometimes the vocals are melodic and sound much better in my ears.

The music has a heavy dose of metalcore in it. It also has some thrash/death influences and plenty of timechanges. Since metalcore isn't that popular anymore maybe this band should change style to thrash. I think this band would sound great if they went thrash all the way, but that's just my opinion. On the positive side the music has plenty of variation and is well thought out. Really like the fast parts of the track Hail. Hopefully the band will go more in that direction in coming releases.


References: Overall this is not really my thing but fans of metalcore can give this a try.


Orderinfo: See the band's website.


Website: www.still-small-voice.com


Back to top





STRYPER - Extended Versions

Sony/BMG

This is Stryper second live album. This time it's released on Sony/BMG's extended versions serie.Like the live album 7 Weeks it's recorded with the original Stryper setting during the USA tour 2003. The track You Won't Be Lonely is a track that wasn't on 7 Weeks. The other nine tunes on the cd have ben remastered but besides that they are identical to the versions on 7 Weeks. On 7 Weeks there are also 4 extra tracks compared to this release. Extended Versions is a very good live album, worthy checking out, although it's content is almost identical to 7 Weeks


References: Any fan of Melodic Metal that enjoy catchy hooks, great guitasolos and falsetto vocals are gonna drool over this!


Orderinfo: Check with the mailordercompanys listed here


Webpage: http://www.stryper.com


Back to top





STRYPER - Reborn

Big3 Records

Stryper are Reborn! After 15 years long wait they have finally released a new studio album. The setting nowadays consists of Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, Oz Fox and new bass player Tracy Ferrie. The first thing that strikes me when I listen to the cd is that the sound has changed dramatically and nowadays sounds more like modern rock. This was a chock to me to say the least, but after listening to the album repeated times the cd has grown on me. But it did take at least 5 rounds in the cdplayer before I started to like it. Despite the new style there is still some of the classic Strypersound left and the tunes have a healthy portion of catchy melodic hooks, which makes most of the tunes enjoyable, although I usually don't like modern rock. A very touching track is Passion that shows that Stryper still rocks for Jesus and that their greatest wish is to honour Him. If I Die is another favourite that sound very much like the classic old Stryper sound. This track has fantastisc hooks and very sweet guitars! Other favourites are Wait For You and Make You Mine. Two tunes that I totally dislike are Open Your Eyes and Live Again. These two sounds really awful in my ears and way too much modern rock. The cd ends with a Stryper version of Amazing Grace plus a new heavier version In God We Trust. When you listen to Reborn you have to be prepared that it's an album that takes repeated rounds in the cdplayer to really sink in. After listening to it many times I now think it's a good album and I do enjoy it. But there are way too few guitarsolos on it to match their 80s albums. Stryper can much better than this and I really hope that they focus more on guitar solos and falsetto screams on next album.


References: Check it out if you are into Stryper but especially if you are into Michael Sweets album Truth. This cd actually sounds like a combination of Truth and Against The Law.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailordercompanys listed here


Webpage: http://www.stryper.com


Back to top





STRYPER - 7 Weeks: Live In America, 2003

Fifty Three Five Records / Deep South Records FTF0621

After years of waiting, Stryper has finally released a live album! The cd was recorded during their USA tour last Autumn. The result shows that they still can nail the tunes, although it was 12 years since they last toured. Production and soundquality is amazingly good. (The only thing I can complain about is that the drums could have more punch in them.)

Something cool with live albums is to be able to get the livefeel and hear the response of the audience. Since the gig is very well mixed the audience can also be heard loud'nclear. It's very powerful to hear when the audience sings along, especially on Makes Me Wanna Sing.

Michael Sweet has always had a voice above the average and on the liveshow he once again shows that he can hit the high tones, just like he did in the 80s. As always when it comes to Stryper there are plenty of guitar solos and catchy hooks to enjoy. What can you say, this is truly melodic metal at it's best!! A fantastic album from start to finish which both new and old fans will take to their heart. The cd shows that Stryper is back and that it's no accident that the band has sold 10 million albums.

The live album has the following tracks: Sing Along Song, Makes Me Wanna Sing, Calling On You, Free, More Than A Man, Caught In The Middle, Reach Out, Loud 'n Clear, The Way, Soldiers Under Command, To Hell With The Devil, Honestly, Winter Wonderland and ends with a powerful prayer by Michael Sweet. Throughout the whole album you can also really feel that this cd is annointed by God. The presence of God is very evident on the album and no one can miss it. This is a very strong cd both musically and spiritually and there is one word that describes the album will and that is: Worldclass! Soon we will also be able to not only hear but also see Stryper live on the DVD that will be released later this year...


References: A must have for anyone into 80s Metal! If you like melodic metal with hooks, guitarsolos and great vocals this is the band to check out.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailordercompanys listed here


Webpage: http://www.stryper.com


Back to top





STRYPER - To Hell With The Devil (Limited Edition)

Michael Sweet Productions

When it comes to Melodic Metal there is one band that do it better than any others I have heard and that's Stryper, the band that put Christian Metal on the map. Recently they have rereleased their 3rd album. The special with this rerelease is that it has the awesome Angel cover!! So now you can finally enjoy this great cover on cd. And that's not all, since besides the ordinary tunes on this album they have also added the bonuscut Winter Wonderland! A wonderful tune that hasn't been able on cd until now. So all Stryper fans go out and get this album. It will blow you away!

But in case you haven't heard this album before here is a short review… First real tune after the intro is title track which is also the heaviest tune Stryper ever made. The lyric talks about our enemy Satan that one day will be cast into the lake of fire. A heavy tune with a singalong chorus. Calling on you comes next, a fantastic commercial rocker that is so moving so you can't sit still. If you want a firstclass metal top chart tune this is one of the very best. Free is a commercial rocker that's harder than Calling on You. Honestly is a great ballad that after a while changes to a rocker. This was the no #1 most requested tune om MTV when this album was new. I could go and on and rave over each tune cause they are all very good and none is a filler. Production is awesome as well. The bonustrack Winter Wonderland is a fantastic Christmas tune with lots of joy and CHRISTmas feel in it.

If you call yourself a fan of Melodic Metal this album shouldn't be missed in your collection. The only problem might be the price since this special limited edition with the angelcover and bonustune cost $20. But if you can't afford it get the ordinary version instead. This classic metal masterpiece is just too good to be missed.


References: A classic and a must have for anyone into 80s Metal!


Orderinfo: Available in Sweden from Metal Community and internationally directly from Michael Sweet's website www.michaelsweet.com


Webpage: http://www.stryper.com


Back to top





STRYPER - Can't Stop The Rock

Hollywood Records

This is a collection with this legendary melodic metal band. Still unto this day many people don't even know that this cd exist. It contains hits from all of their cds including tunes like Soldiers Under Command, Free, In God We Trust and To Hell With The Devil. All in all the compilation has 12 tracks. Besides their classics the cd also contains two tunes that are previously unreleased and only available here!! One of these new tunes is called Believe and is a ballad that is a tribute to all the people that have died to defend the freedom of their country. A great tune where Michael Sweet really shows that he is one of best metalsingers there are. The other new tune is a rocker titled Can't Stop The Rock. The music to this tune was written back in the day when Stryper was still called Roxx Regime. Besides these two new tunes the cd also has a very exclusive booklet containing plenty of cool pictures and info about the singles, videos and albums that Stryper has put out. The booklet is very cool and I would even go so far to say that it's worth to buy the cd just to get the booklet alone.

All in all this a must have for Stryperfans and everyone else into 80s Metal. The cd also works good as an introduction to the band that put christian metal on the map.


References: A must have for anyone into 80s Metal!


Orderinfo: Available in Sweden from Metal Community and internationally directly from Michael Sweet's website www.michaelsweet.com


Webpage: http://www.stryper.com


Back to top





STRYPER - 7

Hollywood Records

Stryper is back! Finally, after 12 years of waiting this awesome melodic metal band releases some new material! Stryper has called the album 7 since 7 is the number of God and Stryper's goal has always been to exalt God and give Him all the glory. This is also the band's seventh album so seven fits very well. The cd is a collection with classic tunes plus two new tracks. The new tracks were originally planned to be placed on Michael Sweet's solo album Truth and hence they sound somewhat similar to that album. First new tune Someday sounds way too soft but the second tune For You is much better. It has plenty of melody in it and a great chorus. A really good tune that grows a lot when you have listened to it some times.

The collection contains hits from all of their cds including tunes like Calling On You, Soldiers Under Command, All For One, Free, In God We Trust, Loving You, From Wrong To Right, Always There For You, To Hell With The Devil and many more. All in all the compilation has 18 tracks to enjoy! Besides the two new tunes the cd also has a cool booklet that among other cool things also contains a special message from singer Michael Sweet.

I think the band has done a great work in selecting the classics for this album. Shining Star is the only tune I dislike. I'm also missing Surrender. Besides these two things I'm completely satisfied with the selected tracks.

Stryperfans and everyone else into 80s Metal will love this album. The cd also works good as an introduction to the band that put christian metal on the map. Now I'm only waiting for a worldwide tour and a new studio album...


References: A must have for anyone into 80s Metal! If you like melodic metal with hooks, guitarsolos and great vocals this is the band to check out.


Orderinfo: Check with the mailordercompanys listed here


Webpage: http://www.stryper.com


Back to top





STRYPER - Expo 2000 Video

Planet Rapture Productions

Yeah, finally a new Strypervideo! The video was recorded during the Stryperexpo in 2000. This was the first time the band played together in ca eight years but the music still sounds almost as tight as usual. But in some ways you could see that there was some time since they played the tunes. For example Michael even had to look in the lyric sheet to remember the lyrics to one of the tunes from their first album.

The video also contains plenty of other cool stuff except the concert footage from the Expo. There are interviews with the bandmembers, an unpluggedgig in a store, Mike and Oz plays unplugged in a radioshow and last but not least a few clips from the gig in Costa Rica. The Costa Rica gig seems to have been very successful and I would love to see a fulllength video from it! The Expogig is also rocking and you can really see that the band enjoy to play together again. As always when I hear Stryper I just can't help to sing along. It's so great to see them live again! (Even though I miss the yellow and black clothes.) Anyway, the video is well worth seeing and a must have to any Stryper fan.


References: A must have for anyone into Stryper!


Orderinfo: Check with the website www.stryperexpo.com


Webpage: http://www.stryper.com


Back to top





STRYPER - Loud 'n' Clear Book

Endgame Entertainment

This is the official biography of Stryper! It's written by Dale Erickson & Jesse Sturdevant and contains the band's history, from the very beginning of the band to this present day. The book is based on interviews with the bandmembers and people around the band. The authors have really gone the extra mile to give the true picture about Stryper. For example they speak loud'n'clear about the band's hard period during the Against the Law-era.

But what hits you most when you read this book is the enormous success Stryper achieved! The key to their success must have been that they let God be the fifth member of the band. That's why God took them to the top. The book is full of plenty of interesting details and it's really an interesting read. There are also plenty of cool photos included. This is a book I highly can recommend not only to Stryperfans but to all who want to know more about this legendary band who put christian metal on the map.


References: An absolute must have for anyone into Stryper!


Orderinfo: Available from Nordic Mission People living in Sweden, Finland and Denmark can also get it from Metal Community


Webpage: http://www.stryper.com


Back to top





SUPREME - s/t

Independent Release

From Skåne in southern Sweden comes this interesting band that recently released this EP. It contains four Melodic Hardrock tunes. Their titletune Supreme really stands out. Filled with hooks and an atmospheric feel a la Veni Domine this one shreds! Woah, with more tunes like this this will be very interesting! The other tunes are pretty good as well and grows the more I listen to them but they are not half as good as Supreme. The lyrics are encourageing an straightforward. The only letdown of this cd is that it at times is too cheesy for me, more heaviness wouldn't hurt. :-) Anyway I think it's a good EP from a promising band.


References: Don't know really, they got a style of their own but if you like melodic hardrock this one is for you.


For orderinfo mail joakim@worshipper.com


Back to top or mainpage




A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Z  DVD




© Johannes Jonsson 1997-2008  e-mail: johannes@metalforjesus.org