Flashback Friday: Soldiers Under Command

"Soldiers, Soldiers, Under Command. Fighting The Lord's Battle Plan". Thus begins the sea change in the Christian Contemporary Music industry know as STRYPER. REZ may be the Father of Christian Metal, but STRYPER took it Worldwide.

The true beginning was The Yellow and Black Attack, a six song EP released in 1984 (released again two years later with two more songs to make it an official album) making Stryper one of My Bands which started in the year I graduated from High School.

Soldiers Under Command released in 1985 really got things moving, but most people never got on the Yellow and Black train until they told the Devil to go You Know Where, and caused plenty of heart palpitations among Christian College Administrators.

The Album is hard rocking, and introduces the listening ear to hard rocking harmonies, as well as high screaming tones. And love songs. Soldiers under command has two back to back: Waiting For A Love That's Real and Together As One. And, not surprisingly from a band named after a Bible verse (Isaiah 53:5) we have the Gospel According To Stryper, part one. From The Song Together Forever:

"One Big Family, that will live eternally. Together, Forever, All You Have To Do, Is receive the one who died for you"

And that's the truth. All that is required to go to heaven is to receive the gift of Jesus. Sorry to you religious works people but there is no such thing as "Hyper-Grace". All we have is due to the Grace of God. The Gospel is that easy.

We have the official music video for Soldiers Under Command on VH1. They look so young back then. And how did Stryper get on VH1. They did Heavy Metal?

With Flashback Reviews it is easy to hand out 5 Emerald ratings like candy. After all, these are the albums that shaped your life. Realistically speaking, though, as the first full length album, I think a rating of 4.50 Emeralds is appropriate. Good enough to get an initial nomination to the Platinum Vinyl Award Pool, but probably not good enough to make the final nominees, and not enough to win.

We are underway with Flashback Friday reviews. I will try to make this a regular feature, but, as with Music Video Monday, that's easier said than done. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.