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Soldiers Under Command

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Soldiers Under Command
Studio album by
Stryper
ReleasedAugust 23, 1985 [1]
Studios
Genres
Length45:02
LabelEnigma
ProducerMichael Wagener
Stryper chronology
The Yellow & Black Attack!
(1984)		 Soldiers Under Command
(1985)		 To Hell with the Devil
(1986)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStar[2]
Kerrang!StarStarStarHalf star[3]
Jesus Freak HideoutStarStarStarStar[4]

Soldiers Under Command is the second release, and first full-length studio album from Christian metal band Stryper, released on August 23, 1985.[5] It was the first Christian metal album to achieve Gold record status, selling more than half a million copies. The album was originally issued on white vinyl. The Live in Japan in-concert video, released in 1986, was filmed on July 8, 1985, during Stryper's tour in support of this album.

A music video of the title track was released.

The inspirational verse for this album is 2 Timothy 2:3–4.[citation needed]

The album's commercial performance directly influenced the recording of Stryper's follow-up, To Hell with the Devil. By January 1987, Soldiers Under Command had surpassed 400,000 in sales, leading Enigma Records to provide the band with greater resources for their next record. Robert Sweet noted the resulting pressure: "Everybody was really expecting something good after 'Soldiers.'"[6]

Track listing

[edit]

All songs written by Michael Sweet, except where noted.

  1. "Soldiers Under Command" (Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet) – 5:03
  2. "Makes Me Wanna Sing" – 2:51
  3. "Together Forever" – 4:03
  4. "First Love" – 5:43
  5. "The Rock That Makes Me Roll" – 4:56
  6. "Reach Out" (M. Sweet, R. Sweet) – 5:21
  7. "(Waiting for) A Love That's Real" – 4:36
  8. "Together as One" – 5:01
  9. "Surrender" – 4:28
  10. "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (Julia Ward Howe) – 2:36

Personnel

[edit]

Stryper

  • Michael Sweet – lead vocals, backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, guitar solos (on tracks 4–7)
  • Oz Fox – lead and rhythm guitars, guitar solos (on tracks 2–6, 9), backing vocals
  • Tim Gaines – keyboards and bass (1–7, 9, 10), backing vocals (8)
  • Robert Sweet – drums

Additional musicians

  • John Van Tongeren – keyboards, acoustic piano and bass (8)
  • Christopher Currell – Synclavier programming (10)
  • Doris Castenada – backing vocals (10)
  • Linda Mullen – backing vocals (10)
  • Tammy Thomas – backing vocals (10)

Production

[edit]
  • Michael Wagener – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Bryan Ayuso – album design
  • John Scarpati – photography
  • Anne Revenge – additional photography

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1985) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[7] 78
US Billboard 200[8]84
US Top Christian Albums (Billboard)[9]5

Certifications

[edit]
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[10] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Christensen, Brett. "Stryper: 'Soldiers Under Command'". Official Stryper Website. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  2. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Soldiers Under Command - Stryper". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  3. ↑ Johnson, Howard (October 17, 1985). "Kutz: Heaven's on Fire. Stryper — Soldiers Under Command". Kerrang!. No. 105. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 22. ISSN 0262-6624.
  4. ↑ "Stryper, "Soldiers Under Command" Review". www.jesusfreakhideout.com. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
  5. ↑ Christensen, Brett (August 1, 2023). "August 23, 1985, Stryper releases the album "Soldiers under Command"". Official Stryper Website. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ Lewis, Randy (January 2, 1987). "Stryper's Hard Rock Is Soft Sell". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  7. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  8. ↑ "Stryper Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Stryper Chart History (Christian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "American album certifications – Stryper – Soldiers Under Command". Recording Industry Association of America.
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