Murder by Pride is the eighth studio album by Stryper

Stryper

Stryper is a Christian glam metal band from Orange County, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet , Oz Fox , Tim Gaines , and Robert Sweet...

. The first single for the album, "Peace of Mind

Peace of Mind (Boston song)

"Peace of Mind" is a song by Boston from their debut 1976 self-titled album. It was released the next year as the third and final single from the album. As a single, the song peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977...

", debuted at #27 on Christianrock.net on October 24, 2008 and peaked at #1 on February 22, 2009. The track is a cover version

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

, originally performed by Boston

Boston (band)

Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...

. Michael Sweet

Michael Sweet

Michael Sweet is a singer from Whittier, California, United States. Sweet is best known as co-founder, writer and frontman of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. He was also one of the two lead vocalists and one of three guitarists for Boston until August 2011.-Youth:He began his musical career...

 is currently a touring member of the legendary seventies' band.

Starting May 5, the band announced to release a song per week on iTunes

ITunes

iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

 up until July 21. As each new song was released, the previous one would no longer be available until the full album was released.

Robert Sweet

Robert Sweet (musician)

Robert Lee Sweet is the drummer of the Christian metal band Stryper. He and his brother Michael originally founded the band as Roxx or Roxx Regime. Robert became known as the "Visual Time Keeper" for his wild drumming and captivating drum kits...

 did not play on the album as the drum parts were provided by Kenny Aronoff

Kenny Aronoff

Kenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...

. However, Robert Sweet was present on the tour that supported the record, as well as the commemoration of Stryper's 25th anniversary.

Stylistically, Michael Sweet has commented, that "after years of speaking to fans and hearing comments like 'more guitars,' 'more solos' and 'more screams,' I decided to keep those suggestions in mind as I wrote each song. It was important to me to try to get back to that early sound of STRYPER yet at the same time, to remain relevant today. It's certainly not an easy thing to do, but as I listen to Murder by Pride, I think that was accomplished."

Reception

The album charted well debuting on the following Billboard charts:

• #73 on the Billboard 200
• #32 on Rock Albums
• #2 on Christian Albums
• #13 on Independent Albums
• #11 on Hard Rock Albums

Track listing

All tracks written by Michael Sweet

Michael Sweet

Michael Sweet is a singer from Whittier, California, United States. Sweet is best known as co-founder, writer and frontman of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. He was also one of the two lead vocalists and one of three guitarists for Boston until August 2011.-Youth:He began his musical career...

, except "Peace of Mind", written by Tom Scholz

Tom Scholz

Donald Thomas "Tom" Scholz is an American rock musician, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, inventor, and mechanical engineer, best known as the founder of the hard rock band Boston. He is also the inventor of the Rockman guitar amplifier...

.

1. Eclipse of the Son - 5:05
2. 4 Leaf Clover - 3:41
3. Peace of Mind
   Peace of Mind (Boston song)
   "Peace of Mind" is a song by Boston from their debut 1976 self-titled album. It was released the next year as the third and final single from the album. As a single, the song peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977...
   
    (Boston
   Boston (band)
   Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...
   
    cover) - 3:59
4. Alive - 3:36
5. The Plan - 3:11
6. Murder by Pride - 3:18
7. Mercy Over Blame - 4:10
8. I Believe - 3:43
9. Run in You - 4:15
10. Love is Why - 4:08
11. Everything - 4:25
12. My Love (I'll Always Show) - 3:15
13. My Love My Life My Flame - 4:08 (bonus track)

Stryper

• Michael Sweet
  Michael Sweet
  Michael Sweet is a singer from Whittier, California, United States. Sweet is best known as co-founder, writer and frontman of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. He was also one of the two lead vocalists and one of three guitarists for Boston until August 2011.-Youth:He began his musical career...
  
   - Lead vocals, guitar
• Oz Fox
  Oz Fox
  Richard Alfonso Martinez , better known by the stage name Oz Fox, is the lead guitarist of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. Martinez's high school friends called him Oz in honor of Ozzy Osbourne due to his ability to emulate the vocals of Osbourne while playing Black Sabbath covers in his...
  
   - Lead guitar, background vocals
• Tracy Ferrie
  Tracy Ferrie
  Tracy Ferrie is one of two current bass players of Christian metal band Stryper. He was formerly the bass player for Michael Sweet's solo band and also a member of the bands Electrik, Sally Steele, Seraiah, Whitecross, Guardian, Rebecca St. James, Plumb, SONICFLOOd and Strange Celebrity...
  
  - Bass