STRYPER: 'Second Coming' First-Week Sales Revealed

"Second Coming", a collection of re-recorded versions of classic songs from Christian rockers STRYPER, sold around 4,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 117 on The Billboard 200 chart. Produced by frontman Michael Sweet, the CD contains a total of 16 cuts — two from "The Yellow And Black Attack", six from "Soldiers Under Command", six from "To Hell With The Devil", as well as two new tracks, "Bleeding From Inside Out" and "Blackened".

STRYPER's covers album, 2011's "The Covering", sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 175 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's last collection of new material, 2009's "Murder By Pride", opened with 5,900 units to land at No. 73.

Commented Sweet: "We're really excited about ['Second Coming']. The re-recorded songs are sounding awesome... better than the originals in many ways! One word to describe the record? Heavier."

He added: "Why did we re-record old songs? That's a multiple-answer question.

"First, because we wanted to cut out the middle men and have a little more control over our own songs.

"Second, we wanted to 'fix' some things that have annoyed the 'hell' out of us for the past 30 years such as: no bass in the mix of 'The Yellow And Black Attack' or 'Soldiers Under Command', and no Tim [Gaines, bass] on the mix of 'To Hell With The Devil'. The fact that I sound a little more like a man instead of a helium-induced kid at Disneyland. :-) The sheer joy of still loving these songs and still being able to perform these songs (well, we'll let the experts be the judge of that). And last but not certainly least? We did it just because we wanted to :-)

"So there you go, the mystery is over and the reasons have been revealed.

"Seriously, we're really excited about this record. It's one of the few re-records that I believe will stand against any of the originals if not surpass them.

"If you liked 'The Covering', you'll love 'Second Coming'!"

"Second Coming" track listing:

01. Loud N' Clear
02. Loving You
03. Soldiers Under Command
04. Makes Me Wanna Sing
05. First Love
06. The Rock That Makes Me Roll
07. Reach Out
08. Surrender
09. To Hell With The Devil
10. Calling On You
11. Free
12. The Way
13. Sing Along Song
14. More Than A Man
15. Bleeding From Inside Out (new track)
16. Blackened (new track)

Check out the "Second Coming" EPK (Electronic Press Kit) below.

STRYPER's covers album, "The Covering", was unlike any previous STRYPER recording in that it was a collection of cover songs from bands that inspired them and helped to shape their sound and musical identity, including hits from JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, LED ZEPPELIN, KANSAS and many others. "The Covering" also included "God", a new original recording from STRYPER.

Photo credit: Tina Enos