Stryper

Listen for free or download any Stryper track for just 12 cents per song!

Stryper named themselves after an Old Testament prophecy: Isaiah 53:5 - "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." Yes, so they took a bit of artistic license with the word "stripes", but who's asking?

Stryper started out in Orange County, CA as a band called Roxx Regime. The Sweet brothers, Michael and Robert, did not start out as Christian metal musicians, but headed back in that direction after a short time away from the church. Later, Oz Fox and Tim Gaines would join the band, in time for the release of their debut on Enigma Records in 1984 (The Yellow and Black Attack). In the early days, Stryper was on the metal tour circuit with bands like Ratt and Bon Jovi, which is an interesting dichotomy. The band's third album, To Hell with the Devil (1986), proved to be their most successful, giving us songs like "Calling On You", "Free", and "Honestly." Subsequent MTV videos for these songs were the most requested on Dial MTV.

The band's 1988 release, In God We Trust, featured the song "Always There for You" and was also a big release for Stryper, although some fans were disappointed with the pop metal sound (hey, we liked it). The band's 1990 release, Against the Law, found Stryper moving away both from their yellow and black image as well as their lyrical message. However, in our opinion (and that of others), this is probably the band's best album from a metal perspective.

In 1992, vocalist Michael Sweet left the band to pursue a successful solo effort. Tim Gaines and Oz Fox started a band called SinDizzy. By 1999, the band was back on stage together. By 2005, Stryper released a new album, Reborn, which many consider to be a successful mix of metal and grunge.

At the time of this writing, Stryper was still active. The Stryper Discography is as follows:

Listen for free or download any Stryper track for just 12 cents per song!