\n<\/p>\n
I was first introduced to Stryper<\/a><\/strong> by the late, great Rob Campo<\/strong><\/a> of the New York (and later, L.A.) metal scene back in 1987. I know nothing of Christian metal. In fact, I know almost nothing about Christianity, but when I first discovered the Soldiers Under Command<\/a><\/em> record, I really didn’t care about about any particular religious message or not. I had listened to plenty of records that had “satanic” messages and I was rather unfazed by them.<\/p>\n And while the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC)<\/a> tried to scare my Mom into thinking that I was going to start worshipping Satan because I listened to Ozzy<\/a><\/strong>, a funny thing happened, after repeated experiences with bands like Slayer<\/a><\/strong>, Mercyful Fate<\/a><\/strong> and even Mayhem<\/a><\/strong>, and that is, for some reason, I never became a follower of the dark lord.<\/p>\n It’s been a similar experience with my love of Stryper<\/a><\/strong> and other Christian metal bands. I’ve always been a seeker of solid music. To me, I don’t concern myself about the lyrics that much as long as the music composition resonates with what I’ve come to enjoy. With that, I’ve never really stopped engaging with Stryper<\/a><\/strong>‘s music, either recorded or live. Stryper<\/a><\/strong> is a premier metal band, and if you think they aren’t, simply because they’re evangelical Christians, then you’re wrong, to be frank.<\/p>\n \n