#163
May 15 1985
Stryper
Soldiers Under Command
Genre: Glam Rock
4.25 out of 5
Highlights:
Makes Me Wanna Sing
The Rock that Makes Me Roll
“We are the soldiers under God's command
We hold His two-edged sword within our hands
We're not ashamed to stand up for what's right
We win without sin, it's not by our might
And we're fighting all the sin
And the good book, it says we'll win!”
We are paying the price for 80s religion today. When, instead of preaching anything that their bible wrote, a new legion of Christians redefined themselves as victim warriors, took over whole communities (like mine) and warped everything they had originally stood for into something judgmental and hateful. Now we have women marching in the streets in Handmaid’s Tales outfits because of a generation that was raised to use religion as a cudgel for wedge issues.
I don’t think Stryper is to blame. But I think they are a culprit. This sound is immediate and powerful, these guys can play and I’m absolutely sure they converted a few or gave cover to some for whom religion might not have turned them into “warriors” but just nice, soft people who helped the poor and minded their own business and tried to be good people.
Listen to “Makes Me Wanna Sing”. This isn’t “Jesus is my Friend”. This isn’t “Jesus Christ Superstar”. This is Cock Rock. It’s brilliant in it’s approach and in its indoctrinating prowess.
And that closing version of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” is really the linchpin that seals the entire deal. It’s the Christian Rock “God Save the Queen”, except the latter was a show closer and Stryper’s serves another purpose: to invigorate and inspire Jesus’ followers. And it’s fucking works, man.
I wish I could hate it. But I don’t. And I also can’t hate it for it’s modus operandi. It’s a big win for the Jesus Christ 80s Marketing Department.
Dammit.
The Glam Metal of “Together Forever” is infectious, like Bay City Rollers on PEDs. And fuck me, Michael Sweet can sing. Holy…Heaven?
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