Stryper
Encyclopedia
Stryper is a Christian
Christian metal
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...

 glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...

 band from Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet
Michael Sweet
Michael Sweet is a singer from Whittier, California, United States. Sweet is best known as co-founder, writer and frontman of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. He was also one of the two lead vocalists and one of three guitarists for Boston until August 2011.-Youth:He began his musical career...

 (lead vocals, guitar), Oz Fox
Oz Fox
Richard Alfonso Martinez , better known by the stage name Oz Fox, is the lead guitarist of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. Martinez's high school friends called him Oz in honor of Ozzy Osbourne due to his ability to emulate the vocals of Osbourne while playing Black Sabbath covers in his...

 (guitar), Tim Gaines
Tim Gaines
Timothy Gaines is bass guitar player of the Christian metal band Stryper.-With Stryper:Being a Sunset Strip regular, Tim joined the band in 1983, and quickly rounded out the quartet's sound with his bass, background vocals and keyboard skills...

 (bass guitar), and Robert Sweet
Robert Sweet
Robert Sweet may refer to:* Robert Sweet , English botanist, horticulturist and ornithologist* Robert Sweet , American drummer* Robert W. Sweet, U.S. federal judge...

 (drums). In 2004, Gaines left the band and was replaced by Tracy Ferrie
Tracy Ferrie
Tracy Ferrie is one of two current bass players of Christian metal band Stryper. He was formerly the bass player for Michael Sweet's solo band and also a member of the bands Electrik, Sally Steele, Seraiah, Whitecross, Guardian, Rebecca St. James, Plumb, SONICFLOOd and Strange Celebrity...

 (bass guitar) but rejoined in 2009.

Formed in 1983 as Roxx Regime, they would change their message and name to Stryper to go on to be the first Christian rock band to be recognized by the mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....

. In 1983, they were signed by Enigma Records and released their first album The Yellow and Black Attack
The Yellow and Black Attack
The Yellow and Black Attack is the first release from the Christian metal band Stryper. No singles were released from this six-song EP, and fewer than 20,000 copies were pressed, as their label, Enigma Records, was unsure of the potential market for Christian metal...

. By the mid-1980s, Stryper saw their most successful period starting with the release of To Hell with the Devil
To Hell with the Devil
To Hell with the Devil is the Grammy Award nominated third release, and second full-length album, by the Christian metal and glam metal band Stryper, released in 1986 . It was both the first Contemporary Christian and Christian metal album to achieve Platinum status, selling over one million copies...

, which achieved Platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...

 sales status. Stryper would go on to release two more Gold albums before breaking up in 1992. In 2003, Stryper came out of retirement for a reunion tour and subsequently signed a multi-album contract with Big3 Records in 2005.

Origin of name

The name "Stryper" derives from the King James Version of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

. "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." The reference, Isaiah 53:5, is frequently included as part of their logo. Stryper's drummer, Robert Sweet, also created a backronym
Backronym
A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....

 for their name: "salvation through redemption, yielding peace, encouragement and righteousness".

Foundation and mainstream success (1975-1990)

The Sweet brothers became Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

s in 1975, but began to pull away from this faith. They played in a band called "Parliament and Kirkadelic" (cf. Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...

), which received critical acclaim from the southern California rock community, causing lead singer Clayton Kirk to quit the band. The Sweet brothers rejoined the church after their friend Kenny Metcalf (who later became the original touring keyboardist for Stryper) persuaded them to do so.

Inspired by bands such as Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...

, but distressed by their message, they sought to form a band that would extol their worldview and beliefs. Stryper was originally known as Roxx Regime and composed of brothers Michael Sweet
Michael Sweet
Michael Sweet is a singer from Whittier, California, United States. Sweet is best known as co-founder, writer and frontman of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. He was also one of the two lead vocalists and one of three guitarists for Boston until August 2011.-Youth:He began his musical career...

 on lead vocals and lead guitar and Robert Sweet
Robert Sweet (musician)
Robert Lee Sweet is the drummer of the Christian metal band Stryper. He and his brother Michael originally founded the band as Roxx or Roxx Regime. Robert became known as the "Visual Time Keeper" for his wild drumming and captivating drum kits...

 on drums. Eric Johnson played bass. They were originally a trio. A number of guitarists had played with Roxx Regime/Stryper, including C.C. DeVille and Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich , is a Los Angeles-based hard rock guitarist, since 2003 a member of Whitesnake. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St.John in 1998 and has played previously with the bands Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, and Bad Moon Rising...

. Oz Fox eventually joined the band. Before Oz Fox joined the band, a number of guitarists had played with Roxx Regime/Stryper, including Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...

's C.C. DeVille. The name "Stryper" was adopted when bassist Tim Gaines
Tim Gaines
Timothy Gaines is bass guitar player of the Christian metal band Stryper.-With Stryper:Being a Sunset Strip regular, Tim joined the band in 1983, and quickly rounded out the quartet's sound with his bass, background vocals and keyboard skills...

 joined the band. The name "Stryper" first came when they were recording from a passage in Isaiah "by his stripes we are healed." Shortly afterward, they released the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 The Yellow and Black Attack
The Yellow and Black Attack
The Yellow and Black Attack is the first release from the Christian metal band Stryper. No singles were released from this six-song EP, and fewer than 20,000 copies were pressed, as their label, Enigma Records, was unsure of the potential market for Christian metal...

 on July 21, 1984. During this period, Stryper opened for bands like Ratt
Ratt
Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...

 and Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...

, leading some fans and critics to claim that they were not a true Christian band. Stryper's first full-length album, Soldiers Under Command
Soldiers Under Command
Soldiers Under Command is the second release, and first full-length studio album from Christian metal band Stryper, released in 1985 . It was the first Christian metal album to achieve Gold record status, selling more than half a million copies...

 released on May 15, 1985, was the band's first gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...

. Capitalizing on this unexpected success and in an attempt to make up for the EP's extremely limited release (less than 20,000 copies), their record label, Enigma
Enigma Records
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...

, re-released The Yellow and Black Attack on August 10, 1986 with two new tracks and new cover artwork.

Stryper's third album, To Hell with the Devil
To Hell with the Devil
To Hell with the Devil is the Grammy Award nominated third release, and second full-length album, by the Christian metal and glam metal band Stryper, released in 1986 . It was both the first Contemporary Christian and Christian metal album to achieve Platinum status, selling over one million copies...

, was released on October 24, 1986 and went platinum after spending three months on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

s album charts, eventually selling more than 2 million copies. In addition to being Stryper's most successful record, it was both the first contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...

 and Christian metal
Christian metal
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...

 album to achieve this feat. "Calling on You", "Free" and "Honestly" were hugely popular MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

 hits in 1987—so much so, that "Free" and "Honestly" both became most-requested songs on the show, Dial MTV. They were also the second Christian band to get any airplay on MTV, Degarmo & Key were the first with their release of the song "666".
"Honestly" is Stryper's highest-charting song, peaking at No. 23 on the Top 40 charts. The album received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

 nomination.

Bassist Tim Gaines did not participate in the recording of this album, and for a short period of time prior to the release of the record he was replaced by another bass player, Matt Hurich. Hurich was not with the band more than a month, although he was outfitted with a Yellow & Black striped bass and a racing costume that was later handed down to Tim Gaines, who did not wear it often because it was too small. Brad Cobb played bass on the album. However, when the promotional photos for the album were being shot, Gaines decided to return to the band and participated in its successful world tour. In 1987 the band headlined the Dynamo Open Air Festival in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. There is one To Hell with the Devil promotional photo of the band with Matt Hurich that was used in print advertisements. Prior to his time in Stryper, Matt was in the band Leatherwolf
Leatherwolf
Leatherwolf is an American heavy metal band that formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1981. The group is also nicknamed the 'Triple Axe Attack' for pioneering the use of a 3-guitar line-up in heavy metal...

. In 1989 he performed with his Stryper bass in the group Divine Right who featured Kevin Brandow (Petra) on lead vocals and guitar.

In 1986 Brent Jeffers replaced Kenny Metcalf on Keyboards and toured with Stryper until 1990.

Their next album, In God We Trust, released on June 28, 1988, also went gold, and the song "Always There for You" briefly entered the lower levels of the pop charts peaking at No. 71 though it was another massive hit on MTV. However, the sound of the album was more pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

-oriented than previous releases and a number of critics, as well as Stryper fans, criticized the songs as being too commercial and over-produced. In addition, the image of the band was moving even closer to the glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...

 look of the era, giving fans something else to criticize. These factors led to lower sales, and the album spent only 5 weeks charting on Billboard. The second single & video "I Believe in You" peaked at No. 88 and a third single "Keep the Fire Burning" failed to chart at all. As with the previous album, Tim Gaines did not participate in the recording of In God We Trust and Brad Cobb once again played bass, but later Tim Gaines rejoined the group for another world tour. In God We Trust also garnered two GMA
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...

 Dove Awards for "Hard Music Album" and "Hard Music Song" for the title track.

Decline, break-up and solo projects (1990-1999)

On August 21, 1990, Stryper released the controversial album Against the Law
Against the Law (album)
Against the Law is the fifth release, and fourth full-length album, from the Christian metal band Stryper, released on August 21, 1990 ....

, which drastically changed the band's image and lyrical message. While their earlier albums all had yellow and black colors in the covers and the lyrics spoke of God and salvation, Against the Law featured the band with black leather clothes and with no mention of the word "God" in the lyrics at all. The band's musical sound was also heavier, closer to classic metal
Classic metal
Traditional heavy metal, also known as classic metal or simply heavy metal, is the seminal genre of heavy metal music before the genre "evolved and splintered into many different styles and subgenres."- Terminology:...

. Drummer Robert Sweet said that the change of image and sound was in response to the criticism of the previous album and an attempt to leave behind their glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...

 image. The album sold poorly. This was partly due to rumors in the press (both mainstream and Christian) that Stryper's music was trending towards a more mainstream sound as their Christian faith weakened. Fans would wonder why they covered the 1975 Earth Wind & Fire's "Shining Star". The video for it would not be a hit on MTV, the first Stryper video that was not. Two other videos followed for "Two Time Woman" and "Lady" which generated minimal airplay. However, many critics still considered the album to be Stryper's best musical production to date.

On July 20, 1991, after being signed to Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...

, Stryper released a greatest hits collection called Can't Stop the Rock
Can't Stop the Rock
Can't Stop the Rock is the sixth release, and first compilation album, from the Christian metal band Stryper, released in 1991 ....

, which featured two new songs. One of which was the Gulf War inspired "Believe". The band continued to tour until February 1992, when frontman Michael Sweet departed the band citing artistic differences and to pursue a solo career.

Stryper continued as a trio for several European dates. Sometime during this period while touring with the Christian band Bride
Bride (band)
Bride is a Christian heavy metal/hard rock band formed in the 80s, by brothers Dale and Troy Thompson. During the band's peak years it was known for covering a wide range of musical styles and remains popular in places like Brazil...

, Dale Thompson would fill in at vocals. It was during one of the concerts that Robert Sweet unexpectedly announced that Bride's frontman Dale Thompson was going to be their new lead singer. This, however, was later denied by Thompson. Upon returning to the United States, the remaining members decided to go their separate ways.

Oz Fox and Tim Gaines formed their own band, SinDizzy
Sindizzy
SinDizzy is Christian metal band co-founded by former Stryper members Oz Fox and Tim Gaines. The band was founded in the mid 1990s after Stryper had disbanded. Its members included young drummer and lead guitarist...

, and released the album He's Not Dead in 1998. During the 1990s, Michael Sweet released four solo albums which were hugely successful in the Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....

 market. Drummer Robert Sweet played in several bands, among them Blissed, who released an album in 2002.

Other bands include King James
King James (band)
King James is a metal/rock supergroup formed in 1993 by guitarist Rex Carroll . He joined former Sacred Fire frontman, Jimi Bennett to form the band. Some time later, they recruited Tim Gaines and Robert Sweet, of Stryper, and released their first album in 1994. The band supported the album with...

, dbeality, Final Axe, and The Seventh Power.

Reunion (1999-2005)

The former members of Stryper first reunited in 1999, when Michael Sweet and SinDizzy were invited to play at a summer rock festival
Rock festival
A rock festival, or a rock fest, is a large-scale rock music concert, featuring multiple acts.The first rock festivals were put on in the late 1960s and were important socio-cultural milestones. In the 1980s a minor resurgence of festivals occurred with charity as the goal.Today, they are often...

 in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

. As an encore
Encore (concert)
An encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert, from the French "encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the...

, Sweet joined Oz Fox and Tim Gaines on stage and played several Stryper songs. Later, in 2000, the first "Stryper Expo" was held in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, and for the first time in 8 years the complete line-up of Stryper took the stage. That same year, a concert was held in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

 at which the four members played together. A second "Stryper Expo" took place in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 in 2001.

Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...

 asked the former members of Stryper to record tracks for a new greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...

 compilation in 2003 7: The Best of Stryper. The compilation was released with two new songs, "Something" and "For You", marking Stryper's first new music since the early 1990s. A tour followed in support. The band played 36 shows in the United States and finished the tour in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...

. A live album, titled 7 Weeks: Live in America, 2003
7 Weeks: Live in America, 2003
7 Weeks: Live in America, 2003 is the first live album released by Christian metal band Stryper. Released on May 18, 2004, it was recorded during the band's reunion tour in 2003. A live DVD, titled Stryper: Live in Puerto Rico was recorded during the band's sold out show in San Juan, Puerto Rico...

, was released the following year, and the concert in Puerto Rico was filmed for a live DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

 produced and directed by Jack Edward Sawyers. However, that show in Puerto Rico proved to be the last for the original line-up of Stryper. Gaines left the band in 2004 before they were slated to play Disney's Night of Joy in Orlando
Night of Joy (festival)
Night of Joy is an annual contemporary Christian music festival that takes place at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. It started in 1983 and normally takes place in the first or second week of September. The event was held at the Magic Kingdom until 2008, when it was moved to Disney's Hollywood...

. Michael's bassist on his previous solo tours, Tracy Ferrie
Tracy Ferrie
Tracy Ferrie is one of two current bass players of Christian metal band Stryper. He was formerly the bass player for Michael Sweet's solo band and also a member of the bands Electrik, Sally Steele, Seraiah, Whitecross, Guardian, Rebecca St. James, Plumb, SONICFLOOd and Strange Celebrity...

, replaced him.

After the "Night of Joy" show and with new found energy, Stryper decided to go back into the studio to record a new CD, Reborn and another tour followed in the fall of 2004.

Stryper's next album, Reborn, was released on August 16, 2005, and was the band's first full-length CD of original material in 15 years. The new album received a positive response from fans and critics, some of whom labeled Reborn as one of the best albums of that year. With a more modern sound incorporating aspects of alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 and grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...

, along with fewer guitar solos, the new record updates their style while keeping the Stryper identity, though a few songs do have a familiar sound to Michael's solo recordings. In fact, he had originally written the album with the intent of releasing it as a solo project. The lyrics also have returned to the band's familiar themes of God and salvation.

In 2006, the band released the DVD Greatest Hits: Live in Puerto Rico with Music Video Distributors.

New album and back on the road (2006-present)

In November 2006, Stryper announced new management. They also announced a follow-up to Reborn tentatively due in spring/summer 2007. However, that February saw lead singer Michael Sweet postponing the release of the new album two days before its recording was to begin. Sweet's wife Kyle had been diagnosed with stage four
Cancer staging
The stage of a cancer is a description of the extent the cancer has spread. The stage often takes into account the size of a tumor, how deeply it has penetrated, whether it has invaded adjacent organs, how many lymph nodes it has metastasized to , and whether it has spread to distant organs...

 ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....

, and the new album was put on hold so that he could care for his family and ailing wife. She underwent surgery and treatment from February 14 to July 14. In April 2008, Kyle announced that her cancer had returned as of October 2007. The new album was in the mixing stage as of January 2008, and Sweet said that it should be released in July or August.

Michael Sweet performed with the band Boston
Boston (band)
Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...

 in 2007 and was asked to join the band as co-lead vocalist and guitarist and toured with Boston in 2008 with Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....

 as the opening act.

On March 5, 2009, Michael Sweet's wife, Kyle, died from cancer. Murder by Pride
Murder by Pride
Murder by Pride is the eighth studio album by Stryper. The first single for the album, "Peace of Mind", debuted at #27 on Christianrock.net on October 24, 2008 and peaked at #1 on February 22, 2009. The track is a cover version, originally performed by Boston...

 was released on July 21, 2009; with the lead single "Peace of Mind" preceding it.

In addition to still playing in Stryper, Oz Fox is also one of the guitarists in the Christian metal band Bloodgood
Bloodgood
Bloodgood is a Christian metal band from Seattle, Washington. Originally formed in 1984 and by 1988 represented one of the four largest Christian metal bands alongside Barren Cross, Whitecross, and Leviticus....

, who was also a frontrunner in the early '80s Christian metal scene.

Since late 2008, Tim Gaines has played bass in concert with Tourniquet
Tourniquet (band)
Tourniquet is a Christian thrash / heavy metal band that was formed in 1989 by Ted Kirkpatrick, Guy Ritter and Gary Lenaire in Los Angeles, California, USA. They are known for incorporating elements of thrash, neo-classical and progressive metal into their music...

. The band has since added the song "To Hell With The Devil" to their set list to highlight Tim's involvement. Recently, Oz Fox joined Tourniquet on stage in Germany to perform the same song.

The Covering

It was announced on July 13, 2010, that The Covering would be the name of Stryper's latest album, tentatively scheduled for release October 13 from Big3 Records/SONY. The album is a collection of twelve cover songs from bands that inspired Stryper and helped to shape the band's sound and musical identity, including past hits from Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

, Kansas
Kansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...

 and many others. The Covering also includes "God", a new original recording. On September 14, 2010, it was announced that the album's first single, a cover of Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

's hit "Heaven and Hell", was available for download on iTunes. The album was released on February 15, 2011.

Music and image

During 1980s, Stryper represented the popular glam metal style for the time which is characterized by highly visual performances, twin guitar solos, Michael Sweet's high-pitched, multi-octave screams and big hair
Big hair
thumb|[[Dolly Parton]] in 1983.Big hair is a term that can refer to hairstyles that emphasize large volume or largely styled hair, especially when those styles make the hair occupy a large amount of space above and around the head...

. A trademark of the band's stage act was drummer Robert Sweet's practice of turning his enormous drum kit sideways to the audience so that the crowd could see him playing. This is why Robert was more often called a "visual timekeeper" rather than a drummer. A characteristic element of the band was that all their outfits, sets, and instruments were painted in yellow and black stripes. The number of the stripes represented in various stage props and costumes increased during the show, leading up to In God We Trust, when drummer Robert Sweet would also have his drums painted in yellow and black. The band would explain the symbolism of the stripes: a direct reference to the whiplash scourges given by Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...

 to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

, derived from the King James Version of the Bible's Isaiah 53:5.

Apart from its ubiquitous yellow and black stripes, Stryper had other distinctive trademarks. During concerts, Stryper threw Bibles to the concert crowd—specifically editions of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....

 with the band's logo stickers affixed to them. As a protest against "666
Number of the Beast
The Number of the Beast is a term in the Book of Revelation, of the New Testament, that is associated with the first Beast of Revelation chapter 13, the Beast of the sea. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of the Bible, the number of the Beast is...

" symbols popular among many heavy metal fans of the era, Robert Sweet promoted an alternative numerological symbol; Stryper's trademark use of the "777" symbol subsequently became quite popular among Christian metalheads. Although the number "777" is not actually referenced by the Bible (as opposed to 666, which is famously mentioned in The Book of Revelation as The Number of the Beast) the number "7" is traditionally (in Christian symbolism) associated with divine perfection. Some of the band's stage sets included the crossed out symbols of "devil" and "666".

The Los Angeles Times reported in 1985 that "the band gets sullen fans of Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from Long Island. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands...

 cheering and poking stubby 'one way' fingers heavenward—a refutation of the double-fingered 'devil horns
Corna
The sign of the horns is a hand gesture with a variety of meanings and uses in various cultures. It is formed by extending the index and little fingers while holding the middle and ring fingers down with the thumb.-Superstition:...

' salute of many metal groups".

Legacy

Stryper is recognized as the first openly Christian heavy metal band to gain recognition in the mainstream music world. Their message of salvation has also made them popular with some elements of the media. Mark Joseph
Mark Joseph (producer)
Mark Joseph is a multimedia producer, author, and founder/CEO of MJM Entertainment Group and Bully! Pulpit. He lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and five children.-Early life and education:Mr...

 states "The Yellow and Black Attack was propelled by the group's success in Japan, which was largely due to an endorsement of the band by famed rock critic Masa Itoh
Masanori Ito (music critic)
is a Japanese music critic and radio personality, better known as Seisoku Ito or Masa Ito. His work is specialized in heavy metal and hard rock, and he is known as the leading music critic of Japan in this field. He has been quick to introduce new heavy metal bands to Japan, through writing for...

, the man who ruled the Japanese hard rock/metal scene, who many fans looked to for his evaluation of bands. Itoh had heard of Stryper, gotten in touch with their manager Daryn Hinton
Daryn Hinton
Daryn Hinton born in Santa Monica, California, raised in the Hollywood entertainment industry. Hinton had a spiritual conversion and left the Hollywood connections behind to pursue her new found faith.-Family and background:...

, and liked what he heard. When he gave the band a positive review in Japan's heavy metal bible Burrn! magazine and played the album on his radio show, Stryper suddenly found themselves at the top of the metal heap in Japan with a record that was outselling Motley Crue
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...

, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...

, and every other metal band."
This led to the band signing with CBS Sony
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....

 in Japan.

Stryper has not been free of controversy. Many Christian critics did not approve of the group's association with the heavy metal subculture, which has often been associated with Satanic
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...

 imagery. Other Christian detractors viewed the band's flashy costumes as incongruous with the modesty in dress often associated with sincere practitioners of devout Christianity. Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...

 was a particularly prominent critic, likening Stryper's practice of distributing the New Testament at their shows to "casting pearls before swine". A 1985 CCM magazine article by Chris Willman, who was also writing for the Los Angeles Times, stated that "Stryper was the target of scattered picketing, boycott threats, and righteous denunciations". For example, concert-goers were often greeted by protesters armed with bullhorns and distribution of Gospel tracts. "It was just like if Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...

 was there. They gave us the same treatment, laughs Daryn Hinton."

In 1990, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

 magazine reported that the band had become disillusioned with Christian music. This, combined with a notable shift in tone in the band's lyrics, led to Against the Law
Against the Law (album)
Against the Law is the fifth release, and fourth full-length album, from the Christian metal band Stryper, released on August 21, 1990 ....

 being banned from many Christian bookstores. The Benson Company, Stryper's sole tie to the Christian market, dropped this album from distribution. Swaggart's condemnation may not have been a surprise, however, as Stryper was supported by the rival Jim Bakker
Jim Bakker
James Orsen "Jim" Bakker is an American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television program.A sex scandal led to his resignation from the ministry...

 ministries, who are thanked on several Stryper albums.

Stryper has sold over 10 million recordings worldwide, and it is estimated that two-thirds of their albums were bought by non-Christians. 2011 Stryper won the readers choice award for Best Christian / Gospel Artists & Bands. Kim Jones of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....

 states "With 44% of the vote, hard rock legends Stryper beat out all of their competition to be named the Best Christian Hard Rock Band, bringing to mind the old adage, 'like a fine wine, some things just get better with age.'"

Ian Christe
Ian Christe
Ian Christe is an author, disc jockey and publisher. He attended The Clarkson School's Bridging Year and Indiana University....

, author of the heavy metal history book Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal, mentions the album To Hell with the Devil in his book as one of the landmarks of the glam metal movement.

The song To Hell with the Devil appears on the Rhino Records release The Heavy Metal Box
The Heavy Metal Box
The Heavy Metal Box is a box including 4 CDs with heavy metal / rock music songs from various artists and bands. It was released by Rhino Records in 2007.....

, a compilation mainly of secular Classic Metal bands like Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...

, and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

, as well as hair bands like Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from Long Island. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands...

 and Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...

.

In popular culture

The Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

 comic series Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...

 refers to Stryper as being a Christian glam band in Vol. 4 True Believers.

UK band Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...

 refer to Stryper in the chorus of their song "Christian Rock Concert" from the 1991 album McIntyre, Treadmore and Davitt.

In the 2009 film Whip It, Ellen Page's character "Bliss" distinctively wears a Stryper t-shirt throughout the film.

Current members

  • Michael Sweet
    Michael Sweet
    Michael Sweet is a singer from Whittier, California, United States. Sweet is best known as co-founder, writer and frontman of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. He was also one of the two lead vocalists and one of three guitarists for Boston until August 2011.-Youth:He began his musical career...

     - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
    Rhythm guitar
    Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...

     (1983–1992, 2003–present)
  • Oz Fox
    Oz Fox
    Richard Alfonso Martinez , better known by the stage name Oz Fox, is the lead guitarist of the Christian glam metal band Stryper. Martinez's high school friends called him Oz in honor of Ozzy Osbourne due to his ability to emulate the vocals of Osbourne while playing Black Sabbath covers in his...

     - lead guitar
    Lead guitar
    Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...

    , vocals (1983–1992, 2003–present)
  • Robert Sweet
    Robert Sweet (musician)
    Robert Lee Sweet is the drummer of the Christian metal band Stryper. He and his brother Michael originally founded the band as Roxx or Roxx Regime. Robert became known as the "Visual Time Keeper" for his wild drumming and captivating drum kits...

     - drums (1983–1992, 2003–present)
  • Tim Gaines
    Tim Gaines
    Timothy Gaines is bass guitar player of the Christian metal band Stryper.-With Stryper:Being a Sunset Strip regular, Tim joined the band in 1983, and quickly rounded out the quartet's sound with his bass, background vocals and keyboard skills...

     - bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

    , vocals (1983–1992, 2003–2004, 2009–present)

Session members

  • John Van Tongeren
    John Van Tongeren
    John Van Tongeren is a music composer, mainly for films and television series.- Biography :Van Tongeren began his career as one of the original members of Media Ventures . During his time at Media Ventures Van Tongeren worked on films such as Thelma and Louise, True Romance and Drop Zone with Hans...

     - bass, keyboards, piano (Soldiers Under Command
    Soldiers Under Command
    Soldiers Under Command is the second release, and first full-length studio album from Christian metal band Stryper, released in 1985 . It was the first Christian metal album to achieve Gold record status, selling more than half a million copies...

    , To Hell with the Devil
    To Hell with the Devil
    To Hell with the Devil is the Grammy Award nominated third release, and second full-length album, by the Christian metal and glam metal band Stryper, released in 1986 . It was both the first Contemporary Christian and Christian metal album to achieve Platinum status, selling over one million copies...

    , In God We Trust)
  • Christopher Currell - Synclavier, guitar (Soldiers Under Command
    Soldiers Under Command
    Soldiers Under Command is the second release, and first full-length studio album from Christian metal band Stryper, released in 1985 . It was the first Christian metal album to achieve Gold record status, selling more than half a million copies...

    )
  • Billy Meyers - keyboards (In God We Trust)
  • Steve Croes - Synclavier (In God We Trust)
  • Brad Cobb - bass (To Hell with the Devil (album): In God We Trust (album))
  • John Purcell
    John Purcell
    John Purcell VC was an Irish soldier in the British Army who received the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....

     - keyboards (Against the Law
    Against the Law
    Against the Law is an American dramedy television series that aired on the Fox network from September 23, 1990 to April 5, 1991. Starring Michael O'Keefe and Suzzanne Douglas, the 17 hour-long episodes centered on the brash Boston lawyer, Simon MacHeath, who left his job at a prestigious law firm...

    )
  • Jeff Scott Soto
    Jeff Scott Soto
    Jeff Scott Soto is an American rock singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for being the lead singer for the group Talisman from 1990 till the end of Talisman in 2007, the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and for stepping up to the job of lead vocalist for Journey on...

     - background vocals (Against the Law
    Against the Law
    Against the Law is an American dramedy television series that aired on the Fox network from September 23, 1990 to April 5, 1991. Starring Michael O'Keefe and Suzzanne Douglas, the 17 hour-long episodes centered on the brash Boston lawyer, Simon MacHeath, who left his job at a prestigious law firm...

    )
  • Randy Jackson
    Randy Jackson
    Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...

     - bass (Against the Law
    Against the Law
    Against the Law is an American dramedy television series that aired on the Fox network from September 23, 1990 to April 5, 1991. Starring Michael O'Keefe and Suzzanne Douglas, the 17 hour-long episodes centered on the brash Boston lawyer, Simon MacHeath, who left his job at a prestigious law firm...

    )
  • Brent Jeffers
    Brent Jeffers
    -Coaching career:Coach Brent Jeffers was the head college football coach for the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs located in Marshall, Minnesota. He held that position for 4 seasons, from 1993 until 1996. His coaching record at Southwest Minnesota State was 12 wins and 29 losses...

     - keyboards (Against the Law
    Against the Law
    Against the Law is an American dramedy television series that aired on the Fox network from September 23, 1990 to April 5, 1991. Starring Michael O'Keefe and Suzzanne Douglas, the 17 hour-long episodes centered on the brash Boston lawyer, Simon MacHeath, who left his job at a prestigious law firm...

    ), (1986-1990 Touring
    Touring
    Touring may mean:* touring, the estate/wagon version of BMW cars* Bicycle touring* Ski touring* Touring * Carrozzeria Touring* Touring * Touring car racing* a model of Hymer campers* a song by The Ramones* Touring theatre...

    )
  • Tom Werman
    Tom Werman
    Tom Werman was an A&R man and record producer for Epic Records from 1970 into 1982. He has produced albums by acts including Mother's Finest, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Molly Hatchet, Blue Öyster Cult, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Stryper, Kix, LA Guns, and Poison. While in A&R at Epic Records, he...

     - percussion (Against the Law
    Against the Law
    Against the Law is an American dramedy television series that aired on the Fox network from September 23, 1990 to April 5, 1991. Starring Michael O'Keefe and Suzzanne Douglas, the 17 hour-long episodes centered on the brash Boston lawyer, Simon MacHeath, who left his job at a prestigious law firm...

    )
  • Kenny Aronoff
    Kenny Aronoff
    Kenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...

     - drums (Murder by Pride
    Murder by Pride
    Murder by Pride is the eighth studio album by Stryper. The first single for the album, "Peace of Mind", debuted at #27 on Christianrock.net on October 24, 2008 and peaked at #1 on February 22, 2009. The track is a cover version, originally performed by Boston...

    )
  • Charles Foley - keyboards (Touring
    Touring
    Touring may mean:* touring, the estate/wagon version of BMW cars* Bicycle touring* Ski touring* Touring * Carrozzeria Touring* Touring * Touring car racing* a model of Hymer campers* a song by The Ramones* Touring theatre...

    )
  • Kenny Metcalf - keyboards (1985;1986 Touring)

Stryper tours

  • 1984: Yellow & Black Attack Tour
    Yellow & Black Attack Tour
    The Yellow & Black Attack Tour was a concert tour by California Christian glam metal band Stryper in support of their first EP album, The Yellow and Black Attack, which was released in 1984.-Tour Dates:*February 1, 1984: Concert Factory - Costa Mesa, CA...

  • 1985: Yellow & Black Attack / Soldiers Under Command Tour
  • 1986: Soldiers Under Command Tour
  • 1987: To Hell With The Devil Tour
  • 1988-1989: In God We Trust Tour
    In God We Trust Tour
    The In God We Trust Tour was a concert tour by the band Stryper from 1988 to 1989. It had two legs, one in North America and one in Pacific regions. This tour was very successful. This tour supported Stryper's album, In God We Trust....

  • 1990: Against The Law Tour
  • 1991-1993: Can't Stop The Rock Tour (1992 and 1993 featured Oz Fox as the lead singer)
  • 2000: Stryper Expo / Costa Rica Concerts
  • 2001: Stryper Expo / Cornerstone Concerts
  • 2003-2004: 7 Weeks Live In America Reunion Tour
  • 2005: Reborn Tour
  • 2006-2009: Various concerts only
  • 2009-2010: Murder By Pride / 25th Anniversary Tour
  • 2011: The Covering Tour

Discography

  • The Yellow and Black Attack
    The Yellow and Black Attack
    The Yellow and Black Attack is the first release from the Christian metal band Stryper. No singles were released from this six-song EP, and fewer than 20,000 copies were pressed, as their label, Enigma Records, was unsure of the potential market for Christian metal...

     (1984)
  • Soldiers Under Command
    Soldiers Under Command
    Soldiers Under Command is the second release, and first full-length studio album from Christian metal band Stryper, released in 1985 . It was the first Christian metal album to achieve Gold record status, selling more than half a million copies...

     (1985)
  • The Yellow and Black Attack
    The Yellow and Black Attack
    The Yellow and Black Attack is the first release from the Christian metal band Stryper. No singles were released from this six-song EP, and fewer than 20,000 copies were pressed, as their label, Enigma Records, was unsure of the potential market for Christian metal...

     (Re-Issue) (1986)
  • To Hell with the Devil
    To Hell with the Devil
    To Hell with the Devil is the Grammy Award nominated third release, and second full-length album, by the Christian metal and glam metal band Stryper, released in 1986 . It was both the first Contemporary Christian and Christian metal album to achieve Platinum status, selling over one million copies...

     (1986)
  • In God We Trust (1988)
  • Against the Law
    Against the Law
    Against the Law is an American dramedy television series that aired on the Fox network from September 23, 1990 to April 5, 1991. Starring Michael O'Keefe and Suzzanne Douglas, the 17 hour-long episodes centered on the brash Boston lawyer, Simon MacHeath, who left his job at a prestigious law firm...

     (1990)
  • Reborn (2005)
  • Murder by Pride
    Murder by Pride
    Murder by Pride is the eighth studio album by Stryper. The first single for the album, "Peace of Mind", debuted at #27 on Christianrock.net on October 24, 2008 and peaked at #1 on February 22, 2009. The track is a cover version, originally performed by Boston...

     (2009)
  • The Covering (2011)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK