Stryper - Biography
by Charles Reece
As with the Christian rock scene that followed in its wake, Stryper provoked a bunch of guff from both sides of the religious divide. Christian critics claimed the band’s message was undermined by the sinful form of rock and roll itself, while more secularly-inclined critics suggested that the religious image was merely a marketing gimmick. How can an artist remain committed to his or her beliefs within the commercial world of rock music? In this regard, Stryper’s dilemma at the crossroads is no different from the anti-capitalist struggle of Gang of Four or Stereolab. The ascetic and altruistic example of Jesus is inherently anti-consumerist, but spreading his message on a mass scale requires the distribution channels of late-capitalism, which function on the desires of people to acquire things, not give them away. Thus, any popular artist critically suggesting there is something more than base desires will be compromised by the dictates of popularity, so Stryper’s success (and all the band could reasonably hope for) was in injecting its message of a higher calling into the already corrupted mainstream.
Brothers Michael Harrison and Robert Lee Sweet (born on July 4, 1963 and March 21, 1960, respectively, in Lynwood, California) made their first commitment to a Christian way of life in 1975 after encountering the televangelical preaching of Jimmy Swaggart. However, this being the era of tight pants and arena-rock decadence, the prepossessing brothers began to backslide as the lure of stardom replaced divine inspiration. Raised by country musicians for parents, both of the boys learned to play multiple instruments from a young age with Robert eventually settling on drums and Michael on guitar and singing. Enthralled by the glam metal scene developing in nearby Hollywood, they formed their own teased-hair band with guitarist Scott Lane called Roxx Regime. Around this time, neighbor and old high school chum Kenny Metcalf began to evangelize to the brothers. As the Sweet brothers were making a prodigal return to their faith, Lane left the band. He was replaced by another friend from school, Oz Fox (born Richard Alfonso Martinez on June 18, 1961 in Whittier, California), who was experiencing his own faith revival at the time--inspired by Metcalf, as well. (For his guiding role in Stryper’s development, Metcalf’s rewards were plenty, including a stint as the band’s touring keyboardist for their first three years and a convertible Cougar from Michael.) The defining lineup was completed when bassist Tim Gaines (born Timothy James Hagelganz on December 15, 1962 in Portland, Oregon) joined in 1983. A minister’s son, Gaines had just left his former band, Stormer, to devote himself more fully to serving Jesus. All four members shared a love for the music emanating out of Hollywood while deploring its flagrant hedonism.
Due to the band-members’ delicate, cosmetics-enhanced beauty and sheer technical ability (Michael has a multi-octave voice, for example), Roxx Regime was garnering a good deal of attention on the Sunset Strip opening for the likes of Mötley Crüe and W.A.S.P.. Enigma Records signed them immediately after hearing the band’s demos (which would be released as The Roxx Regime Demos by Fifty-Three Five Records in 2007). The label was caught off-guard when the glam band it had signed became a full-fledged Christian act. Contrary to the criticism oft-leveled at the group that its religious message was a shtick, its being singularly focused on spreading the Gospel was hardly a sure-fire way of making money in the rock and roll world of teenaged rebellion. The band would often have to dodge a deluge of saliva, as well as the bibles that it had tossed out to the audience being hurled back. Despite the ridicule of the band’s ideology, Enigma stuck with them, only insisting on a name change. Robert Sweet, the band’s spokesman and conceptualist, came up with “Stryper,” based on the metaphorical reference to Jesus’ lash marks in Isaiah 53:5 from the King James Bible. Robert also developed the band’s own pro-Christian symbology that appeared on the albums and stage sets (such as the number 777 and the red anti-circle over the Devil’s name). Along with the new name came the yellow and black striated spandex that would become the group’s most remembered feature.
The boldly effeminate imagery, the heavy metal sound and forceful handling of Scripture all became the subject of attack from conservative Christian quarters. In particular, early inspiration Jimmy Swaggart led a campaign against the group in the mid-1980s. In contrast, Stryper saw itself as a touring rock and roll ministry based on the idea that Jesus, too, walked among sinners. The degree to which the band’s message effected much of a change in secular commercial music is debatable, but its success at getting that message in places such as rock radio and MTV, otherwise closed off to such proselytizing, is undeniable.
Stryper’s first release, The Yellow and Black Attack (1984 Enigma), quickly sold out, since this EP was limited to just under 20,000 units. Mainly consisting of reworked, more overtly Christian versions of the earlier demos, the record set the template for future releases: highly polished, melodic heavy metal tunes with Van Halen-styled harmonies interrupted by a treacly ballad or two, all written by Michael Sweet with occasional help from the other band-members. Stryper became Enigma’s biggest selling artist at the time with the band’s first LP, Soldiers Under Command (1985), which went gold and peaked at #86 on Billboard’s album chart. In order to capitalize on this surprising success, Enigma rereleased the EP in 1986 with two additional songs (one being the band’s 1985 Christmas single, “Reason For The Season”) and a different album cover (logo and title now covered the striped missiles aimed at Earth seen on the original).
The next album, To Hell with the Devil (1987 Enigma), proved to be the group’s biggest commercial success and — by most fans and critics’ estimation — greatest artistic achievement. As with the rerelease of the EP, the album’s cover featuring angels battling demons was replaced by the band’s logo on later releases. Robert Sweet has suggested that this was more of a marketing ploy by Enigma than an actual response to true controversy. While the hardcore metal fans preferred Michael Sweet’s gift at writing catchy rockers, it was the syrupy ballad “Honestly” that became Stryper’s signature song and made the band a staple on MTV. The video became the most requested song on the music channel (as did its follow-up, “Free”). The single peaked at #23 on the Billboard pop chart, helping to drive the album to platinum status (earning a Grammy nomination and eventually selling over 2 million copies, peaking at #32). No ideologically inclined Christian artist had achieved this level of success in the secular market before, nor has anyone since.
Despite Stryper’s successful trajectory, things were not going so smoothly within its ranks. Struggling with doubts about his own self-worth and the idolatry that comes with rock stardom, bassist Gaines left the band just before To Hell with the Devil was recorded. He was replaced by Brad Cobb for the recording sessions, but returned for the tour. He was also beginning his 20-year long struggle with alcoholism that only increased when the band decided to use Cobb for the recording of the third LP, In God We Trust (1988 Enigma), with Gaines once again coming back for the world tour. Attempting to replicate the previous album’s success, Stryper went with de rigueur power ballads for the singles, but neither “Always There For You” (#71) nor “I Believe In You” (#88) managed to capture the public’s ear like those of the previous year. Commercial critical mass for overwrought balladeers with too much glitter, too much spandex and too much hair was finally being reached. However, the LP still did well enough, peaking at #39, falling just short of platinum status.
It was the mercurial nature of popular taste, rather than a rejection of Stryper’s message, that led to their disbanding. The Sunset Strip had its last hurrah in the late 1980s with the ascendancy of Guns ‘N Roses and its back-to-the-raunchy-basics approach to rock and roll. To address the criticisms from metal fans that Stryper’s music had gotten too soft, the members went as far as their values would allow in adapting to the new stylized sleaze. Gone was the coxcombry of makeup, temple of hair and striped spandex, replaced by facial hair, ponytails and black leather pants. The music became harder, as well, including songs that did not explicitly express a love for God. Against The Law (1990 Enigma) was the final LP before the band’s breakup, and it demonstrates the tensions they were experiencing. On the one hand, the title track was a response to the attacks from conservative Christian leaders. On the other, despite the impression that the band had rejected its clean-cut Christian approach, most of the songs enunciated themes with which any conservative evangelical would agree (such as being against extra-marital sex in "Not That Kind of Guy”). All the members admit to having succumbed to the temptations of partying or flirting with groupies, but the bad boy image was clearly not something they could effectively pull off. Even the scantily clad women in their video for “Shooting Star” (a cover of the Earth, Wind & Fire hit) could get no closer to the band than behind a wall trying to touch them through rubber gloves. Any chance the album had was demolished when Enigma shut down weeks after its release.
After their new label, Hollywood Records, released the greatest hits collection Can’t Stop the Rock in 1991, Stryper’s members decided to go their separate ways. Michael Sweet was first to leave for a solo career in the contemporary Christian genre (e.g., Michael Sweet in 1994 and Real in 1996). The remaining members continued on a tour of Europe with Fox handling the vocal chores, but gave the ghost in early 1992. Fox and Gaines formed a born-again grunge band called Sin Dizzy, which is still around (but without Gaines), but has only one release, 1998’s He’s Not Dead. Robert Sweet went on to play in several Christian bands, including Blissed and King James (the latter of which also featured Gaines). Additionally, some of the guys took day jobs to make ends meet: Michael became a park ranger at his father-in-law’s camp in Massachusetts and Fox began to teach guitar lessons in Los Angeles. All the ex-members remained friends during this period and had lingering feelings that Stryper’s mission remained incomplete.
The possibility of a reunion began in 1999 when Michael joined his pals in Sin Dizzy on stage in Puerto Rico to play a few hits from their former band. That led to all the members getting back together to play the first two annual Stryper Expos in Los Angeles in 2000 and 2001. Shortly thereafter, the band went back into the studio to record two new tracks for another greatest hits album that Hollywood Records was planning (Seven: The Best of Stryper, released in 2003). A successful US tour followed, which rekindled the band’s interest in recording an album of all new material. However, remembering his troubles during Stryper’s heyday, Gaines decided his calling was elsewhere, namely in support of his wife Valerie’s solo career. With new bassist Tracie Ferrie (from Michael’s solo project), Reborn was released in 2005. The recording for a follow-up album, Murder by Pride, is completed, but its release has been delayed until due to Michael Sweet’s taking time to care for his cancer-stricken wife, Kyle, along with his duties as the new vocalist and guitarist for the reformed Boston. The first single for the new album is a cover of Boston’s “Peace of Mind,” featuring Tom Scholz on guitar. In 2009, after his wife had passed away, Michael and the band finally released Murder By Pride, followed by The Covering- an LP of cover songs, released in 2011.