In 1990, Stryper became borderline unrecognizable. They discarded the yellow and black colors. They turned away from their familiar sound of the past few albums and opted for a slightly heavier style. Even lyrically, the band ventured more into songs about relationships and fewer directly about their faith. In this context, Stryper released Against the Law.

One of the few consistencies with prior albums is opening with the title track. From the beginning, the record shows its unique elements. While the album’s predecessor, In God We Trust, felt like an attempt to copy and paste the success of To Hell with the Devil, “Against the Law” lyrically and sonically makes a statement that this record will be the record it wants to be. Frontman Michael Sweet’s vocals sound much more natural than they did throughout In God We Trust, and he belts out the frustration he and the band have wrestled with in the lack of acceptance from Christian audiences. Addressing the critics, Sweet declares, “You’ve got to point your finger / You think you know it all / I want you to remember / I don’t live for you / ‘Cause I’m against your laws.” The song serves as a strong opener and does an excellent job setting the stage for what will follow in the rest of the album.

The record highlights Stryper’s high-level musical talent. From ballads like “Lady,” one of the best ballads in the band’s discography, to high energy rockers like “Caught in the Middle,” Stryper shows that their musical capabilities stretch beyond the standard sound of their first four albums. They even pull off a cover of Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Shining Star” surprisingly well — so well that someone unfamiliar with the original likely would not guess they adapted the song from an entirely different genre. Other musically notable tracks include “Two Time Woman,” “Rock the Hell out of You,” and “Two Bodies (One Mind One Soul)” (the last of which I will say more about below).

While the music far surpasses that on In God We Trust, the lyrics stick out as the weakness of the album. Stryper does not abandon Christian themes entirely, but while other albums had focused heavily on God, Against the Law predominantly focuses on human relationships. Songs like “Two Time Woman” and “Ordinary Man” contain lyrics any band could have written, lacking Stryper’s signature message. Other tracks, like “Not That Kind of Guy” and “Rock the Hell out of You,” do contain Christian values in the lyrics, but the message of Jesus seems more like an afterthought than a declaration at the forefront. The most impactful reference to their faith is still a vague one in “Two Bodies (One Mind One Soul),” but the track highlights what Genesis 2:24 says about a husband and wife becoming one flesh in marriage, even when life becomes difficult. Sweet sings, “This time we’ve got to stick together / Can’t let our hearts turn into stone / We’ll win this fight if we never say never / As two bodies, one mind, one soul.” Apart from standing out spiritually, “Two Bodies” also excels on a musical level. The guitar solo starts slow and builds up until the final chorus comes in, at which point one would struggle not to want to sing along to the remainder of the song.

While Against the Law deviates from much of what made Stryper themselves, one would err to overlook this album. The record sounds the most unlike any other albums they have done to this day (as I write in 2025), and that is not necessarily a negative. Against the Law shows a more experimental era of the band, and also provides insight into their fatigue from sharing the message of Christ while receiving criticism from other Christians. Still, with more standard Stryper lyrics, this could have been a top album in the band’s discography. At the same time, even though this album has its lyrical misses and did not earn the RIAA certifications the previous three records hold, Against the Law deserves more respect in Stryper’s catalog than it tends to receive.

JFH Reader Review:
Review date: 9/1/25, written by Noah Schmidt for Jesusfreakhideout.com