To Hell With The Devil

Album: To Hell with the Devil (1986)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was the title track for the Christian heavy metal band's third album. Lead singer Michael Sweet wrote the song to celebrate God and send a musically unique message to their young fans - Stryper was in the minority when it came to denouncing the devil in metal music. The band's fans were a mix of Christian believers and folks who just liked their music, thanks in large part to their hit "Honestly."

    Looking back on how their music helped spread the Word, Michael Sweet told Songfacts: "Those songs, particularly that album is what catapulted the band into crossover mainstream success. So we went from playing theatres to playing arenas and selling three or four hundred thousand units to selling a million and a half units. So it was all of a sudden magnified and multiplied. And because of the effect those songs had on people's lives, the changing power of Christ is the music or the lyric or what have you, absolutely. And people look back and say, 'Okay, To Hell with the Devil, man, I remember that in my junior year. And I heard that song and I went and saw the band and I accepted the Lord and it changed my life.'"
  • The band's hard rock image and in-your-face Christianity sparked much debate in Christian circles. While their metalhead fans adored them, Stryper were denounced from pulpits and picketed at their concerts. To Hell with the Devil meanwhile was a commercial success, spending over 40 weeks on Billboard's Top 200 album chart, a remarkable achievement at the time for an overtly Christian band. It became the first contemporary Christian album to sell over a million copies and it remained the best selling Christian Metal LP until P.O.D.'s Satellite in 2001.
  • Stryper took their name from a Bible verse Isaiah 53: 5, which says "….by His stripes we are healed." Stryper they explained was an acronym meaning "Salvation Through Redemption Yielding Peace, Encouragement and Righteousness."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Cheerleaders In Music Videos

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce PavittSong Writing

The man who ran Nirvana's first label gets beyond the sensationalism (drugs, Courtney) to discuss their musical and cultural triumphs in the years before Nevermind.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.