Rank the Stryper albums (First era)

1. Soldiers under Command

The album that made me a fan. It’s excellent and has such great energy. The ballads aren’t my favorite, but they’re listenable.

2. In God We Trust

So underrated. The songs are so hooky and I actually enjoy the glossy sound. Their best ballads up to that point. More hooks here than a Kardashian’s coat closet.

3. Against the Law

I really like the sound of this, but I find it a little inconsistent. I played it a TON when I got it, but I don’t pull it out as often now when I want to hear Stryper. It starts off strong and ends very strong. Lady is their best ballad musically and All for One is my favorite Stryper song. 

4. The Yellow and Black Attack

A strong and consistent debut. I wish it were easier to find the version with better sound. 

5. To Hell with the Devil

I’ve grown to like this album, but it was the first one I heard and I didn’t care for it outside of three songs (THwtD, CoY, and MTaM). I think it has some of their weakest songs, keeping in mind that they’ve never made a bad album. 

Stryper rule!

Against the Law  A little more raw sound for them and holds up well.
SUC-Outside the ballads it's a great album
YABA-Great debut
THWTD-Little inconsistent but still a good album
In God We Trust-IMO this is not a good album, only like three songs.

1. To Hell With the Devil.  Greatest Christian metal anthem ever.
2. Soldiers Under Command.  Solid.  I agree with weak ballads holding it back.
3. In God We Trust.  Good songs but over-produced.
4. Against the Law.  Best music, weakest lyrics.
5. Yellow and Black Attack.  Good debut, they only get better.

My list is greatly influenced by the chronological order in which I heard the albums:

1) Against the Law. Best music, weakest lyrics (eatbugs!)
2) In God We Trust. B-side songs are weak; A-sides are some of their best songs.
3) To Hell With the Devil. Inconsistent song quality.
4) Yellow and Back Attack. Great songs and energy, great debut, poorer sound.
5) Soldiers Under Command. I can't stand the title track. Period.

1. Soldiers Under Command
(Their heaviest album. Awesome guitars!)

2. To Hell with the Devil
(Great music and sing along anthems)

3. Against the Law
(Very good production, but lacking the bold Christian lyrics)

4. In God We Trust 
(Good, but a little too polished)

5. Yellow and Black Attack 
(could be ranked higher if it had better production)

1. In God We Trust - I love this album. The songs rock. I like the production. The ballads are their best. It has it all.

2. Soldiers Under Command - so many good songs and heavy twin guitars!

3. To Hell With The Devil - great songs, except for the ballads, which sucked here. But this album rocks.

4. The Yellow and Black Attack - I have the original version and it smokes.

5. Against the Law - quite overrated. Some good songs, sure, but you can tell the band was a mess at this point.

1.  To Hell With The Devil

2.  Soldiers Under Command

3.  In God We Trust

4.  Yellow & Black Attack

5.  Against The Law - This would have been higher if not for the change in lyrical direction.  I liked it, but I wasn't ready for Stryper to go somewhat secular.  There are still some great songs and messages, too.

I saw them on the Against the Law tour and they channeled that frustration into playing more aggressive then I'd heard the two times I'd seen them before.

1. Soldiers Under Command…..This was my introduction to Stryper and was a game changer for me at the time. Also SUC(the title song) is my favorite Stryper song. Period.

2. To Hell With The Devil….great sing along anthems and the album finished with a great song “More Than A Man.”

3. In God We Trust….I might be in the minority on this one but I really like this album a lot. I thought the songs were great although a little too polished. However, Back in the day, I found myself listening to this more than the others. I would love to hear this one redone with less polish and in a bit of a lower more earthy tone.

4. Against The Law….. This album could be ranked higher as I find Stryper to be writing really good songs that rock. I thought the album as a whole started strong and finished strong with songs like “Caught In The Middle, All For One and Rock The Hell Out Of You.” 

5. The Yellow And Black Attack….great solid songs, not so great production. Otherwise, I’d rank it higher.

for music:
1. Against the Law
2. To Hell with the Devil
3. Soldiers under Command
4. The Yellow and Black Attack

for nostalgia:
1. The Yellow and Black Attack
2. Soldiers under Command
3. To Hell with the Devil
4. Against the Law

last because it's just not a good record
and it doesn't fall under either of the above categories:
5. In God We Trust

I haven't even heard all of the post reunion records and
I'm 90% sure I would rate IGWT below all of them...
dead last in the entire Stryper catalog...

eatbugs wrote:1. To Hell With the Devil.  Greatest Christian metal anthem ever.
2. Soldiers Under Command.  Solid.  I agree with weak ballads holding it back.
3. In God We Trust.  Good songs but over-produced.
4. Against the Law.  Best music, weakest lyrics.
5. Yellow and Black Attack.  Good debut, they only get better.

this

THWTD - when the title track kicks in you know why this is no. 1. Goosebumps.
Against The Law - tight musicianship, few bands manage to depart from their original style and come up with something just as good or even better!
SUC - classic stuff
YABA - more classic stuff
IGWT - I like this a lot, it‘s a tiny bit too polished for its own good but still a classic

I am a sucker for classic Stryper and all those albums are classics. Few bands have a five album run, stryper has two such runs in two millennia. Amazing.

Raegoul wrote:THWTD - when the title track kicks in you know why this is no. 1. Goosebumps.
Against The Law - tight musicianship, few bands manage to depart from their original style and come up with something just as good or even better!
SUC - classic stuff
YABA - more classic stuff
IGWT - I like this a lot, it‘s a tiny bit too polished for its own good but still a classic

I am a sucker for classic Stryper and all those albums are classics. Few bands have a five album run, stryper has two such runs in two millennia. Amazing.

You NAILED it, Brother

That's hard, but here goes:

1. To Hell With the Devil: Great album and I couldn't wait for this to come out back in late summer fall of 1986. 
2. Soldiers Under Command: This is the first album I bought in May of 1986. Has my favorite song Soldiers  Under Command. 
3. Against the Law: While there was a change in the direction, this has some of the band's best guitar work from that era.
4. In God We Trust: Stryper was going for a glossy appeal which made thus album not as heavy. If this had the same production as the previous  2 this would of been a heavier album, especially if they let Tim play on the album. It has some great song though. 
5. Yellow and Black Attack: Strong debut regardless of the version, the EP or the 1986 version. You can tell the band was hungry.

Just for fun, I added up the scores (1st place gets 5 points, 2nd gets 4 etc.)

Here's the results...

1 - With 47 points (average 3.9 ) SOLDIERS UNDER COMMAND
2 - With 43 points (average 3.6 ) TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL
3 - With 37 points (average 3.1 ) AGAINST THE LAW
4 - With 32 points (average 2.7 ) IN GOD WE TRUST
5 - With 21 points (average 1.8 ) YELLOW AND BLACK ATTACK

1. In God we trust
2. To hell with the devil
3. Soldiers under command
4. Yellow and black attack
5. Against the law

Temple of Blood wrote:1. In God we trust
2. To hell with the devil
3. Soldiers under command
4. Yellow and black attack
5. Against the law

I don't think I'll be buying your next album

Temple of Blood wrote:1. In God we trust
2. To hell with the devil
3. Soldiers under command
4. Yellow and black attack
5. Against the law

I spun both IGWT and THwtD again recently. IGWT is definitely better.

1. Soldiers Under Command
2. The Yellow And Black Attack
3. To Hell With The Devil
4. In God We Trust
5. Against The Law

Temple of Blood wrote:1. In God we trust
2. To hell with the devil
3. Soldiers under command
4. Yellow and black attack
5. Against the law

This is my order too.

In God We Trust is surprisingly underrated album. To me it's their catchiest and most memorable album.

Against the Law has very strong last three songs, but most of it before those is quite dull.

Pethead wrote:
4. The Yellow and Black Attack

A strong and consistent debut. I wish it were easier to find the version with better sound.

Here it is:

Yeah, that Guardian cover album is fantastic!

Airola wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:1. In God we trust
2. To hell with the devil
3. Soldiers under command
4. Yellow and black attack
5. Against the law

This is my order too.

In God We Trust is surprisingly underrated album. To me it's their catchiest and most memorable album.

Against the Law has very strong last three songs, but most of it before those is quite dull.

Interesting. I find AtL to be the rockiest of the early stuff and love the production while GWT is super poppy and barely heavier than Journey.

Black Rider wrote:Interesting. I find AtL to be the rockiest of the early stuff and love the production while GWT is super poppy and barely heavier than Journey.

Really?! The Writings on the Wall, Keep the Fire Burning, and The Reign are smoking metal tunes!