Among the Hollywood Strip’s plethora of mid-80’s bands that were shouting at the devil, breaking the chains and dancing undercover came a quartet that defied the norm. And not just because they were wearing yellow and black costumes to go with their big hair and spandex.
Stryper’s message and not-exactly-subtle tone in lyrics touting the power of the almighty went against the grain of what everyone else was playing — and what metalheads around the nation were hearing — and 42 years later could make an argument as one of the biggest gambles in heavy metal history.
Not only did it pay off in a huge way for the original lineup of vocalist / guitarist Michael Sweet, drummer Robert Sweet, guitarist Oz Fox and bassist Timothy Gaines, but Stryper has outlasted many of its contemporaries while reaching the big time that other Christian-laden artists such as Barren Cross and Bloodgood had hoped to achieve.
Stryper is more than still going strong. But in the midst of 15 studio albums and all of the Holy Bibles tossed out at each show has appeared a stark realization:
Stryper’s faith within the band has never hit home — or been tested — more than in the past 4-5 years.
Michael Sweet has battled retinal detachments requiring multiple surgeries on both eyes and thyroid cancer. Fox has endured seizures leading to multiple brain surgeries.
Think about that for a minute, folks. We’re not talking a case of the sniffles here.
So the fact both continue to play music is a testament not just to their will and perseverance but, well, to the New Testament itself.
Sunday night was a prime example as Stryper returned to the Aztec Theatre with a 17-song, 81-minute headlining set with Guatemalan guitarist Hedras Ramos and his instrumental trio Hedras in tow before a crowd of 800, according to a venue staffer.
Donning a pair of sunglasses, Michael Sweet did not bring up the band’s maladies or ask for any type of sympathy.
He and his mates simply came to rock.
And rock they did, taking to the stage with a trio of classics from their 40-year-old seminal album To Hell with the Devil: traditional opener “Sing-Along Song” and Dial-MTV hits “Calling on You” and “Free.”
During Stryper’s previous visit to the Aztec in 2024, they played two sets, splitting between the classic era and the modern variety that is about to see their seventh album in the past 13 years drop Sept. 25 with Throne of Thorns.
This time, Michael Sweet simply told the crowd, “I miss the ‘80s. We’re here to celebrate the ‘80s with you.” Despite mentioning the upcoming record and the fact the title track has already been released as a single and video, the band opted not to play it.
Instead, the trip down Memory Lane was mostly comprised of tracks from 1985’s Soldiers Under Command, half of To Hell with the Devil and one each from 1984’s The Yellow and Black Attack, 1988’s In God We Trust and 1990’s Against the Law (setlist in 43-photo gallery; no professional video was allowed).
Stryper gave the Aztec tastes of the newer era on “Divider” and the title track to 2024’s When We Were Kings. And though there were no surprises with the classics that included the regularly played “More Than A Man,” “Surrender” and “The Rock That Makes Me Roll,” the unexpected came in the form of what the band did not play.
A single ballad.
If anyone wanted to hear something soft on this night, they could’ve gone around the corner to the Majestic Theatre to catch Air Supply. That meant no hint of the song Michael Sweet said on 2003 live album 7 Weeks: Live in America “took us out of clubs and put us into arenas.”
That would be “Honestly.” Stryper deserves credit for keeping the entire show rocking without any perceived sappiness. Or it simply could’ve been a matter of not having packed a piano for the tour. So credit them again for not using backing tracks — when a vocalist overcoming the threat of never being able to sing again would’ve had every reason to.
Stryper did throw in a bit of a curveball at one point by harkening back to their 2011 covers album The Covering.
“We grew up listening to Scorpions, Priest and Maiden,” Michael Sweet said in part. “People told us, ‘You shouldn’t be listening to that stuff.’ They thought all we listened to were Christian bands, but we didn’t know a lot of Christian bands other than us. If we didn’t listen to it, we wouldn’t be here on stage.”
And with that, Stryper ripped into Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law.” Sweet saved attempts at high-octane screams for the song’s end, showing he’s still got it and resulting in extra enthusiastic applause and roars from the crowd after not utilizing the high range on some of the original songs, including the previous tune, the title track to 2013’s No More Hell to Pay.
Hedras, meanwhile, had the oft-difficult task of warming up the headliner’s fans with a completely non-lyrical set. The trio featured the band’s namesake on lead guitar, and he instantly dazzled on a slew of tracks showcasing the skill that had him play alongside Steve Vai and Mr. Big’s Paul Gilbert.
Joining Ramos were Dallas resident Robert Trusko on bass and drummer David Salazar. Trusko, a native of Philadelphia, earned his Master’s degree at the University of North Texas in Music Composition. Salazar was a menace on the drums, so it was an eyebrow raiser when Ramos told the audience that Salazar was “playing this music for the first time.”
Hedras’ latest album Front Line dropped last October, and you can get your hands on some of their material here.
Anytime Stryper visits the Alamo City, it’s a full-circle moment. Touting “this is where it all began” as far as Stryper having played Texas on its first tour, Michael Sweet was perplexed at the high number of fans who indicated they were seeing Stryper live for the first time.
Pointing out one young person, Sweet said, “Well, you have an excuse. You weren’t even born yet. But for the others, what’s your excuse? Why’d you wait 42 years?’
It was a lighthearted moment the Sweet brothers, Fox and bassist Perry Richardson know all too well could end at any given time.
So when it comes to not taking life for granted?
That may be Stryper’s greatest gift and message of them all.