Any STRYPER fans?

I've never gotten into them, but one of my best friends is a huge fan.

Nice font color, by the way. Hahaha.

Eyesore wrote:

Nice font color, by the way. Hahaha.

LOL! I knew someone would catch that.

I wish they had stuck a lot more to the heavier stuff like "The Way" and "Soldiers Under Command" and avoided the hairspray/androgeny. It would've helped them avoid a lot of the mocking they receive in the metal scene today (though admittedly might've not made them sell as well and perhaps not opened as many doors in the secular marketplace for Christian music).

I have always been a Stryper fan, though I'm not as fanatical about them nowadays as I was in the 80s. Back then I had a "TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL" back patch, a couple of T-shirts, patches, the whole enchilada. I loved the first three albums, wasn't too thrilled with IN GOD WE TRUST, but I thought they righted the ship with AGAINST THE LAW (which most of their hardcore Christian following seems to hate, but I feel is their most musically mature album).
If it weren't for Stryper I probably never would've discovered the tons of other Christian metal bands I still listen to today (Barren Cross, Deliverance, Recon, Sacred Warrior, Die Happy, and the list goes on and on...!) so I suppose that I owe them a debt of gratitude for introducing me to the CCM Metal "underground" as well!
I was very disappointed in the REBORN album though. I had hoped for much better.

So my list (in descending order, from most favorite to least favorite) would look like this:
#1: Against The Law
#2: The Yellow & Black Attack (the original 6-track version, not that awful remix thing that came out in the late 80s)
#3: To Hell With The Devil
#4: Soldiers Under Command
#5: In God We Trust
#6: Reborn

In my opinion, there is a BIG drop in quality between the first four on my list and "In God We Trust" and "Reborn."

Of course many metal fans like STRYPER because they were a heavy metal band.
I love all their albums but not their comeback album. That realy sucked big time and still dont understand why they released that piece of smurf poo.
Some of my fave songs are:
TOGETHER FOREVER
SOLDIERS UNDER COMMAND
ALL FOR ONE
KEEP THE FIRE BURNING
IN GOD WE TRUST
FREE

Most of my friends hate Stryper and make fun of the way they looked
back in the 80's (They did look a little goofy) but I always liked them.


1. To Hell With The Devil (The title track is my favorite Stryper Song)
2. Soldiers Under Command
3. Against The Law
4. Yellow And Black Attack
5. In God We Trust
6. Reborn

Long time Stryper fan -

Albums:

1 - Tie - Soldiers/Hell With
2 - Y&B Attack (Original Mix)
3 - ATW
4 - IGWT
5 - Reborn
6 - Y&B Remix

Songs - not in any particular order, some of my favs are:

More Than A Man
The Way
Soldiers
Surrender
Reach Out
To Hell with
Rockin' the World
The Writing's on the wall
Rock The Hell Out Of You
Against The law
I'll Always Love You (Demo Version and Y*B Remix for sentimental reasons)

Concert Tours -
To Hell - Warner Theater, Washington, DC- my first rock concert ever - my parents wouldn't let me go to concerts before this one because of "drugs" at concerts, since it was "christian" concert and I was a Sr in HS, I was allowed to go (my parents didn't ban metal in trhe house, they just were worried about the drug scene). Funny thing is, there was weed at the show. Hurricane opened. AWESOME show - I literally wore my concert T out.

IGWT - Hampton Colliseum, Hampton VA - The Styper Arena show - LOVED it - I was against the barrier right in front of MS. Great show. Once again, Hurricane opened. I was ticked off at the time because White Lion had been the opening act up until a few weeks before the show I saw - I wanted to see White Lion open and not Hurricane again.

Can't stop the rock - The Bayou, Washington, DC - Another GREAT show. It was great seeing Stryper in a smaller, intimate environment. Bride opened (yea! no hurricane!). The bayou was a a two level club - the upstairs was the over 21 bar area, got a table next to the railing, not too far from the stage. The irony, Beer at the Stryper show.

I missed the reunion tour - they came to DC around the same time my wife was due with our 2nd child - I didn't want to risk getting tickets and not being able to go - my daughter was more important.

Anyone on this board happen to be at any of the same shows?

Sadly, I never saw Stryper in concert. I remember around the TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL era they played at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ, and since my friend and I weren't old enough to drive at the time, we campaigned hard to get his Mom to take us (she was one of those "rockin' Moms" who still went to concerts occasionally) she said "no" on the grounds that Passaic was not the kind of place you wanted to be after dark, and besides that the show was on a school night. I was bummed, I told my buddy "I thought your Mom was COOL, man!

I am...Michael Sweet is a MONSTER singer!!!!

I like them. They do seem to get the snub from some people (I had a guy laugh at me for listening to them at work one time). My favorite track of theirs is Soldiers Under Command followed by the Rock That Me Roll,the Way,Surrender, & Loud 'N' Clear

Fat Freddy wrote:

I was very disappointed in the REBORN album though. I had hoped for much better.

I wasn't disappointed. It was what I was expecting. It's certainly not
metal. If you listen to Michael Sweet's "Truth" CD, it has the same
vibe as that album. The songs were actually written to be Michael
Sweet's next solo album. I am hoping the next album will be at least a
slight return to their classic sound, perhaps with a more modern
production. I'm not expecting another To Hell With the Devil, but a bit
more aggression and some smokin' guitar solos are in order.

I like them and i agree with what ult said.

I like Stryper ... I originally read about 'em in Campus Life 3-4 months before the 'Yellow Bee Attack' came out.... When I heard 'em I 'bout wet myself.... I have an original pressing where the cover was actually cut improperly, most of the arms on the cover missing....

Best Discs

1. Law
2. Yellow
3. Soldiers
4. Hell
5. God......

who can forget how many xtrian bookstore owners fainted when they saw Mike's bulge on the Live In japan video..!!

Concerts...
Jan 4, 1985.. First bay area appearance live at Wolfgangs S.F. ... they were 5 feet in front of me... have a great bootleg audio recording... live version of Roxx Regime... they were AWESOME

10-7-85 concord pavillion. I sat too far away.. good gig, xtrian pop/punksters Undercover opened.. so much for xtrian booking ..... i have a boot of that as well... a buddy of mine did it...

3-7-86 San jose Civic... live with American Standard... who??.... Stryper were great but inadequate pa so much that many times the band were drowned out by the crowd.....

12-31-86 San Jose Civic with Alcatraz(minus yngwie) flat show... something seemed pretty out of sync as in a "let's do the gig and get out." feel... how do you end a new years eve show 15 minutes before midnight?????

8-2-87 I believe it was the last time I saw 'em ... again at Concord pavillion with Loudness and TNT.... how can u forget the japanesse road crew all in white coveralls... wild...
Stryper kicked booty... dead center 15-20 rows back...

I've always loved 'Against the Law' heaviest disc period... Soldiers is their best tune... imo...

Don't kill yourselves on the Japanesse import "Yellow and Black Attack"... I've heard it and seen it... It's the re-mix version with the original cover.... let the buyer beware

Funny story or not.... I'm at the Alameda County Fair in 1985 and I have one of the original Stryper t-shirts... I'm sitting on a curb waiting for my girlfriend and here come .... James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich... I 'bout freaked out... I watch 'em walk by and finally I yelled "Metallica Rules!!" They turned around and saw me Lars says... "Great Shirt !!!"......

mr.electric39 wrote:

8-2-87 I believe it was the last time I saw 'em ... again at Concord pavillion with Loudness and TNT.... how can u forget the japanesse road crew all in white coveralls... wild...
Stryper kicked booty... dead center 15-20 rows back...

WOW ! Sounds like an awesome show

mr.electric39 wrote:

10-7-85 concord pavillion. I sat too far away.. good gig, xtrian pop/punksters Undercover opened.. so much for xtrian booking ..... i have a boot of that as well... a buddy of mine did it...

Undercover opening for Stryper? Back in the "God Rules" days. That's funny. Undercover changed their style on later albums, balance of power sounds like they had been listening to the cult, it has some metal influences

i've always said that Michael Sweet is one of the best vocalists around. alot of die hard Stryper fans didn't like Reborn, but i thought it was great. mostly because of Michaels singing.

my all time fave Stryper song is The Way from their best album To Hell With The Devil.

My favs are:
To hell With The Devil
Soldiers Under Command
The Yellow and Black Attack

I saw them on the Soldiers tour in Albany, NY...good concert.

I sorta lost interest after the To Hell album and haven't followed them since.

Stryper rocks!

Favorite albums
Yellow and Black Attack
Soldiers Under Command
Too Hell With the Devil
Against the Law
In God We Trust

Favorite Songs (top 10)
From Wrong To Right
Loud n Clear
Soldiers Under Command
More Than a Man
Rock the Hell Out of You
Too Hell With the Devil
Caught In the Middle
Co'Mon Rock
Not That Kind of Guy (totally ripped off VH. But it's cool.)
The Reign

Man, I owe it to "nolifetilmetal" as to being a bigtime Stryper fan, although a fairly new one.

Check this out; I lived in Downey CA, was in the 9th grade and a metal band named Stryper was going to play a live show at Warren High school at lunch time. Myself and a buddy stuck around to check them out. Back then I was, although young, a very lost soul. When I heard what they were singing about, we walked away. Back then I was jammin to Maiden, Scorpions, the Crue, Dio, Rush, Ozzy etc. and I didn't want to hear what they had to say. (what a shame, but God had a plan)

About 3 1/2 years ago as I began looking for some good Christian metal in my new found faith, I stumbled across nolifetilmetal.com. Man, what an awesome help for me to find what I was looking for! I was reluctant to check 'em out due to I never gave them a chance, the little that I did hear from them, I thought they were just a weak limited talent poser band. I bought Reborn just to check it out and I did enjoy it, I must say...But, thanks to the high raves of the reviews by Ultmetal and my growing repect for the author, I bought "Soldiers". I HAVE BEEN ROCKIN' SINCE!! I love this band! Awesome! I now have them all and most are IMO as good as anything else in that genre at that time that was released. (The first 3 particularly)

Sorry for the long story, I thought maybe of some interest to some here. Especially my walking away from one of their earliest appearances EVER! (to my regret now, of course.)

1. Soldiers
2. Yellow and Black Attack (1 & 2 can alternate by mood)
3. To Hell With the Devil
4. Reborn
5. In God We Trust
6. Against the Law

Songs...too many to really say. I love everything off the first 3.

I seriously can't stand them. Sorry to hardcore fans, but I think they are terrible.

How can you guys not like Reborn, it was AWESOME!!! It's not the same type of sound but I think it's a much better evolution of the band than practically ALL of these style comeback albums end up being.

It's a very different sound than they used to be but it's still really great music. And I don't know why people don't like Against the Law so much, I personally find it to be one of my favorites! It shows the band at a less restricted time than they had been when the labels were wanting hair metal.

On ATL they were able to kind of rock a bit harder. The cd is really great I think.

thejokeriv wrote:

mr.electric39 wrote:

10-7-85 concord pavillion. I sat too far away.. good gig, xtrian pop/punksters Undercover opened.. so much for xtrian booking ..... i have a boot of that as well... a buddy of mine did it...

Undercover opening for Stryper? Back in the "God Rules" days. That's funny. Undercover changed their style on later albums, balance of power sounds like they had been listening to the cult, it has some metal influences

Yeah I thought it was a bit strange myself !! They had their new singer by then... Musically I must admit I like'd 'em.... heck I even liked Steve Taylor !! (listen to squint or chagual guavara)... I will say I think that kept away a lot non christian folks...

I like every album and every song they and Michael Sweet have ever done. some albums and songs more than others.

The album where the boys are posing with that like 1983 Dodge Ram Charger is classic glam, percy boy.