New Stryper "Take It To The Cross"

This is the one with the death metal growls. Ok song once you get past the first 1:15 of nothing. Will have to give a better listen on some good speakers

Personally, I don't care for the chorus at all.  Shut it down at 3:13.

I used to love Stryper back in the day.  Something changed and I don't know what.  Their sound just doesn't do it for me any longer.

I love the verses and the solo.  The chorus sounds too much like they are trying to be someone or something other than Stryper.

The death metal vocals are so out of place on this that they are funny.  Were they trying to do a parody of themselves with this?  That's how it comes off to me.

I hope the rest of the album is better.

I thought it was really good.  Not stand out amazing, but interesting to see them do something different.

Most of the time, doing something different is where rock bands go wrong.  Once you get that audience in place, you will do your best by catering to them.  Too much change and you risk losing your audience.

The song isn't bad until you get to the chorus.  It just doesn't fit.

It's true it's not really Stryper, but I kinda dig it.

https://stores.portmerch.com/stryper/

Preorders up but I will prob order from Amazon.

Wow. I really liked this until the chorus kicked in. That really doesn't fit within the song, but I'm all about melody and that chorus has none. I like the outro and the growling vocals. I think that's a neat way to incorporate those type of vocals subtly in the outro. I'm not loving the guitar tone. It' seems a bit bright to me and not chunky enough, but it could wind up sounding great like in my car with a bit of EQ adjustment.

Overall I'm disappointed because this could have been a really cool song if they would have just did something different with that chorus.

I liked pretty much everything except M.S. rapid fire Rob Halford impersonation on the chorus.  Even the death metal vocals were kind of cool, but I'm not sure I'm ever gonna get used to that chorus.
Also hope the album version of the song doesn't have over a minute of near silence before the track really seems to kick in.

JLE3 wrote:

I'm not loving the guitar tone. It' seems a bit bright to me and not chunky enough, but it could wind up sounding great like in my car with a bit of EQ adjustment.

Stryper's tone has always been kinda thin.

Xid wrote:

JLE3 wrote:

I'm not loving the guitar tone. It' seems a bit bright to me and not chunky enough, but it could wind up sounding great like in my car with a bit of EQ adjustment.

Stryper's tone has always been kinda thin.

Agreed, seems like they have always had a high, almost "tinny" sounding guitar tone.  Not at all beefy like some doom/stoner band.

The music is cool.
 The vocals too.
But , the death metal growls are terrible.
I think this song would be cool , without the death metal growls

That didn't take long:

I will never hear the song the same way again EVER!!!!

Oh man that's hilarious!

Oh dear!  This could prove an issue!

Oh Xid this is hilarious.

I like the lyrically content. I like Mikes vocals and I like the guitar bass and drum tone. Could it be thinker yeah but I like it. I do not like the chorus. It just doesnt fit in the song. They shouldve just used a harmony vocal part between Mike Oz and O boyle. If that chorus wasnt in there I might consider it one of my favorite new songs but notta. Too forced and outta place. I hope the rest is classic stryper with the heavier melodic guitar.

Guess I'm odd man out here. I dig it. I like the "harder" Stryper, and the chorus is reminiscent of speed metal... which is a refreshing change for a band that can often times sound the same throughout many songs. Seems to be human nature to "expect" the same cookie cutter sound from bands we like. But I applaud them for taking risks and trying different stuff. Regardless if he sounds like a hyped up Beavis, I still dig it. I'm a fan.

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Guess I'm odd man out here. I dig it. I like the "harder" Stryper, and the chorus is reminiscent of speed metal... which is a refreshing change for a band that can often times sound the same throughout many songs. Seems to be human nature to "expect" the same cookie cutter sound from bands we like. But I applaud them for taking risks and trying different stuff. Regardless if he sounds like a hyped up Beavis, I still dig it. I'm a fan.

Same here

Staybrite wrote:

I liked pretty much everything except M.S. rapid fire Rob Halford impersonation on the chorus.  Even the death metal vocals were kind of cool, but I'm not sure I'm ever gonna get used to that chorus.
Also hope the album version of the song doesn't have over a minute of near silence before the track really seems to kick in.

Now that you mention Halford, I'm getting a recent Saint vibe from the chorus. Similar soundscape, Eb tuning. I feel like the chorus could've come from Hell Blade.

I also feel like I'm chasing a bounty hunter through Coruscant watching that video, anyone else?

Xid wrote:

That didn't take long:

That's it! You have ruined me

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Guess I'm odd man out here. I dig it. I like the "harder" Stryper, and the chorus is reminiscent of speed metal... which is a refreshing change for a band that can often times sound the same throughout many songs

Good point, I agree

I don't mind it when bands take risks and try something different.  My only issue with the song is that the chorus seems to have been spliced in from another song so the whole song seems disjointed.  It's got a nice riff, a good hook, and moves along in a nice groove and then it's like someone switched the song.  So it isn't that I dislike the chorus, I just dislike it for this song.  Maybe it is that long pause at the end, because it doesn't really bother me at the end when they go back to the main riff before the fade out.  I like the growls, but then again...I like growly music.  There's also something about the lyrics that bother me, but I can't quite put my finger on it. 

Oh, and I kept expecting Zam Wesell to appear in the video.

I listened to it again for the first time in a week, and I didn’t hate it as much as I did the first time I listened to it. I still don’t love it, but it’s growing on me.