Stryper

Melissa McCarthy's Body Horror

Identity Thief's creators fear what audiences love about actress.

The Biggest Houston Bands of 1992

Researching what the Houston music scene was like 20 years ago has been an eye-opening experience, to put it mildly. In that benighted era, the world was very analog. Musicians could design a gig flyer or type up some lyrics on their computers, maybe fiddle around with some primitive MIDI-type softw ... More >>

Reader's Poll: What's the Deal With Christian Music?

So you are disgusted, angry, and outright righteously pissed that your beloved 103.7 is gone with the wind, replaced by 24 hours of Christian music. Gone are your usual playlists full of Wilco, Soundgarden, Sheryl Crow and Death Cab For Cutie, not to mention your favorite DJs and personalities. Th ... More >>

Friday Night: Stryper At House Of Blues

Stryper House of Blues May 18, 2012 A dedicated legion of Stryper fans cheered on Friday night to bang their heads to the bands greatest hits along with a few excellent covers. Stryper came out in full yellow-and-black attire while lead singer and guitarist Michael Sweet crooned a version of "Bat ... More >>

Stryper's Michael Sweet: "We Stick To Our Guns"

See more with Michael Sweet in this week's issue of the Houston Press. In the 1980s, contemporary Christian music was on the cusp of accepting a nice little jolt of electricity for headbangers everywhere. That jolt of electricity, my friends, was Stryper. They burst onto the scene and have since p ... More >>

Stryper: Christian-Metal Kings

Michael Sweet explains what Stryper learned from Judas Priest and Van Halen.

Stryper

The American Bandstand (Extended) Hot 100

Somehow it's hard to believe that Dick Clark was only 82 years old when he died after suffering a "massive heart attack" Wednesday morning in Santa Monica, Calif. (Since I managed to survive one myself, I've noticed that anytime someone dies of a heart attack, it's always "massive."). Despite his yo ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Andrew W.K., Stryper, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Wicked Poseur, Say Anything

Photo By Katharine ShilcuttParty. Hard. ​Andrew W.K.: Sun., March 18. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. The Boxer Rebellion, Canon Blue: Thu., April 12. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Brian Jonestown Massacre: Sat., April 28. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Cas Haley: Fr ... More >>

Magic Bus: Ford Discontinuing Econoline, the Van of Choice for Bands

Stryper and their custom Econoline... we call it the "God-mobile"​We learned today about this unfortunate development: This week Ford Motor Co. said it is ramping up development and production of its Transit commercial van to make it into a truly global vehicle. The plan includes building the ... More >>

1986: Best Musical Year Ever?

​For almost two weeks now, Rocks Off has been obsessed with the year exactly 25 flips of the calendar backward from this one. It started when Steve Earle did one of his "Time Machine" shows, where the singer-songwriter who plays House of Blues Wednesday spotlights a dozen or so of his favorite ... More >>

Stryper's Michael Sweet: "God Formed This Band"

Photos by GroovehouseStryper at House of Blues, December 2009​Stryper, the world's coolest and heaviest '80s Christian heavy metal band of the '80s, comes to Scout Bar Monday night, touring behind last month's covers LP, The Covering. It's an appropriately shiny and heavy disc of covers from a ... More >>

Stryper

Upcoming: Erykah Badu, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Etc.

​Apocalyptica: Wed., March 23. House of Blues. Blu, J*Davey, The Niceguys: Tue., March 15. Groundhall. Deep Dark Robot: Mon., April 4. Rudyard's. Erykah Badu: Sat., May 21. Arena Theatre. Frontline Assembly, Die Krupps: Sat., June 4. Numbers. George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic: Fri., ... More >>

Happy Anniversary, Nirvana's Nevermind

​This past Friday, a significant musical anniversary came and went with barely a peep. It was only 19 years to the day the last album to cause a legitimate sea change in popular music - both the industry and the art - was released. Rocks Off knows that was a few days ago, but hey, we had a bus ... More >>

Rocks Off Close To 2,000 Twitter Followers... And A New Tattoo

Allow us to step out of the usage of the royal "we" that we use at Rocks Off for a blog that will have a lasting impact for the rest of our lives. Not Rocks Off at large, but one member who made a promise on the Internet that he can never take back. Well, he probably could, but then he would look li ... More >>

Aftermath: Stryper Shout At The Devil at the House of Blues

Photos by Groovehouse / Click here for a slideshow​This year, Aftermath has seen all strains of metal: From Slipknot and Mastodon's metallic beatdowns at Verizon Wireless Theater, to The Sword's kindly menacing sludge jams at the inaugural Summerfest, to the force of power that is Motorhead at ... More >>

What Would Jesus Jam? Christian Bands Who Found Secular Success

​Save for a few modern screamo bands like Underoath and the rap-rocking P.O.D., few Christian rock bands have had has as much an impact in mainstream secular music than the Bible-flinging Stryper. In the mid to late '80s the band was the premier Holy Ghost-filled metal band during a time when most ... More >>

Stryper

Distant Early Warning: Better Than Ezra, Cursive, Flogging Molly, Jay-Z, John Mayer, Yo La Tengo, etc.

​40 oz. To Freedom (Sublime Tribute): Fri., Jan. 22. Scout Bar Clear Lake. "4th Annual Rudz Thanksgiving Eve" With Born Liars: Wed., Nov. 25. Rudyard's. Bowling For Soup, Smile Smile: Sat., Dec. 5. Scout Bar Clear Lake. "104.1 KRBE Not So Silent Night" With All-American Rejects, Justin Bieber, Co ... More >>

What's In a Name? Hey, Look, It's 10th Gräde Cütie Again!

It's a well-known fact that most band names are essentially gobbledygook, but here at Rocks Off, we're trying hard to decode Houston's oddest monikers in order to find a little meaning. We mean this with affection and sincerity: 10th Gräde Cütie destroys everything they touch and should be booked ... More >>

Bayou Beat: More Live Nation Ticket Deals, I.J. Gosey at Discovery Green, Bob Fuldauer Leaves Meridian, Tony Campise In Serious Condition

farm1.static.flickr.com/I.J. Gosey​ We have a winner in our Live Nation "Club Passport" photo contest - we think - but are still awaiting a judge's ruling. Stay tuned. Live Nation has expanded its "No Service Fee" promotion once again, to include pretty much every show coming to House of Blues ... More >>

Bayou Beat: Half Price Live Nation Tickets, Last Call for Photo Contest, First Call for Poster Exhibit, Final "They, Who Sound" (For Now) This Sunday

​ Live Nation's weekly Wednesday "No Service Fee" ticket offer is pretty stiff this week: Buy one ticket for dozens of shows at House of Blues or Verizon Wireless Theater - such as Alice Cooper, O.A.R., Jewel, Goodie Mob, Bob Saget, Drive-By Truckers, Hanson, Peaches, Stryper, Zappa plays Zappa an ... More >>

Bayou Beat: A 15-Foot Sculpture of George Jones' Head, $10 House of Blues Tickets, Free Tontons Show, etc.

​Heavy metal comedy troupe Steel Panther has cancelled tonight's Warehouse Live show. What's on VH-1 Classic? Tennessee-born artist Wayne White is crafting a 15-foot puppet head in the likeness of Saratoga-born honky-tonk legend George Jones. Entitled "Big Lectric Fan to Keep Me Cool While I Sleep ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: Houston's Concert Horizon

[Ed. Note: Since we already run a list of concerts just added/announced in print, we figured we might as well do it online too.]3 Doors Down: Sat., June 27, 8 p.m. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Baskery: Thu., Sept. 10. McGonigel's Mucky Duck. Cameo, One Way, The SOS Band: Sat., Aug. 15. Arena Th ... More >>

Three Revolutionaries: Prince, Radiohead and Stryper

Gift Rap

An ABBA to Zebra of Guilty Pleasures

Music figures tell all abou their most shameful faves

Gospel According to Matthew

The Good Lord Willing, Songwriter Matthew Levine Plans to Spread the word of Baha'i

Sound Check