All things considered, this would be a fairly excellent group Halloween costume.

If the odds of you owning any vestigial Lita Ford tapes is slim, you probably have no damn idea who Stryper is. If, though, back in the day, you could watch Headbanger’s Ball all the way through without snickering even once, you’re well familiar with the metal bumblebees who pioneered “777″ as a Godly alternative to the number of the beast.

Their earnestness for Christian rock was met only by their supremely Spinal Tappish stage show, wherein among other things, drummer Robert Sweet would turn his kit (which at one point include more than 100 pieces) sideways so the audience could better see him play. They were one tiny Stonehenge away full-on parody. Yet they’re so, so completely serious. Serious to the point where the outgoing message on guitarist Oz Fox’s answering machine tells you you’ve reached “The Stryper Hotline.”

Still, the band is touring their 25th anniversary and new album Murder by Pride, making a stop tomorrow night at Santa Fe Station’s Chrome Showroom at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24.95. We talked to Fox about writing ’80s rock in the ’00s, being tricked into buying devil rock and how the Sin City Sinners apparently need some help finding Jesus. Click for more words and pictures »

By Jason Scavone