40th Anniversary: To Hell With The Devil | A Salute To The Guys Of Stryper
(2026 – Roxx Records)
Amid so many anniversaries and other such events, there’s one that White Metal fans simply can’t overlook: the 40th anniversary of one of Stryper’s most significant albums and a cornerstone of the genre. We’re talking about the legendary “To Hell With The Devil,” which hit the streets 40 years ago and rightfully earned its place among Heavy Metal’s legendary albums.
So, before social media starts flooding with the now-tiresome “today marks X years since the release of so-and-so,” Roxx Records got to work and released a compilation album that brings together the vast majority of its artists and bands to reproduce Stryper’s famous album exactly and in identical chronological order.
At first glance, saying it seems easier than doing it, but the folks at Roxx Records pulled it off, maintaining a consistent vision and overall production without compromising the individual performance of each artist or band. This isn’t just any old compilation where bands and tracks are thrown together haphazardly. Quite the opposite. One of the things that stands out most about “40th Anniversary – To Hell With The Devil” is the production behind it and the great work done to maintain a unity of sound and logic among all the diverse offerings found here.
The fact is that each artist reinterprets every track from “To Hell With The Devil” in their own style, while essentially preserving the essence of each song. They are, in short, “covers,” and each artist interprets them in their own way and style.
Naturally, there’s a little bit of everything, and so it begins with the instrumental “Abyss,” renamed “Abyss 2.0,” and reinterpreted by Ted Gardner, keyboardist for Moonlit Masquerade. In fact, there isn’t much to say about an intro, so moving on to what follows, we find the well-known Reign Of Glory delivering a fitting version of “To Hell With The Devil,” Stryper’s legendary classic, featuring none other than Mark Boals on vocals, who gives it his very own personal interpretation.
It’s a tough task for Becomings Sons to take a song like “Calling On You”—a classic of 80s melodic hard rock—and give it a metalcore twist. It’s a bit odd, you have to admit, but the cover ended up with a “heavier” feel and growling vocals in the background, while staying true to the original song’s vibe. Also featured is “Calling You,” covered by Latter Reign, a band with its own unique history, managing to create a cover that stands out for its intense guitar work and a certain “80s techno” vibe.
“Honestly” is the most interesting ballad on the original album, but here we find a version so compelling that it easily becomes the best track on the entire album. Masterfully covered by German Pascual (formerly of Narnia, currently with Bethesda), who, unlike the original song, opted for a brilliant acoustic rendition alongside Nenel Lucena, which gives it a distinct sparkle and captures a special feeling. Without exaggeration, it’s truly moving, and it’s no wonder it’s one of the highlights of this compilation.
Testimony Of Apocalypse makes its appearance with a track tailor-made for them, “The Way,” which they perform with their unique blend of Thrash Metal and Metalcore while essentially staying true to the song’s original concept. And of course, another classic like “Sing-Along Song” couldn’t be missing, covered by the Swedish band All For The King. It’s actually a song tailor-made for them, but they take it at their own tempo—the one that defines them. Heavy guitars and fitting solos round out a solid cover.
I also love it when they try to do something different. That’s the case with Undoubting Thomas and their “progressive” cover of “Holdin’ On,” emphasizing the keyboards and bass lines to delve into the depth of the song’s chords and putting a new spin on one of Stryper’s classics. Simply brilliant.
Weapons Of God delivers a heavy-as-hell version of “Rockin’ The World,” with guitars right up front and thick, rock-driven vocals, rounding out a great rendition of another classic. Next up is a strange and highly personal rendition of “All Of Me” by Seth Metoyer; with a techno/alternative vibe, it seems to have nothing to do with the original version, but it is Metoyer who dared to go much further than anyone else and gave a different feel to one of the classic ballads from “To Hell With The Devil.”
The thrashers Motivik provide the grand finale with “More Than A Man,” performed in their own style and in the best traditional heavy metal fashion, with a guitar sound that is clearly more characteristic of thrash metal, yet still managing to capture the spirit of the original version.
The album features a sort of bonus track, including Severed Angel’s cover of “Soldiers Under Command,” which actually comes from Stryper’s debut album. The result is an almost power-metal-style rendition that turned out much “heavier” than the original, and we really enjoyed it.
The task was by no means easy. We’ve seen countless albums and tributes to various bands, and honestly, we’ve heard some real disasters. But that’s not the case with “40th Anniversary – To Hell With The Devil”; here, the concept and overall production set a clear direction that’s strictly followed, while still leaving enough room for the band and/or performer to put their own spin on the song.
In that sense, this tribute or homage has a little bit of everything, as you may have noticed. It comes down to personal taste, though it’s worth noting that there are some versions that are truly impressive. The tracks by Germán Pascual, Undoubting Thomas, Weapons Of God, and Reign Of Glory are the standout highlights, though of course, the others don’t disappoint at all.
If the production of this album follows a consistent approach throughout, the same can be said of the sound. Although each track was recorded in different studios, Rob Colvell has given it a sonic unity that, incidentally, is clear, precise, and packs a punch.
The album revives the original cover of “To Hell With The Devil” in a reinterpretation by Juan Carlos Arce that really makes an impact. The booklet’s content is interesting. We find the history of the Roxx Records label, told by Bill Bafford, obviously tied to his experience with Stryper and the band’s significance to him personally. Additionally, there are photographs and credits for each track and participating band. The design is truly excellent and follows the yellow/black color scheme so characteristic of the honorees.
“To Hell With The Devil” turns 40. This tribute is one of the first tributes that will surely be released for such an important and legendary album. Roxx Records did it, and the bands did it. Impeccable. And get this—it was only released on CD in a limited edition of just 500 copies, so don’t miss out.
To get your hands on a copy of this album, I recommend visiting the Roxx Records website linked below and pre-ordering a copy. And at the risk of repeating ourselves, we’re also sharing a bit of this impeccable tribute. Two tracks we loved the most: “Honestly” performed by Germán Pascual, and “To Hell With The Devil” by Reign Of Glory!!!
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