A couple years ago, classic Christian rock band Petra pulled together for a special 50th anniversary tour. It brought back founding guitarist/songwriter Bob Hartman with powerhouse vocalist John Schlitt, along with their longest-tenured keyboardist John Lawry and a rhythm section composed of bassist Greg Bailey (who was with the band when they initially retired) and drummer Christian Borneo. As they traveled the globe and kept playing show after show, apparently something clicked and they decided to write and record a new studio album. When the news broke, many fans were surprised. It had been over 20 years since their last studio album of all-original material. There had been several reunion tours with different iterations of the band since (as well as an album of re-recorded hits called Back to the Rock), but as the years went on, many lost hope that Petra would ever release another all-new record...

A few years ago, I came across a collection of Larry Norman Christmas songs, called Christmastime. I would have never pegged Norman as the type to do a Christmas album, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the record. I kept that experience in mind when it was announced that Stryper was releasing their first-ever Christmas album. The Greatest Gift of All is a 10-track offering with half of the tracks being traditional classics (like "Silent Night" or "Little Drummer Boy"), and the other half being original seasonal tunes (along with a remake of their '80s track, "Reason for the Season"). The result is a yuletide soundtrack blasting in hair metal glory. Like Norman before them, can Stryper pull off a rock version of Christmas?...

The island of Ireland (home to two separate countries at present) has, throughout its history, been known for eras of political upheaval, economic misfortune, substance abuse, natural disasters, and truly gloomy weather. And so, it's a cosmic irony that it has also produced some of the most joyful music any culture has fashioned. The playful stomping rhythms and melodic play of fiddles and pipes is a true counterpoint to the island's long, ofttimes, downtrodden history...