Supports: Crosson, Panik
Liberty Hall, Moore Park, Sydney
Friday, 3rd of March 2023
American evangelical rock band Stryper has long since considered itself a ministry but we’re not here to discuss the prosperity gospel and the thoughts of denominational theologians. Stryper are well known for their bold approach of using their music as a vehicle to share Christianity globally which has empowered their loyal fanbase and also provided detractors. Regardless, their musical talent is undeniable as evidenced not just in their longevity and line of signature music equipment but also in their great vocal harmonies that bolster strong choruses, backed by tight heavy metal and hard rock influenced music.
Stryper were last here in August 2018, when they played as a unique three-piece, due to the absence of co-founding guitarist Oz Fox [Richard Martinez] from the live set due to serious health concerns. But with things back to normal line-up wise, post pandemic, Stryper were back in full four-piece mode, ensuring a plentiful array of twin guitar harmonies and trade off solos. Stryper played the Hordern nearby to tonight’s venue, back in 1987, with a descending crucifix lighting rig, so the die-hard fans were highly appreciative of the band celebrating their 40th anniversary (accounting for their dormancy for most of the 90’s) with their ‘Calling on You’ tour, named after one of their hit songs from their classic 1986 release, ‘To Hell with the Devil’.
First up tonight was local Sydney band Panik who as a three-piece, play energetic, fast paced, thrash metal of largely original material. Co-vocalist and guitarist, Danny Ritz, is probably best known from Damage Inc – The Australian Metallica Tribute Band, amongst other bands that kick around the traps in Sydney. His dexterity on guitar was clear from the moment that Panik launched into their set. Bassist and overall front man, Mitchel Gruevski, is also nifty on his instrument of choice. Their first song, ‘Burn (Point of No Return)’ was an aggressive opener with plenty of fast, flashy solos interspersed between the tight rhythm figures, and even a finger tapping bass sequence during a half time rhythm part, backed by drummer Corey Baxter.
Ritz has a command of the instrument, peeling off alternating picking runs and reaching screaming high notes with seemingly minimal effort. Subsequent songs followed suit with vocals barked between riffs, grooves and gallops, providing a very early Metallica vibe. Older track ‘My Imperfection’ offered up fast barrelling thrash and a and almost chromatic crescendo end. New track, ‘Belly of the Beast’ had a distinct Testament feel to it, with shouted vocals, driving muted guitar rhythms and a pedalling bassline, before a brief solo returned the song to a fast speed. This is quickly followed by ‘Show No Mercy’, with fast riffing and a cleanly executed solo with elements of melodicism before delving into a half time, and heavier rhythm figure. Next up, Clint Lovering, also from Damage Inc – The Australian Metallica Tribute Band, was a guest vocalist with Panik for a cover of Metallica’s classic track, ‘The Four Horsemen’, providing a good performance, bolstering a solid rendition from the entire band, with guitar parts played well. To complete their breakneck half hour set, Panik ripped into ‘Heart Racer’, as the quick thrash metal bolted along at pace, peppered with more fluid pentatonic based guitar soloing that was again, quite reminiscent of Metallica.
Things were off to good start, but then, depending on the audience’s appreciation of theatrical based pop-metal with dancing girls and budget costume changes, it was certainly a contrast to experience the unique glam rock band Crosson. Their angle is that of a band banished to Earth by a fictional intergalactic tribune, as per the pre-recorded track played after an airing of covering John William’s closing theme for ‘Lost in Space’, with guitars instead of orchestra. The band appeared on stage and core members then had their backs to the audience during the introduction, after which wig coiffed front man Jason Crosson, who, to use Spın̈al Tap’s classic quote, ‘dresses as an Australian’s nightmare’, turned to the audience, flanked by Libby Thirsk and Olivia Scanlan; two scantily clad dancing girls and backing vocalists, who preen and pose with choreographed moves that merely emphasis the absurdity of the spectacle. Whilst some tracks are musically solid, with a capable backing band carrying new material from upcoming album ‘Ready, Aim,..Rock!’, it’s hard to get past the stage show, and Crosson’s flying V, adorned with tacky LED lights along the bindings of the guitar.
Guitarist Marco Rado is clearly skilled and well versed in apt soloing techniques for this style of music. His fast vibrato, wide sweep picking, pinch harmonics and alternate picked speed runs are all intact, as are his ability to keep a strong rhythm part going alongside the rhythm section of bassist Jack Barret and drummer Kyle Barr. But he finds himself relegated with almost being a musical version of an MC, playing shred guitar interludes between songs as Crosson and primarily, the dancers sometimes wandered off briefly for song themed costume changes. ‘Spreading the Rock ‘N’ Roll Disease’ had all the elements you would expect from a pop metal track, as did the ambitiously titled, ‘Stop Pretending that you Love Me’, with a swathe of harmonies, fills, breakdowns and bridges to return to the chorus, and the obligatory key change. The very Ratt sounding ‘Fallen from Grace’ included some gothic vampire styled costumes, and Crosson sporting a flowing hooded red cape over his sleeveless, studded vest. Rado then supplied a quick appreciation of neo-classical shred guitar before the vocal driven title track, ‘Invincible’, let Crosson’s baritone vocal delivery actually shine.
More pre-recorded dialogue and costume changes into short pink cabaret dresses with feather boas introduced a cover of Abba’s ‘Money, Money, Money’, with vocals slightly devoid of notable harmony parts, and the key change seeing an opportunity to get the audience to sing along. To close off their set, ‘Everyone’s a Star’ was trotted out, introduced by sirens and marching effects. Rado, again launched into an array of soloing, utilising speed runs, large bends and playing that by this point in the set, had become an acquired taste. Crosson are certainly not the worst band treading the boards and to their credit, they do try to entertain. But the garish, loud stagecraft that ‘borrows’ from Steel Panther, without the key ingredient of humour, overwhelms songs that might otherwise be half decent, if not for the tasteless delivery that did not, sadly, capture the crowd.
Stryper fans jostled for a good viewing position as the venue filled up as Quiet Riot tracks and Van Halen’s ‘Girl Gone Bad’ was played over the PA. An atmospheric introduction then kicked in as Stryper took up their positions on the stage, backlit by a huge Stryper band logo back drop. Opening with their heavier yet reminiscent version of ‘In God we Trust’, the guitar tone from front man Michael Sweet’s signature Sully flying V guitar was superb, with range and clarity from his signature gear, in tandem with the three Marshall amplifier floor cabinets. Similarly, lead guitarist Oz Fox had a clear, crisp guitar tone, performing with his GMW signature Strat body styled guitar, in front of his rig that included twin Mesa Boogie amplifier stacks, but largely concentrating on his playing, minimising head movements to maintain a sense of balance following brain surgery. Next track ‘Revelation’ had plenty of audience sing along aspects, with Sweet raising his hand for emphasis as he held sustained power chords. The yellow and black is substantially toned down these days, including now well established ‘new’ Stryper bassist Perry Richardson’s bass guitar, which on this visit was not the bright yellow variety but a cooler looking yellow and black racing striped style instrument.
Sweet’s self-deprecating humour was present on addressing the crowd, asking who had seen the band previously. The next couple of songs were definite set highlights for the die-hard fans familiar with Stryper’s deeper cuts on ‘To Hell with the Devil’ and ‘Soldiers Under Command’. The twin harmony of ‘More Than a Man’ was perfectly played, and also showed how Sweet’s voice has changed with a wider vibrato, some embellishments and a richer tone than many years ago. He dodged the high-pitched screams, but the guitar solos were spot on for anyone who has them etched in their mind. That was a similar experience with ‘Surrender’, which was truly special to see live, and to watch Fox effortlessly play his solo parts, with purring harmonics, speeds runs, EVH styled whammy dives and bluesy fills, before reprising the opening twin guitar melody. Guitar sounds of sustained open chords and searing high notes during solos bounced around the room beautifully. Sweet’s vocals still have formidable power. His vibrato and projection are astonishing whilst he still manages to unleash some falsetto when needed.
Drummer Robert Sweet played behind a sparkly Yamaha double bass drum kit, smashing the snare drum, with precision timing. Bibles were thrown out to the audience a few times during the evening, usually whilst Michael Sweet conversed easily with the audience, including some amusing anecdotes of the early days in Hollywood California to introduce their huge MTV hit track ‘Calling on You’, followed swiftly with similarly successful track ‘Free’, chock full of guitar soloing proficiency, and a lesson in heavy metal song delivery and song arrangements. Bassist Richardson, once from Firehouse, alternated between fingerstyle and plectrum use, also delivering excellent backing vocals.
Robert introduced ‘Sorry’ with a groove drum figure that ushered in the driving, heavy muted guitar riff for Michael Sweet to sing against. The rawer early material sat perfectly in the set flow with the ‘God Damn Evil’ material, providing a solid guitar riff and plenty of cymbal smashes from Robert Sweet. But tonight we were not getting material from new album, ‘The Final Battle’. As nostalgia was more the order of the day, ‘All for One’ from the unjustifiably often dismissed ‘Against the Law’ album was well received, before which Michael Sweet cheekily threw in the heavy riff from the also under appreciated track, with partial death metal elements, ‘Take it to the Cross’. The traded twin guitar parts in ‘All for One’ fed into harmonised, legato scalar parts with octaves and great phrasing.
Of course, the pop metal classic of ‘Always There for You’ was aired, with harmonies galore in all areas including vocals, guitar solos and even from the crowd, doing their best to sing along in key. Heavier material was brought out with ‘Divider’ from their second most recent album, ‘Even the Devil Believes’, during which soaring vocals and a half cocked wah-pedal guitar sound led into fluid traded guitar soloing, apt cymbal work, and plentiful amounts of backing vocals. Next track ‘The Valley’ from ‘God Damn Evil’ took a similar path of heavier recent material, offering punchy vocals, a slight Eastern tinged guitar harmony line, and a plethora of expressive guitar soloing sections, with the second solo giving Fox’s wah-pedal a workout following Sweet’s pull offs and high guitar notes.
The Stryper classic album title track, ‘Soldiers Under Command’ was next up; a great guitar track that powers along with a brisk pace, and shows off the twin guitar attack, and harmony parts between Sweet and Fox. The song itself has a climactic trade off guitar solo, opened by Sweet’s climbing octaves, including Fox’s fluid finger tapping section, whammy squeals, then Sweet’s descending solo riff, flowing into a harmonised section. Given that Michael Sweet plays a good chunk of guitar solos on many other tracks, it was still nice to see Fox getting time in the spotlight during the set. A tight and hammering version of classic title track ‘To Hell with the Devil’ followed. Some of us have those trade-off solos memorised in our brains. Those present in 2018 would recall the three-piece rendition without Fox’s solo sections when only rhythm guitar led back into the chorus. So, it was such a relief to hear this song again, and others, as it was meant to be played live. When Fox harmonises with Sweet at the opening of the title track’s solo, he kneels to play the more complex part and then they’re off, trading licks with speed and finesse.
Sadly, with some strange early curfew in effect at the venue tonight, the epic twin guitar interplay within the power metal track ‘Yahweh’ was excised from the set. Following some banter and select anecdotes, plus a brief bit of evangelising, the set closer of the ‘Sing-Along Song’ delivered nicely. Vocals driven and full of harmonies, Sweet’s voice on this track was in full flight, whilst Fox held strong power chords, with a dash of metal gallop, throughout the song. It was a crowd participation moment, complete with a band tacit section, sans drums, as the audience were led to sing the simple chorus before the band kicked back in, getting a bit heavier, rounding out the song to a bombastic conclusion.
Fantastic work all round from one of the rock and metal genre’s more durable twin guitar acts, who truthfully deserve all the success for their hard work. Stryper put on a great rock show that few contemporaries from their day could hold a candle to these days. More power to them.
In God we Trust
Revelation
More than a Man
Surrender
Calling on You
Free
Sorry
All for One
Always There for You
Divider
Soldiers Under Command
To Hell with the Devil
Sing-Along Song.