When many bands hit a certain point of longevity, they tend to settle back on their greatest hits. Whether that's through tours that play the fan favorites, best-of collections, re-recordings, or re-mastered re-releases, it's easy for a successful, storied band to simply rest on their past. Stryper has gone against that stereotype. Since their return from hiatus in 2005, the classic hair metal band has released albums of new material on a regular basis, recently getting down to a rhythm of every two years. Given that The Last Battle came out in 2022, it's time for the next record. Right on cue, Stryper has released their latest, When We Were Kings.

Overall, there's a lot about this album that feels similar to their past few. From the similarly styled cover art to the themes covered in the songs to the sound of the music, When We Were Kings will give the long-time Stryper fan déjà vu. This may annoy some who would like to hear some experimentation from the band, but Stryper has shown at this point that they've honed their style and they're sticking to it. There does seem to be more acoustic guitar presence on this one, especially in the latter half, giving it a sound akin to 2009's Murder By Pride. Otherwise, the band continues to play at a high level and sound just as good as ever. They may be getting older, but their musical execution hasn't suffered.

Lyrically, everything feels similar as well. You have a song or two about the end times (like the opener "End of Days"), some tunes about relationships ("Betrayed by Love," "Loves Symphony"), songs critiquing culture (like "Divided by Design"), and tracks with a gospel emphasis ("Unforgivable"). These are all topics and themes the band has covered in their previous records. However, this time there is a darker element to the lyrics that haven't really been present on those albums. Consider the title track, which finds lead singer Michael Sweet admitting they may not be the "kings" they used to be in their youth. "Divided by Design" and "Imperfect World" further ruminate on how sin-ravaged our day and age is. Perhaps the darkest (and most surprising) track is "Betrayed by Love," which speaks of a relationship of some sort falling to pieces thanks to deceit on an individual's part. This darker element catches the listener off guard and helps differentiate When We Were Kings from its predecessors.

With how similar Stryper's recent run of records has been, it's tempting to just copy and paste my reviews for those albums and change song titles and other minor details where appropriate. After one listen, that temptation was strong. But repeat listens showed the subtle nuances When We Were Kings contained and helped paint this album in a more favorable light. Yes, it would be nice to hear some experimentation from the classic rockers, but at this point there's something novel about the band's consistent approach. You know what you're getting from Stryper and that's strangely comforting. Longtime fans should appreciate the band's latest while newer fans may be pleasantly surprised at the somewhat darker turn.

- Review date: 9/14/24, written by John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com