Stryper
Stryper | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Also known as | Roxx Regime |
Origin | La Mirada, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 1983–1993, 2003–present (reunions 1999–2001) |
Labels | |
Members | |
Past members |
|
Website | stryper |
Stryper is an American Christian metal band from La Mirada, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson (bass guitar), and Robert Sweet (drums).
Formed in 1983 as Roxx Regime, the band soon changed their musical message to reflect their
In 2003, Stryper came out of retirement for a reunion tour and subsequently signed a multi-album contract with Big3 Records in 2005. In 2013, they signed a multi-album deal with Frontiers Records and have since released Second Coming, which includes 14 re-recorded songs from their first three albums; No More Hell to Pay in 2013; Fallen in 2015; God Damn Evil in 2018; Even the Devil Believes in 2020; and The Final Battle in 2022.
Origin of name
The name "Stryper" derives from the King James Version of the Bible.[2] "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."[3] The reference is frequently included as part of their logo. Stryper's drummer, Robert Sweet, also created a backronym for their name: "salvation through redemption, yielding peace, encouragement, and righteousness".[4]
History
Foundation and mainstream success (1975–1990)
The Sweet brothers became Christians[clarification needed] in 1975, but began to pull away from their faith. The Sweet brothers rejoined the church after their friend Kenny Metcalf (their first tour keyboardist) persuaded them to do so.[5][6]
Inspired by bands such as
Stryper's third album,
Bassist Tim Gaines did not participate in the recording of To Hell with the Devil, and for a short period of time prior to the release of the record he was replaced by Matt Hurich. Hurich was not with the band more than a month, although he was outfitted with a yellow and black striped bass and a racing costume. Brad Cobb played bass on the album.
Stryper's fourth album,
Decline, break-up and solo projects (1990–1999)
On August 21, 1990, Stryper released the controversial album
On July 20, 1991, after being signed to
In early 1992, Stryper fulfilled some commitments in Europe as a trio with Oz Fox on lead vocals. Soon after, on May 5, they performed two shows at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. They asked Dale Thompson of the Christian metal band Bride to fill in on lead vocals hoping he would join the band.[16] It was during one of the concerts that Robert Sweet unexpectedly announced that Dale Thompson was going to be their new lead singer. This, however, was later denied by Thompson.[17] In early 1993, the band played several more European dates as a trio with their last show on March 27, 1993, in Sportzentrum, Greifensee, Switzerland.
Reunions & recent works (1999–present)
This article needs to be updated.(September 2022) |
The former members of Stryper first reunited in 1999, when Michael Sweet and SinDizzy were invited to play at a summer
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. It was produced by Michael Sweet. 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.[20] With a more modern sound incorporating aspects of alternative rock and grunge, along with fewer guitar solos, the new record updated their style while keeping the Stryper identity. The record was written by Michael Sweet.[21]
In 2006, the band released the DVD Greatest Hits: Live in Puerto Rico with Music Video Distributors. Stryper was scheduled to open for the thrash metal band Slayer, headlining in Mexico. A few months later, Slayer pulled out of the Mexican tour and cancelled their headline for personal reasons.[22][23][24]
In November 2006, Stryper announced new management. They also announced a follow-up to Reborn tentatively due in early to mid 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 ovarian cancer, 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.[25] Michael Sweet performed with the band Boston in 2007 and was asked to join the band as co-lead vocalist and guitarist and toured with Boston in 2008 with Styx as the opening act. On March 5, 2009, Michael Sweet's wife, Kyle, died from cancer.[26] Murder by Pride was released on July 21, 2009, with the lead single "Peace of Mind" preceding it.[citation needed]
The Covering, a collection of 12 cover songs from bands that inspired Stryper and helped to shape the band's sound and musical identity was on Big3 Records/Sony and was produced by Michael Sweet. Along with the covers, it includes a new, original recording: "God". On September 14, 2010, it was announced that the album's first single, a cover of Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell", was available for download on iTunes. The album was released on February 15, 2011.[27]
The band signed a deal with
No More Hell to Pay, was completed on May 29, 2013, and was released on November 5 through Frontiers Records.[30] Live at the Whisky, a CD/DVD combination recorded at the Whisky a Go Go, was released in September 2014.[31] Fallen, was released on October 16, 2015.[32]
In September 2016, frontman Michael Sweet announced the band will be going on hiatus due to personal issues affecting bassist Timothy Gaines and that the hiatus would begin once the band has completed the To Hell With the Devil 30th Anniversary Tour. Sweet stated they would not continue without Gaines as the band made a pact to only stay together as they are. During the hiatus, the band members would pray about the direction of the band going forward.[33]
During an interview with Antihero Magazine in November 2016, Michael Sweet revealed that the next Stryper album, which was planned for a February 2017 release, would be put on hold as the band went on hiatus and while he recorded a Sweet & Lynch album. Sweet also stated that bassist Timothy Gaines was taking time away from the band to deal with personal issues. While Sweet disliked the idea of continuing without Gaines, he was open to filling the bass position with the right person if and when it came to that.[34] Gaines then confirmed that he was no longer a member of the band.[35] Following the band's hiatus, they issued a statement informing that Gaines had been fired from the band, and he was removed from the roster on the band's website.[36] Gaines claimed that he had been kicked out of the band after being issued an ultimatum.[37] Perry Richardson was announced as the new bass player on October 30, 2017.[38]
On February 5, 2018, Michael Sweet announced the band's next album, God Damn Evil, which was released April 20, 2018.[39] On February 9, the band released "Take It to the Cross" as a single for the album, featuring Matt Bachand of Shadows Fall.[40]
On September 4, 2020, the band's next album, Even the Devil Believes, was released.[41]
The band's latest album as of April 2023, The Final Battle, was announced on September 22, 2022, and released on October 21, 2022 in early 2024 they released a complete acoustic album of previous or least material. In our slide it to release a new full album in September of 2024.
Music and image
During the 1980s, Stryper represented the popular glam metal style of the time,[11] characterized by highly visual performances, twin guitar solos, Michael Sweet's high-pitched, multi-octave screams, and big hair. 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. The band explained the symbolism of the stripes—a direct reference to the whiplash scourges given to Jesus by Pontius Pilate—and draws wording from the King James Version of the Bible's Isaiah 53:5 that relates to the motif of the suffering servant.[42] 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.[43]
Apart from its ubiquitous yellow and black stripes, Stryper had other distinctive trademarks. During concerts, Stryper threw Bibles to the concert crowd—editions of the
Legacy
Stryper was the first openly Christian heavy metal band to gain recognition in the mainstream music world.[1] Mark Joseph 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, 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, 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 Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, and every other metal band."[45]
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 imagery.
In 1990, Rolling Stone magazine reported that the band had become disillusioned with Christian music.[5] This, combined with a notable shift in tone in the band's lyrics, led to Against the Law being banned from many Christian bookstores. The Benson Company, Stryper's sole tie to the Christian market, dropped this album from distribution.[9]
Stryper has sold over 10 million recordings worldwide,
Ian Christe, 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.[50]
The song "To Hell with the Devil" appears on the
In his autobiography
Members
Current
- Robert Sweet – drums, percussion (1982–1993, 2000–2001, 2003–present)
- Michael Sweet – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano (1982–1992, 1999–2001, 2003–present)
- Oz Fox – guitar, backing vocals (1983–1993, 1999–2001, 2003–present), lead vocals (1992–1993)
- Perry Richardson – bass, backing vocals (2017–present)
Former
- Eric Johnson – bass, backing vocals (1982)
- Scott Lane – guitar, backing vocals (1983)
- John Voorhees – bass, backing vocals (1983)
- Tim Gaines – bass, backing vocals, keyboards, piano (1983–1986, 1986–1993, 1999–2001, 2003–2004, 2010–2017)
- Matt Hurich – bass, backing vocals (1986)
- Tracy Ferrie – bass, backing vocals (2004–2010)
Session
- John Van Tongeren – keyboards (The Roxx Regime Demos), bass, keyboards (Soldiers Under Command, To Hell with the Devil, In God We Trust)
- Christopher Currell – synclavier, guitar (Soldiers Under Command)
- Billy Meyers – keyboards (In God We Trust)
- Steve Croes – synclavier (In God We Trust)
- Brad Cobb – bass (To Hell with the Devil, In God We Trust)
- John Purcell – keyboards (Against the Law)
- Jeff Scott Soto – background vocals (Against the Law)
- Randy Jackson – bass (Against the Law)
- touring)
- Tom Werman – percussion (Against the Law)
- Kenny Aronoff – drums (Murder by Pride)
- Charles Foley – keyboards (touring)
- Kenny Metcalf – keyboards (1985, 1986 touring)
Timeline
Discography
- The Yellow and Black Attack (1984)
- Soldiers Under Command (1985)
- To Hell with the Devil (1986)
- In God We Trust (1988)
- Against the Law (1990)
- Reborn (2005)
- Murder by Pride (2009)
- The Covering (2011)
- Second Coming (2013)
- No More Hell to Pay (2013)
- Fallen (2015)
- God Damn Evil (2018)
- Even the Devil Believes (2020)
- The Final Battle (2022)
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-56075-029-1.
- ^ "The Stryper Story". Stryper. Archived from the original on August 27, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ Isaiah 53:5
- ^ "::Welcome to Stryper.info : A tribute to Stryper". Stryper.info. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-56563-679-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-684-81044-7.
- ^ "Anne Carlini - Exclusive Magazine". Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-333-74134-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9764805-4-9.
- ^ "Stryper". GRAMMY.com. February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
- ^ a b Prato, Greg. "Stryper Biography AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
this point Stryper fit in perfectly with the other popular pop/hair metal bands of the day
- ^ "Michael Sweet of Stryper Talks About Their Classic Music Videos". Golden Age of Music Video. January 7, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
it wasn't so cool to be in a hard rock/glam band from the 80s
- ^ "Monday Rock City: Interview with Michael Sweet of Stryper". Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ "Dove Award Recipients for 1989". Gospel Music Association. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved March 12, 2007.
- ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives - Stryper - Against the Law - Reviews". The Metal Archives. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
- ^ "Timothy Gaines tour dates with Stryper". Timothy Gaines. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
- ^ "Interview with Dale Thompson". Classic Christian Rock. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
- ^ "7: The best of Stryper review". AllMusic. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ "Tracy Ferrie solo". You tube. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- ^ "Stryper, Cooper among overlooked albums". Today.com. January 4, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
- ^ "Stryper". HM magazine. August 2005. Archived from the original on June 10, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
- ^ "Christian Hard Rockers Stryper To Open For Slayer at Mexico's Monterrey Metal Fest". Blabber mouth. August 5, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ "Stryper Singer Wanted To 'Reach Out' To Slayer Fans at Mexico Festival". Blabbermouth. August 24, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ "Slayer Pulls Out of Mexico's Monterrey Metal Fest Due To 'Personal Reasons'". Blabber mouth. August 22, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ Stryper's Michael Sweet Confirms Release Date Estimate, Komodorock, archived from the original on April 21, 2022.
- ^ "Stryper: Official Website". Stryper. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
- ^ "The Covering: Stryper". Amazon. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
- ^ "Second coming" (press release). Stryper. January 14, 2013. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
- ^ Thomas, Fred (March 25, 2013). "The Covering - Stryper". AllMusic. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
- ^ "Bravewords". May 29, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
- ^ "Stryper to Release 'Live at The Whisky' Concert CD/DVD in September". Blabbermouth. July 23, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
- ^ James Christopher Monger. "Fallen". AllMusic. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- ^ "STRYPER To Go On 'Hiatus' Following 'To Hell With The Devil' 30th-Anniversary Tour". Blabbermouth.net. September 24, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ Leu, Tommy (November 8, 2016). "Interview: Michael Sweet of STRYPER". Antihero Magazine. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
- KNAC.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- ^ "Stryper End 'Toxic Relationship' with Longtime Bassist Tim Gaines". Ultimate Classic Rock. September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ "Ex-STRYPER Bassist TIM GAINES Slams MICHAEL SWEET, Tells His Former Bandmates To 'Grow Some Balls'". Blabbermouth.net. September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
- ^ "Stryper Announces New Bass Player Perry Richardson". Christian music. PRWeb. October 30, 2017.
- ^ "STRYPER To Release 'God Damn Evil' Album In April; Cover Artwork, Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth. February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ^ "Listen To STRYPER's Heavy New Song 'Take It To The Cross'". Blabbermouth. February 9, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
- ^ "STRYPER To Release 'Even The Devil Believes' Album In September; 'Blood From Above' Single Now Available". Blabbermouth.net. June 26, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- ^ Christe 2003, "10: Glambangers of Hollywood", p. 169
- ^ Jacksson, Zik (2001). "A Voice in the Wilderness: An Interview with Robert Sweet". The Phantom Tollbooth. Open Publishing. Retrieved May 9, 2008.
- ^ "CT Classic: A Christian 'Heavy-Metal' Band Makes Its Mark on the Secular Music Industry". Christianity Today. July 2001. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-8054-2061-6.
- ^ Watkins, Terry (1995). "Stryper". Christian Rock: Blessing or Blasphemy?. Dial-the-Truth Ministries.
- ISBN 978-0-7658-0324-5.
- ^ Willman, Chris. "Stryper". Today's Christian Music. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ "Best Christian Hard Rock Band – 2011 Readers' Choice Awards Winner for Christian Hard Rock Band". Christian music. About. March 22, 2011. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
- ^ Christe 2003, p. 154.
- AllMusic. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
- ISBN 9780446580069.
Further reading
- Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal (1st ed.). ISBN 978-0-380-81127-4.
- Christensen, Brett (March–April 1997). "STRYPER: Can't Stop The Rock?". HM Magazine (64). Archived from the originalon September 18, 2000. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
- Mac Donald, Meg (1990). "Stryper". In LaBlanc, Michael L (ed.). Contemporary Musicians. Vol. 2. ISSN 1044-2197.
- ISBN 978-1-55022-421-4..
External links
- Official website
- Stryper at AllMusic
- Stryper at IMDb