Countless bands have jumped on the bandwagon where they go on the road for the anniversary of a particular album in their canon, usually the most popular. But few are doing it in such a daring way as Stryper, who have announced a tour this fall celebrating the 30th anniversary of To Hell with the Devil. What makes this jaunt so special isn’t that it’s, according to the press release, sponsored by The Salty Snapper and Woodstack BBQ Tavern, but that the Christian metal icons will “pull out the original yellow and black outfits and hit the road.”
Let’s see Kiss try that.
We even asked if they could still fit into those famed ’80s-era get-ups.
We got in them now. Always have. One of the few bands that can???? https://t.co/ZaFpfKzHdI
— MichaelSweet Stryper (@michaelhsweet) June 23, 2016
Released in October of 1986, To Hell with the Devil wasn’t just the breakthrough album for Stryper, it busted open the doors for Christian rock early the following year when the music videos for “Free” and “Honestly” ranked number on on MTV’s list of most requested videos, and the video for “Calling on You” reached number two. Stryper was the first band to ever have two songs in Dial MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously. The record went multi-platinum, and was nominated for Best Gospel Performance at the Grammys. It’s also been given a five star review by Jesus Freak Hideout.
“To Hell with the Devil literally changed our lives,” Stryper frontman Michael Sweet says in a statement. “During that tour we went from playing theaters and mid-sized clubs to arenas, all in a very short amount of time. We never could have predicted the wild popularity of those songs and videos – especially in the mainstream market.”
Stryper still has all its original members, with Sweet on vocals and guitar, his brother Robert Sweet on drums, Tim Gaines on bass, and Oz Fox on guitar. Dates for the anniversary trek has yet to be announced, but there will be VIP meet and greet packages, which in the recent past have garnered a bit of controversy.