Album Review: Stryper - Throne of Thorns (Frontiers Records, 2026)
Written: 12th September 2026
Stryper has been a part of my musical life for forty years and a new release is always cause for anticipation. It has become a regular occurrence for the quartet to release a studio album every two years and 2024’s When We Were Kings was among the best since the band began a purple patch of creativity with No More Hell To Pay some thirteen years ago. Within the band there remains a commitment and passion for making new music as drummer Robert Sweet explains, “I really believe you're all going to love it. Michael worked incredibly hard writing these songs and bringing everything together. Oz, Perry, and I also worked hard to make this, what I feel is our best record yet. I'm confident that once you hear it, you'll agree. Thank you all for your incredible loyalty and for continuing to support what we do."
Throne of Thorns begins with the title track and we immediately find ourselves within classic Stryper territory: heavy, driving riffs but no shortage of melody. The classic twin guitar approach also remains but this time it is delivered with one significant difference. Due to his recent health issues with blood-pressure, Oz Fox found his hearing and pitch severely affected meaning that unfortunately, he was not able to play when the guitar tracking began. This means that Throne of Thorns is the first Stryper album on which Michael Sweet has played every guitar part. However, there has been considerable effort on the part of Sweet to multi-track his contributions in order to retain the band’s signature sound and importantly - as far as possible - to maintain the feel and character that Oz Fox has brought to Stryper’s sound throughout the years. Throne of Thorns is a commanding opener that demonstrates the band still have much to offer.
Here In Your Heart is instantly recognisable as Stryper. While Michael Sweet has long been admired by many as a vocalist, I have long believed that he has been underrated as a guitarist. Following an excellent solo on the title track, another emotive moment on Here In Your Heart proves just how valuable he is to Stryper in this capacity. Lyrically, as you will expect, Throne of Thorns moves between more overtly Christian messages and ones that deal with the more universal themes of life, love, struggle and overcoming adversity. Here In Your Heart falls within both categories. Written from God’s perspective, it explores the idea that his presence remains within someone even during times of doubt. You chase the sky but miss the core / You beg for prayer but want something more / I am the voice you’ve heard before / I’m holding the sign.
When writing songs for recent Stryper albums, Michael Sweet has been keen to meld the band’s traditional sonic template with a modern metal approach. Both Falling and first single I’m Alright (I’m Okay) take this approach, with the latter perhaps being the clearest example of Sweet’s desire to combine the familiar Stryper sound with a message that is very much rooted in the here and now. As he explains: “This one is for the old school metal heads. It’s a little 1985 mixed with a little 1991, with a little 2026 sprinkled on top. It has all the qualities that you’ve come to expect from STRYPER, yet it also blends in perfectly with the times we live in. It’s a battle cry to stand strong and persevere no matter what, while believing that you will be alright, you will be okay!” A pulsating track, it injects vigour into the track list and sits perfectly after the slower but heavier Falling.
With a thoughtful approach to pacing, Waiting For You is the album’s first ballad and provides some welcome variety. However, although it features a glorious twin guitar solo, it is not – by their extremely high standards – one of their most effective songs of this nature and there are moments where it fails to hold attention in the way their finest ballads do.
Thankfully, this dip in quality is short-lived and Carry The Flame restores the album’s momentum with its chugging riffs and one of the best vocal performances here. Robert Sweet’s drumming is at its most thunderous and his rhythm partnership with Perry Richardson – who has now been a member for almost ten years - combines in robust waves that give the song a formidable foundation. Forming a powerful one-two with Carry The Flame, Hollywood stands as a clear highlight. In one of the most compelling examples of Michael Sweet’s six string abilities, the exhilarating solo and crunching chords show just how much there is to admire in his guitar playing, combining excellent technique with the melodic sensibility that has always been such a key part of his style. Lyrically, it reflects on ambition, disappointment, the mythology of Hollywood. Faded signs / Neon reflections / Every day another start / Though we had many imperfections / We just kept following our hearts.
As if in response to the dashed dreams that Hollywood inflicts on so many, Beautifully Broken – my favourite track – is a celebration of human resilience which argues that adversity and personal imperfections can ultimately make us stronger. You’re tested by your time / Every trial leaves its mark / You’ve learned to burn and shine / Even in the deepest dark. It is another example of the bridge between the Stryper of the eighties and their more recent material.
Ashes To Roses is a much more successful slower song than Waiting For You and sees the band spreading their creative wings a little further as Michael explains. “Ashes To Roses is definitely a little different for us. It’s got a little bit more of a throwback / classic rock vibe yet it’s got everything you would expect from Stryper. It’s going to appeal all the people out there who have been wanting a good melodic rock ballad from the band. You asked, we listened!” The acoustic embellishments add a reassuring warmth to the arrangement and help give the song a different feel. Lyrically, the message of moving from shame and pain towards grace and redemption is unmistakably in keeping with the beliefs that have always been central to Stryper. It adds another dimension to the album without ever sounding out of place, demonstrating that there is still room within the Stryper template to explore slightly different textures and moods.
Penultimate track Alone Again introduces a deliciously darker atmosphere and revisits some of the heavier tendencies that have characterised the band's recent output. It also maintains the album's impressive late momentum, whilst the guitar work demonstrates a willingness to explore a broader range of tones and textures. Bringing proceedings to a close, Shadowbreaker continues in a similarly energetic vein and features some of Robert Sweet's finest drumming on the record. One of Stryper's enduring strengths has always been their ability to balance memorable melodies with concise songwriting and that remains very much the case here. There is also something particularly satisfying about a metal album ending with a burst of energy rather than retreating into a closing ballad and Shadowbreaker ensures that the record signs off in suitably invigorating fashion.
More than anything, Throne of Thorns demonstrates why Stryper's recent run of albums has been so impressive. The band's trademark combination of muscular riffs, soaring melodies and uplifting messages remains firmly intact, whilst the performances throughout are of a consistently high standard; the sequence from Carry The Flame through to Shadowbreaker is particularly impressive. Although I do not think it quite matches the vast heights reached by Fallen, God Damn Evil or When We Were Kings, that should not be taken as damning criticism. Rather, it reflects the quality of much of the material that has preceded it. Four decades into their career, Stryper continue to write songs with enthusiasm, purpose and an unmistakable sense of identity. Throne of Thorns is yet another extremely rewarding addition to one of the most consistent catalogues in hard rock and metal.
Throne of Thorns is released on 25th September 2026
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