Stryken

Stryken was a 1980s Christian heavy metal/hard rock band based in the north Austin, Texas suburb of Cedar Park. Using stage names, the group consisted of Dale Streiker, Stephen Strieker, Joey Knight, and Ezekiel Vade. Often characterized as a mere clone of Stryper, Stryken issued several releases on their own private label, Crystal Records, including the 1986 12" single with the tracks, "Rock On" and "Surprise", and the 1987 full-length album, First Strike. The band's lyrics made prominent use of Biblical verses such as the anthemic song, "Crush the Head of Satan", which was a reference to the Old Testament prophetical verse of Genesis 3:15 and the New Testament verse of Romans 16:20. Many believed that the song's figuratively violent lyrics promoted actual physical violence which the band did not deny but rather affirmed with the statement that any such violence was "well directed". In June 1987, the members of Stryken were detained by police after disrupting a Mötley Crüe concert in San Antonio, Texas. Carrying a large wooden cross and clad in full body armor, Stryken first proselytized concertgoers outside of the venue and then proceeded inside to the front of the stage.