''God Damn Evil'' is the seventeenth release and twelfth studio album by

Christian metal Christian metal, also known as white metal, Jesus metal or heavenly metal, is heavy metal music distinguished by its Christian themed song lyrics and the dedication of the band members to Christianity. Christian metal is typically performed by ...

band

Stryper Stryper is an American Christian metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson (bass guitar), and Robert Sweet (drums). Formed in 1983 as Roxx ...

, produced by frontman

Michael Sweet Michael Harrison Sweet (born July 4, 1963) is a singer and guitarist from Whittier, California; he is the co-founder, songwriter, guitarist and lead singer of the Christian metal band Stryper. He's also had a successful solo career, and briefly ...

and released on April 20, 2018. Bass guitar was played by John O'Boyle as current bassist

Perry Richardson Perry Richardson (born July 7, 1958) is an American bass guitarist who played in FireHouse until 2000 and is currently the bassist of Stryper. Biography Perry Richardson graduated Conway High School in Conway, South Carolina and went on ...

could not due to scheduling conflicts.

Critical reception

Awarding the album four stars from ''CCM Magazine'', Matt Connor writes, "Their unapologetic approach to stay true to their now classic rock/metal roots rewards longtime fans." Andie Hardee, giving the album three and a half stars at ''Jesus Freak Hideout'', states, "As impressive as the musicianship is, the songs themselves are also enjoyable." Rating the album an 8.3 out of 10 by ''Sonic Perspectives'', Alan Cox says, "Stryper is rocking so hard and well that even some close-minded skeptics are bound to be converted." Wayne Parry, reviewing for ''The Washington Post'', responds, "At an age where many heavy metal wailers dial it back due to the strains of decades of high notes, singer and guitarist Michael Sweet doubles down on his other worldly vocals." The name of the album has been the source of controversy and has caused some Christian music retailers and even

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

to not stock physical CDs in their stores. Michael Sweet has responded by saying, "We're disappointed. Stryper has always been about making people think outside the box. Our new album title, ''God Damn Evil'', is a statement that's needed in our society. We've seen evil rise to new levels and this title is simply a prayer request asking God to damn or condemn all the evil around us. Many chains have joined us in making such a statement. Walmart, unfortunately, has not. The odd thing is of all the chains out there we assumed Walmart would be one to understand exactly what our point and purpose is. Unfortunately not. Although we respect their decision and what's done is done, it's frustrating to see something that's meant for good get misinterpreted and misunderstood."

Track listing

Personnel

Stryper *

– lead vocals, lead guitars * Robert Sweet – drums, backing vocals *

Oz Fox Richard Alfonso Martinez (born June 18, 1961), better known by the stage name Oz Fox, is the lead guitarist of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. Martinez' high school friends called him ''Oz'' in honor of Ozzy Osbourne due to his ability t ...

– lead guitars, backing vocals Additional personnel * Charles Foley – backing vocals * John O'Boyle – bass guitar * Paul McNamara – keyboards, synthesizer (Moog), backing vocals on "God Damn Evil" * Danny Bernini – percussion, recording and engineering * Matthew Bachand – death growl on "Take It to the Cross" * Tyler Murello – backing vocals on "God Damn Evil" * Kenny Lewis - additional editing

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2018 albums Stryper albums Obscenity controversies in music Naming controversies Christianity in popular culture controversies