STRYPER
House of Blues; Las Vegas, NV, 10/26/03
Reviewed by Richard Fenkel
The Las Vegas House of Blues played host to another high energy rock'n'roll assault - the yellow and black attack ... Stryper.
Michael Sweet and the boys invaded the HOB with a mission ... to perform their classic heavenly metal for their fans.
Some of those fans were wearing "Yellow and Black" Stryper shirts and brought back great memories; a time when you could understand the lyrics of a song.
But enough reminiscing. It was time for Stryper to prove they have not lost their edge. And as soon the guys took the stage, the crowd erupted! The original Stryper lineup walked onto the stage: Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, Tim Gaines and Oz Fox. It was time to rock!
With the original lineup intact, Stryper was ready to go to work! The boys picked up their instruments and started performing. Michael Sweet dressed in blue jeans and a button down shirt. He commanded the stage like a general.
Sweet gave their loyal following what they needed: Electric, live performance of songs from all their albums. "The Yellow and Black Attack," "Soldiers Under Command," "To Hell with the Devil," "In God We Trust," and "Caught In the Middle" from the under-rated "Against The Law."
These songs sounded as good during the concert as they did back when they were first recorded. One reason is Michael's awesome vocal ability. Michael hit all the high notes. He truly is an excellent frontman. His also played the guitar very well. His interaction with the fans brought everyone into the Stryper zone.
Stryper's faithful following enjoyed watching the chemistry of the guys, back on the stage after so many years. At one point, Michael thanked Oz Fox for driving him to the local McDonalds back in the their old high school days.
Besides their nostalgic stories, the band pulled out all the stops. Recreating the yellow and black magic of the good old days, they threw bibles to the audience as long-time fans sang along with Michael on all the songs.
In addition to Michael's voice, Robert's timing on the cans drove the fans into a frenzy. Oz Fox and Tim Gaines were explosive. These guys are veterans musicians. This reunion tour was long overdue.
With this type of talent back together again, it was no wonder that the popular ballad, "Honestly," sounded so good. It brought back fond memories of MTV. In addition, rockers such as "To Hell With the Devil" and "Soldiers Under Command" had the fans singing and playing air guitar.
Fans were also informed that all of the Stryper shows were being taped for a future album; Great news for all rock'n'roll fans!
Stryper was back and their live show was awesome.
Check out www.stryper.com for all the latest info.
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Revised: 06 Oct 2019 11:48:58 -0400.
