Happy anniversary to STRYPER's Second Coming album!

The Metal Archives shows that the Japanese version of this special collection of songs came out on March 20, 2013, on the Avalon label. The North American version was released on March 26. The band recorded new versions of their biggest 1980s songs.

Stryper

Second Coming

Avalon

March 20th, 2013

They gave their old songs a modern, heavier sound. The production is of course heavier, a bit thicker and punchier than the original versions, and the drums sound heavier, too. This album features the original lineup: Michael Sweet, Oz Fox, Timothy Gaines, and Robert Sweet.

The production reminds me of observations made by a YouTuber—I think it might have been one of the guys from the show The Contrarians. Don't quote me on it, because I cannot say with 100% certainty who said it, but he was saying that for him, the 1980s Stryper albums were good but maybe a bit too sugary. He felt that Stryper in their second run has become heavier, maybe out of necessity, because Michael Sweet sings a bit lower now that he's older. I kind of see what he is saying. I like these versions, too. The songs have a bit more crunch, almost like thrashy heavy metal at times. Personally, I do enjoy these versions.

The tracklist is: Loud n' Clear (03:46), Loving You (04:28), Soldiers Under Command (05:09), Makes Me Wanna Sing (02:51), First Love (05:23), The Rock That Makes Me Roll (04:53), Reach Out (05:24), Surrender (04:19), To Hell with the Devil (04:06), Calling on You (03:41), Free (03:41), The Way (03:37), Sing Along Song (04:24), More than a Man (04:34), Bleeding from Inside Out (03:44), Blackened (03:08), Together as One (04:45). Total time: 01:11:53.

Stryper - Free (Re-Recorded)