Stryper was formed in 1983 and was the first heavy metal band to create openly Christian music. Their hit song, “Shout at the Devil,” made them a major player in the 80’s heavy metal band scene. This was revolutionary at the time, and Stryper took a lot of criticism from both the main stream music industry and the Christian community. 

In the 1980's, the main stream heavy metal music industry was centered on the image of being a rebel, and because of this, an edgy, dark satanic message often accompanied the lyrics of the day. However, Stryper’s lyrics actively contradicted that stereotype. On the Christian side of things, the Christian community had been conditioned to view heavy metal rock as evil, and many people couldn’t understand how there could be a Christian band creating music in this genre.