To Hell with the Devil

When the majority of Christian artists were going unheard in the secular market, Stryper became even more visible among non-Christian audiences with its third album, To Hell with the Devil. This was the first time a Stryper album went platinum -- something the headbangers' presence on MTV no doubt played a role in. And the fact that this album boasted Stryper's strongest writing up to that point didn't hurt. The southern Californians sound especially confident and inspired on "The Way," "Sing-Along Song," "More Than a Man" and the infectious title song. But as invigorating as the up-tempo numbers are, Stryper's ballads didn't improve a bit; "All of Me" and the hit "Honestly" are as annoying as ever. ~ Alex Henderson