Stryper

[TheGraveDigger]

I am just curious to know if anyone here is into Stryper?

On September 24, 2005 my cousin and I ventured into New York City to check out a Stryper concert at BB Kings. Neither of us had ever listened to them before. We just knew that they were an old school 80's metal band, they make music about Jesus, and heard that they were pretty cool. We decided to just check them out. Had nothing else to do that Saturday night. We got to BB Kings and it was pretty packed. We decided to do the one thing we had never done there and get a table. Since we weren't familair with the band we didn't have to be up against the front railing like we've done at previous shows (Edguy, Helloween, Krokus, etc). We sat down ordered some food and drinks and the show began.

The band entered the stage through the audience. Vocalist Michael Sweet stood on a platform back by the bar area and began singing with his wireless mic. He slowly made his entrance to the stage. They kicked off with what we learned is some of their newer modern stuff. Moving into the set they started revisiting the past all the way back to 1983. Some of the things we were hearing just made our jaws drop and shake our heads in disbelief. STRYPER IS THIS HEAVY AND WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEM TILL NOW? They totally floored us and I will come right out and say among the 25 or so concerts I have been to this year this one landed right near the top. I couldn't believe I liked a band so much.

Since the BB Kings show I bought their Greatest Hits album and their new one Reborn. While Reborn is far removed from their early stuff as far as style goes I still like it alot. It is just modern but it still rules. I plan on going back and buying all their early albums last night. Just last night my cousin and I went to see Stryper for the second time in two months down at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Same setlist as last time but another amazing night that still has me craving more right now. I just can't believe how tight this band is. They just blow me away.

When I hear the song "The Way" I seriously feel like im listening to something off Helloween's Walls of Jericho at times. It is just so heavy. I was banging my head uncontrollably last night when they played that one. Other favorites of mine include "All For One", "To Hell With The Devil", "Soilders Under Command", "Reach Out", and "Loving You". But I honestly love everything I have heard from them. I am even considering going to the Trocadero in Philly tonight to see them again that is how obsessed I am getting.

I am just an all around headbanger. It's pretty funny how the other day at Vintage Vinyl I bought a Behemoth cd and a Stryper concert ticket in the same purchase. The girl behind the counter looked at me like I was confused haha.

Just an awesome band. Who else likes them?

 

[Kenneth R.]

Classic band.

 

[TheWhisper]

Reborn is a great example of how a band can update their sound, yet retain elements of their earlier work. The sound on Reborn is more modern, but there are still the harmonies, hooks & choruses that Stryper were famous for. I've seen the band live a number of times and they always came across heavier live than on album. I will be seeing them Wed. night...big fan here.

 

[MetalAges]

I still have to check out their new one. I love the old Stryper stuff. A lot of people dismissed them because of the whole Chrisitian aspect but that band has some great talent and wrote great tunes.

 

[Sumeet]

I am just curious to know if anyone here is into Stryper?

On September 24, 2005 my cousin and I ventured into New York City to check out a Stryper concert at BB Kings. Neither of us had ever listened to them before. We just knew that they were an old school 80's metal band, they make music about Jesus, and heard that they were pretty cool. We decided to just check them out. Had nothing else to do that Saturday night. We got to BB Kings and it was pretty packed. We decided to do the one thing we had never done there and get a table. Since we weren't familair with the band we didn't have to be up against the front railing like we've done at previous shows (Edguy, Helloween, Krokus, etc). We sat down ordered some food and drinks and the show began.

The band entered the stage through the audience. Vocalist Michael Sweet stood on a platform back by the bar area and began singing with his wireless mic. He slowly made his entrance to the stage. They kicked off with what we learned is some of their newer modern stuff. Moving into the set they started revisiting the past all the way back to 1983. Some of the things we were hearing just made our jaws drop and shake our heads in disbelief. STRYPER IS THIS HEAVY AND WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEM TILL NOW? They totally floored us and I will come right out and say among the 25 or so concerts I have been to this year this one landed right near the top. I couldn't believe I liked a band so much.

Since the BB Kings show I bought their Greatest Hits album and their new one Reborn. While Reborn is far removed from their early stuff as far as style goes I still like it alot. It is just modern but it still rules. I plan on going back and buying all their early albums last night. Just last night my cousin and I went to see Stryper for the second time in two months down at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Same setlist as last time but another amazing night that still has me craving more right now. I just can't believe how tight this band is. They just blow me away.

When I hear the song "The Way" I seriously feel like im listening to something off Helloween's Walls of Jericho at times. It is just so heavy. I was banging my head uncontrollably last night when they played that one. Other favorites of mine include "All For One", "To Hell With The Devil", "Soilders Under Command", "Reach Out", and "Loving You". But I honestly love everything I have heard from them. I am even considering going to the Trocadero in Philly tonight to see them again that is how obsessed I am getting.

I am just an all around headbanger. It's pretty funny how the other day at Vintage Vinyl I bought a Behemoth cd and a Stryper concert ticket in the same purchase. The girl behind the counter looked at me like I was confused haha.

Just an awesome band. Who else likes them?

Heh, the people at Vintage Vinyl think I'm certifiably insane. I don't go there that often, but when I do, I always wind up spending forever going through just about every rack of the metal section, fascinated to see what they have, even if I already have it or have no interest in buying it. Then I start having violent flashbacks of the mid 90's when even the thought of seeing an independent metal release in a store was pure lunacy. Hehe.

The last time I was there, after all that looking, I wound up with just 2 CD's... but pretty far apart in the metal spectrum... Fifth Angel and Amon Amarth. The guy behind the counter was amused.

Anyway, I never happened to get into Stryper, but your enthusiasm is making me think I should check out a couple songs.

 

[Ruthven]

Reborn is a great example of how a band can update their sound, yet retain elements of their earlier work. The sound on Reborn is more modern, but there are still the harmonies, hooks & choruses that Stryper were famous for. I've seen the band live a number of times and they always came across heavier live than on album. I will be seeing them Wed. night...big fan here.

That's exactly what I thought about Reborn.

I haven't heard Stryper's older stuff in years, but "back in the day" I was a fan. I grew up in a Christian household and so they were one of the first hard rock bands I got into. Me and my brother loved Styx when we were kids, so, harmony-wise, it wasn't a big leap from them to Stryper. Stryper was also the first band of its kind I ever saw in concert...well, unless you count Hurricane, the opening act

Anyway, like most commercial/melody oriented hard rock bands of the 1980's, they tried to reconfigure their sound to some bluesy stuff that I didn't want to hear at the time and I lost track of them as I embraced bands like Iron Maiden and Helloween. But a couple of years ago, I was in a used book/CD store and the hip, indie-rock loving clerks were playing a Stryper album to be "ironic." First time I had heard Stryper in ages, and it struck me how much of a unacknowledged influence these guys must have had on the "happier" power metal. Of course their recorded output was never as crunchy as power metal, but the way they blended uplifting melodies with a metal guitar sound sounded like pre-power metal to me.

Anyway, Stryper rocks.

 

[Ruthven]

It's pretty funny how the other day at Vintage Vinyl I bought a Behemoth cd and a Stryper concert ticket in the same purchase.

Interesting story about Behemoth that should resonate for the Christians who post here. They were on a package tour with the metalcore band As I Lay Dying. As I Lay Dying are Christians, but are not a "Christian band." Behemoth is, of course, a black metal band whose lyrics often have anti-Christian sentiment. I was reading an interview with As I Lay Dying after the tour was over, and the interviewer asked them how they got along with a band like Behemoth. The vocalist said they actually got along quite well, and said that the guys in Behemoth would say things like, "You are the first Christians I have met who didn't immediately treat me badly. Maybe I've had the wrong idea about you all."

Just goes to show how a good or bad attitude will affect those around you.

 

[TBJ]

I've always liked these guys, the christian element never bothered me at all, their songs were well-written and filled with metaphors, so basically, if you were not a christian, you really wouldnt be THAT overwhelmed by their preaching..or maybe I just ignored it..

anyway, my favorite song is The Way, just like the guy said above, that song is a precursor to what we call power metal, they really were heavier than most of their peers but sadly what most people remember is the ballads..

 

[Ruthven]

you really wouldnt be THAT overwhelmed by their preaching..

I always appreciated the fact that they were very obviously Christians but they never stooped to attacking the beliefs of others to push their own.

 

[SeaStorm]

Oh, yes, big fan here. Classic band from my youth. I finally saw them live for the first time a few weeks ago. Great show. It's nice to hear about some new people finding out about them. I agree that the new CD is modern, yet retains the best of the old. And I was surprised to find I liked the new songs better live than on the CD, which is the opposite of how I normally feel for most bands.

BTW, they'll be doing an acoustic tour in 2006:

STRYPER To Embark On Church Tour:
http://www.maximummetal.com/news/Default.asp?u_file=85517.txt

 

[JonnyD]

Check out "Caught in the Middle" off of "Against the Law" dude! Fuckin awsome Power Metal song!!! they are Definately an underated band!!! ... I kinda want to go see em from reading how much you liked em hahaha but I wouldnt be able to get any of my friend to go with me :Spin:

 

[Kenneth R.]

Interesting story about Behemoth that should resonate for the Christians who post here. They were on a package tour with the metalcore band As I Lay Dying. As I Lay Dying are Christians, but are not a "Christian band." Behemoth is, of course, a black metal band whose lyrics often have anti-Christian sentiment. I was reading an interview with As I Lay Dying after the tour was over, and the interviewer asked them how they got along with a band like Behemoth. The vocalist said they actually got along quite well, and said that the guys in Behemoth would say things like, "You are the first Christians I have met who didn't immediately treat me badly. Maybe I've had the wrong idea about you all."

Just goes to show how a good or bad attitude will affect those around you.

That's awesome.

 

[TBJ]

Interesting story about Behemoth that should resonate for the Christians who post here. They were on a package tour with the metalcore band As I Lay Dying. As I Lay Dying are Christians, but are not a "Christian band." Behemoth is, of course, a black metal band whose lyrics often have anti-Christian sentiment. I was reading an interview with As I Lay Dying after the tour was over, and the interviewer asked them how they got along with a band like Behemoth. The vocalist said they actually got along quite well, and said that the guys in Behemoth would say things like, "You are the first Christians I have met who didn't immediately treat me badly. Maybe I've had the wrong idea about you all."

Just goes to show how a good or bad attitude will affect those around you.

That is one of the bigger problems in our society, we judge people before getting to know them..all sides are to blame, christians, satanists, atheists, whatever..


I personally have friends of all denominations and religions, and most of the time it never really made a difference in our relationships..

 

[Ruthven]

That is one of the bigger problems in our society, we judge people before getting to know them..all sides are to blame, christians, satanists, atheists, whatever..

I could not agree more.

 

[urinalcakemix]

I am just an all around headbanger. It's pretty funny how the other day at Vintage Vinyl I bought a Behemoth cd and a Stryper concert ticket in the same purchase. The girl behind the counter looked at me like I was confused haha.

Next time for dramatic irony get a Stryper CD and a FINNTROLL CD, that would make for a sexy party at the counter.

 

[edgeofthorns]

I've been a huge Stryper fan for years, and I've taken alot of heat for that as well. IMO, Michael Sweet can deliver live as good as anyone I've ever seen. When I say that people look at me like I have 4 heads, but he is a professional! The band as a whole have alot of talent, and have been disrespected throughout the years by many, but not all.

To Hell With The Devil, More Than A Man, and All For One are my favorite Stryper tracks.

Gravedigger you rock for giving this band some props!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TheGraveDigger]

Interesting story about Behemoth that should resonate for the Christians who post here. They were on a package tour with the metalcore band As I Lay Dying. As I Lay Dying are Christians, but are not a "Christian band." Behemoth is, of course, a black metal band whose lyrics often have anti-Christian sentiment. I was reading an interview with As I Lay Dying after the tour was over, and the interviewer asked them how they got along with a band like Behemoth. The vocalist said they actually got along quite well, and said that the guys in Behemoth would say things like, "You are the first Christians I have met who didn't immediately treat me badly. Maybe I've had the wrong idea about you all."

Just goes to show how a good or bad attitude will affect those around you.

Behemoth are actually a bunch of great guys. They are these evil satanic anti christian guys on stage but from what I hear they are great guys when you know them. Your story was a good example. I read that on their current tour with Danzig their tour crossed paths with the Meshuggah/God Forbid/Haunted/Mnemic tour and they all went out and partied one night. One of the guys in God Forbid said the guys in Behemoth were actually dancing in a night club and drinking while HIP HOP music was being played. Imagine the guys who perform "Christians to the Lions" getting down to some 50 Cent? Haha, thats a hard picture. Even at their shows when they talk between songs you can tell they are a bunch of happy Polish guys. I really enjoy their music. Even if I am not down with the message thats just their opinion and their music gets me pumped and makes me wanna bang my head.

 

[TheGraveDigger]

Stryper was also the first band of its kind I ever saw in concert...well, unless you count Hurricane, the opening act

Wow, you saw Hurricane! They fucking rule. I would have never been able to see them because I just turned 20 last week so I was in diapers during that tour. I just love Doug Aldrich. He is such an amazing guitarist. He floors me in Whitesnake today and his work with Hurricane and Bad Moon Rising is just amazing. Hurricane's two albums are ridiculously hard to get but a friend of mine had Over the Edge and Slave to the Thrill and I just recently copied them both into my Itunes folder and am gonna burn them on cd. If I could only track down their original Ep. How were they live?

 

[TheGraveDigger]

Gravedigger you rock for giving this band some props!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TheGraveDigger]

Next time for dramatic irony get a Stryper CD and a FINNTROLL CD, that would make for a sexy party at the counter.

A couple weeks ago I got the new Stryper album Reborn and the new Cryptopsy album Once Was Not in the same purchase. That must have looked interesting haha.