With what is now two studio albums, an acoustic album, and a Christmas album since the start of 2024 (not to mention that this is the third full-length release tied to Michael Sweet that I have reviewed this year), Stryper continues their prolific output. Throne of Thorns follows in a similar vein to When We Were Kings, with many songs drawing direct comparisons to tracks from that record. With some, the new offering fares better ("Throne of Thorns" improves upon the comparable "End of Days"), but with others, they feel too similar (take "Grateful" and "Ashes to Roses," for...

The lads of Rend Collective have enough collective (see what I did there?) energy as a band to power their own live shows; lights, speakers, videos and all. And this energy is not limited to the stage either. The band is almost in a constant state of creativity, and the traditional album release cycle is no match for the output that these fine fellows are capable of. According to the band’s social media page, the new EP, The Evergreen Season, is a collection of odds and ends created in the last year that needed somewhere to go. But far from a thrown-together collection, Evergreen feels cohesive and zesty at the same time. The Irishmen of Rend Collective have always been a rambunctious bunch, but this collection of songs may be their most high-spirited one yet...

Reunion shows can be a tricky highwire to balance. They will often attract a loyal, long-term fanbase for attendance, and many of these fans will have seen the band or artist back in their prime and have memories of past shows to compare the present version of the band to. And a bit of rust is to be expected. Older songs will often have their keys lowered to accommodate vocal ranges that have dropped over the years, and stage chemistry will not be the same as the version of the band that spent WAY too much time together on stage and in the bus / van together on those long trips between tour stops many years before. But nothing beats a reunion show in the hearts of fans, long-term and new alike...