No More Hell to Pay

Nearly 30 years after their debut rocked the Christian-music world, Stryper deliver an album that equals or exceeds the best of their work from the ‘80s. No More Hell to Pay contains all the elements that made this band so influential back in the day, delivering high melodic content with a metal-tipped attack, all in the service of an uncompromising God-centered message. Lead singer/guitarist Michael Sweet produces the tracks with an ear for 21st-century production values while ensuring the original intensity of the group comes through. Sweet’s powerhouse vocals are matched by Oz Fox’s fret-burning lead guitar and Robert Sweet’s slamming drumwork. The best news here is the strength of Stryper’s new material, evident in the album’s fist-shaking faith anthems (the title track), simmering praise ballads (“The One”), and galloping testimonies to a higher Love (“Te Amo”). “Marching Into Battle” harkens back to the vivid warfare imagery that made Stryper’s initial releases so compelling. The band complements its originals with a hard-pumping remake of “Jesus Is Just Alright.”