Stryper

    Stryper

    La Mirada, California8 reviews across 7 releases

    glam metalhard rockheavy metalpop metal
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    Stryper is a Christian hard rock band formed in Southern California in 1983 as Roxx Regime before adopting its better-known name. Its early music paired high-register vocals with harmonized guitar leads and a strong melodic sense, while the yellow-and-black stage image set it apart from other metal groups. The 1986 Yellow and Black Attack was short on ballads and heavy on urgent guitar-driven songs. To Hell With the Devil expanded that approach into a more polished blend of metal, pop melody and power ballads, with Michael Sweet's songwriting giving the band a recognizable center. By 1990, the music had become harder and more openly defiant, while Reborn later moved toward mid-tempo alternative rock and grunge-influenced textures, leaving most of the older metal attack behind.

    Michael Sweet left in January 1992 to pursue a solo career, and Stryper continued briefly as a trio with Oz Fox handling lead vocals before ending its original run. Sweet, Fox, Tim Gaines and Robert Sweet reunited informally in 1999, then played fuller reunion appearances in 2000 and 2001. A 2003 tour followed, although Gaines departed before the next phase of the band and Tracy Ferrie took his place. Releasing Reborn in 2005 gave Stryper its first full-length album of new material in fifteen years, but its softer modern sound made the record unlike the band's classic work. Stryper remained active afterward, with Perry Richardson later replacing Ferrie on bass, while Michael and Robert Sweet and Oz Fox continued as the remaining original members.

    7 releases reviewed