STRYPER The Greatest Gift of All

Released: November 21, 2025 (Frontiers SRL)

4.5/5

Written by: Jay Heilman (11/20/2025)

I have to admit, my relationship with holiday music has become a bit strained over the years. While I genuinely appreciate the season—specifically the Biblical-focused songs that honor the true meaning of Christmas—the commercial side of the radio dial has become unbearable. To be blunt, hearing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” on an infinite loop in every store I enter has almost ruined the season’s music for me entirely. So, when I say it is genuinely cool to finally have some holiday tunes released that I can actually enjoy, I mean it.

That saving grace has arrived in the form of The Greatest Gift of All, the very first full-length Christmas album from the legendary Christian metal outfit, STRYPER.

Let’s get this out of the way immediately: this album is long overdue. Fans have been clamoring for a full holiday project for decades, but the result is absolutely well worth the wait. Rather than producing a sleepy collection of crooner classics, the band has successfully injected their staple heavy rock and metal sound into the holiday spirit.

The structure of the album is balanced perfectly. It is split roughly down the middle, featuring one half of traditional tunes and the other half comprised of originals. For the die-hard fans who have been following the band since the MTV era, there is a fantastic nod to their history here. Two of the “originals” present on the album—”Reason for the Season” and their cover of “Winter Wonderland”—will sound familiar. These tracks originally appeared as bonus tracks on the 1986 re-issue of their debut EP, The Yellow and Black Attack. Hearing them revitalized within the context of a full Christmas record is a treat.

Performance-wise, the band is firing on all cylinders. Michael Sweet’s voice has, quite honestly, never sounded better. He attacks these songs with a power and clarity that gives totally new life and energy to the traditional hymns, preventing them from sounding dusty or dated. The musical backbone is just as strong, with Oz Fox’s signature guitar work, Perry Richardson’s solid bass lines, and Robert Sweet’s thunderous percussion rounding out the sound. They manage to make “Silent Night” sound heavy without losing its reverence, which is no small feat.

In closing, if you are looking for something different than the slow, ballad-type holiday tunes that we are so used to hearing every December, this record is a must-have. The Greatest Gift of All is a breath of fresh air, offering a unique, energetic sound that only STRYPER can deliver.