No Substitute

Editor’s Note: For the past few weeks, we’ve been taking a look at new(er) albums from classic artists.

The Altar Boys were Christian music’s number one 80s punk band, thanks in part to the exposure given to them by Degarmo & Key during their 1988 Rock Solid tour.

But the Altar Boys released just one more album after the ’88 tour. Lead singer Mike Stand made a second solo album, and went onto start another band, Clash of Symbols for the 90s; and a rockabilly band called Altar Billies for the 2000s. But in 2018, the boys got back together again to record their long-lost project––what would have been their follow up album to 1989’s Forever Mercy––and their first album in nearly 30 years, No Substitute.

I have to admit, when I first heard Stryper’s comeback album in 2004, I was a bit disappointed because they traded in their traditional sound for something modern. And because of that, I haven’t bought any of their albums since. Now, I can understand why they would want to do this, but any remnants of the old Stryper that we love was put on the shelf back when the band went on hiatus in 1991. I feared this same thing would happen to the Altar Boys. Even if No Substitute was an unfinished album from the early 90s, they could have decided to make the updated version modern. But I was pleasantly surprised that they kept to the album’s original intented sound, as if they took it out of a time capsule, and the result is their best album ever.

In fact, this is so good, that each song could have been a hit. On a very rare occasion is an album 100-percent pure hit material; and on an even rarer occasion (I believe White Heart did this) is every single song on an album released for radio. But if this had been released during the early 90s as it was originally intended, I’m sure every song could have been released for radio; and if so, every one would have hit the top of the charts, and the album would have shot straight to number 1.

I don’t remember how the album actually fared when it was released in 2018, but I seem to recall it did surprisingly well for an 80s band reunion on a small label. And there’s no wonder why. When you hear Mike Stand’s story on how this project all came together, it was obvious God’s hand was in it, and that it was blessed. I think this is a project that God wanted to make sure got finished, and when it did, I’m sure it made God smile.

Now if they had only recorded the album release concert with Crumbacher…