Michael Sweet of STRYPER joined The Metal Voice in reviewing the new 2 hour and 11 minute concept album by DREAM THEATER entitled “The Astonishing”.
Sweet tells The Metal Voice,”What is incredible about Dream Theater and they show it so well on this album is everybody is playing for the song. They have all these parts worked out. That is musical thinking from another world. The time changes and the note changes, the chord changes, its insanity, it’s unbelievable. It just shows you the talent of this band.”
“It’s almost like when you read the bible you can read it a hundred times and continue to get something out of it each time you read through it, that is how this album is. You can listen to this album a hundred times and you are always going to hear new things, there is do much depth.”
Michael Sweet goes on to tell The Metal Voice that he will begin a short acoustic solo tour in the first week of February in the US and is just almost finsihed his new solo album which will be coming out on Rat Pack Records in May or June 2016.
Canada’s The Metal Voice recently caught up with vocalist, guitarist of Christian metal pioneers, STRYPER‘s Michael Sweet. In the chat Sweet talks about the band’s new album “Fallen” and gives his opinion on W.A.S.P., Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Geoff Tate and Queesnryche’s new albums. STRYPER’s new Album “Fallen” will be released on October 16
When asked about his approach to writing the new album
“Before we make a new album I start listening to new bands, that range from real heavy stuff, to alternative stuff. I listen to the fans and I ask the question what do you guys want to hear on this album, and they tell us. And I kept thinking Heavy, heavy, heavy that’s why we didn’t do a piano ballad. That why we didn’t do pop metal kind of songs. I wanted this album to consistently be heavy.”
When asked about his favorite track on the album Pride
“The song Pride came together very fast as did all the other songs. That is one of my most favorite songs on the album. The reason why it is it’s because it’s a great merge of the old with the new and it’s got all the Stryper qualities you would expect. Pride is going to be the first music video that hits on release date October 16.”
On his thoughts about recording a concept album in the future
“I have thought about doing a concept album and I just haven’t ever gone down that path and made the commitment to do it. But sure, absolutely I thought about it and I think Stryper would be a great band to do that.”
On the highlights and disappointments of recording ‘Soldiers Under Command’ which is celebrating its 30 year anniversary
“Highlights working with Michael Wagner legendary metal producer. We recorded that album in 10-11-12 days tops and the downside of the album is we didn’t get to be there for the mix.”
On Michael Sweet’s plans for a new solo album
” I start recording a new solo in the next 3 weeks, it’s going to come out next year. It’s going to be a metal album. There is not going to be any poppy stuff. It’s going to blow people away I’m going to try to steer clear of the Styper sound.”
On his thoughts on the new Iron Maiden album ‘Book of Souls’
“I have heard bits and pieces of it and in my opinion it’s not as good as Maiden of old but it is certainly a lot better than some of the things they done in the past 15 years. I think they are getting on track and I would like to see the next album get back to the fire they had like Run to the hills and The Trooper.”
On his least favorite album in the past years
“I’m going to go with the Van Helen-A Different Kind of Truth. I am a huge Van Halen fan about as big as they come. I just feel like the last album you know when you feel like a band is going through the motions and they are not just giving it their best and trying, that’s what I felt about this album. It’s got some good reviews. People are saying this is great. I am just sitting here reading I must be hearing something completely different. I didn’t get it. I would love to get a hold of those guys and take them in the studio and take them back to the old school days and help them make an album that basically is comparable to Van Halen one and two.”
Two of hard rock’s most notable figures have partnered up for a new project. Iconic vocalist /guitarist Michael Sweet of STRYPER and legendary guitarist George Lynch of LYNCH MOB/DOKKEN have teamed up to form a new supergroup SWEET & LYNCH. Joining them on this new musical adventure is bassist James Lomenzo and drummer Brian Tichy. The band will be releasing their debut album Only To Rise on January 23rd 2015 in Europe and January 27th, 2015 in North America via Frontiers Music Srl. Sweet & Lynch recently launched a pre-order for the new album via PledgeMusic. The pre-order features various bundle packages for fans and is live at: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/sweetlynch
“When I was approached to help put together an all-star lineup, instantly I thought of George Lynch,” explains Michael Sweet. “George is one of the most talented guitarists out there and a ‘bucket list’ player for me. George wrote riffs/basic ideas and I wrote melodies, lyrics and arranged and completed the songs. I knew that we would compliment each other’s style. When you add the amazing rhythm section of Brian Tichy and James Lomenzo, you just can’t go wrong with this line-up. It really is a special project and I’m honored to be a part of it!”
From the opening notes of “The Wish” to the drum solo finish on the album-closer “Only To Rise,” it is evident that this musical partnership between Michael Sweet’s unmistakable voice and George Lynch’s signature guitar tone has yielded incredible results. Songs “Like A Dying Rose,” “Me Without You” and “Strength In Numbers” showcase the diversity that permeates throughout the entire album. Sweet & Lynch released a lyric video for the 9/11 inspired track “September” which can be seen here:
An EPK featuring Michael and George discussing this new project can be seen here:
Only To Rise was produced by Michael Sweet who also produced the last Stryper album, No More Hell To Pay, which received massive fan praise and critical acclaim alike.
The track listing for Only To Rise is:
1. The Wish
2. Dying Rose
3. Love Stays
4. Time Will Tell
5. Rescue Me
6. Me Without You
7. Recover
8. Divine
9. September
10. Strength In Numbers
11. Hero-Zero
12. Only To Rise
Plans are currently being worked out for Sweet & Lynch to play a few live shows in the Spring of next year, making this different than any other supergroups that record together but never play live. More information will be announced in the near future. If the past records of these four musicians are any indication, no fan will want to miss these shows.
Michael Sweet will launch his latest solo album, I’m Not Your Suicide, on May 5 – and he’ll release his autobiography at the same time.
The Stryper frontman’s 12-track album features guest appearances from Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich, Chickenfoot stand-in drummer Kenny Aronoff, Fozzy mainman Chris Jericho, TNT singer Tony Harnell, Sweet’s brother Robert and his Stryper bandmate Timothy Gaines.
Sweet has been busy recently, working with Dokken offshoot T&N and recording then releasing latest Stryper album No More Hell To Pay. But he’s not finished yet.
The vocalist says of his book Honestly: “It was much more difficult than I could ever imagine yet it’s been somewhat therapeutic. I get into everything and share things that may surprise you.
“I talk about the dysfunction in this band, why we were driven to bankruptcy and how we climbed our way back from complete loss and despair. I share my personal pain from the day I broke the news that I would be leaving the band.
“I had everything a man could ask for – and then, in what seemed like an instant, it was all taken away.”
Michael Sweet of Christian hard rockers of STRYPER has finished laying down the lead vocals on the band’s new studio album, “No More Hell To Pay”. The mixing sessions for the CD are set to begin this coming Monday, May 20 for a fall release via Frontiers Records.
Regarding the musical direction of STRYPER‘s new material, Michael Sweet told Screamer Magazine: “The song ‘God’, which is on ‘The Covering’; if you took that song along with ‘Bleeding From Inside Out’ and ‘Blackened’ [from ‘Second Coming’], and you put it on the same album, that’s a pretty good indication of where we are going and where we are at right now. But at the same time this album is all its own.”
He added: “Every song has a hooky guitar riff. Everything is in minor keys, so it’s a little darker sounding and a little tougher. It’s definitely our heaviest record and I think people will be pleasantly surprised.
“The people who do like the poppier side of STRYPER, like ‘Calling On You’ and ‘Holding On’, this record isn’t going to really give them that. There are a lot of vocal hooks and melodies going on, but it’s a little darker, and a little edgier. To reference, there is less songs like ‘Calling On You’ and more songs like ‘To Hell With The Devil’. It’s more in that vein than the poppier vein.”
Frontiers Records in January announced the signing of STRYPER to a multi-album deal. The first CD to be made available the agreement was a collection of re-recorded versions of the band’s classic songs, released in North America on March 26. Entitled “Second Coming” and produced by Michael Sweet, the album contains a total of 16 cuts — two from “The Yellow And Black Attack”, six from “Soldiers Under Command”, six from “To Hell With The Devil”, as well as two new tracks, “Bleeding From Inside Out” and “Blackened”.
STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet‘s autobiography, “Honestly”, is “almost finished being edited” and he is due to fly to Florida in June to schedule a release date. There is also a 12-song solo record to go hand in hand with the release of the book.
According to Sweet, his “friend and brother,” MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was “kind enough” to write the following blurb/quote for the book:
“Sometimes you see someone or something and you think you got it all figured out, just to find you were pretty far off base. That’s a sucky feeling. I learned a long time ago not to judge a book by its cover, and as much as I used to think that I am nothing like Michael Sweet, I have come to realize that we both have had a lot of hardships in common; the same trials and tribulations, the same band problems, and some of the same relationship issues. Fortunately for us, we both believe in the same Jesus, and serve the same amazing, loving creator, so it’s no wonder that we would both be standing on the same victorious side of life, once all the smoke clears at the end of the fight. I hope you will enjoy his memoirs and come to a new understanding and a new appreciation of Michael Sweet.”
Sweet previously stated about his upcoming book: “Writing and finishing my autobiography has gone WAY beyond my expectations, good and bad. It’s been much more difficult than I could ever imagine yet it’s been somewhat therapeutic being able to talk about my life and the past 30+ years of all things STRYPER. I get into everything and share things that may surprise you. I talk about the disfunction in this band, the pain and heartache of being so close to each other that we sometimes hurt each other the most, the ups and downs from our highest point (1987-1988) to our lowest point (1991-1992) and why we were driven to bankruptcy and how we climbed our way back from complete loss and despair. I share my personal pain from considering to give up music altogether to the day I broke the news to the guys that I would be leaving the band and why. From that day forward, I had everything a man could ask for and then, in what seemed like an instant, it was all taken away.
“I’m almost 50 yet I feel like I’ve lived the life of a man who is almost 90. I look back on everything and all I can say is thank you God for allowing me to serve you and for giving me my gift, my life!
“‘Honestly’ will be available soon and I can say from the bottom of my heart, it is brutally honest and my hopes and prayers are that it touches you in some way.”
Michael‘s new solo album will be issued via Big3 Records. Guest musicians set to appear on the CD include CHICKENFOOT drummer Kenny Aronoff, FOZZY singer Chris Jericho, WHITESNAKE guitarist Doug Aldrich; Tony Harnell of TNT, and Michael‘s brother Robert Sweet and STRYPER‘s Timothy Gaines.
Regarding Harnell‘s appearance on the CD, Sweet previously stated, “I think Tony is truly one of the most underrated singers of all time. He’s always been one of my favorites and is an incredibly nice, humble guy to boot. I’ve always wanted to work with Tony and I knew this would be the perfect song and opportunity to do so. ‘Taking On The World Tonight’ is very heavy with a combination of old-school riffs and solos yet it’s got a very modern, relevant sound as well. It’s the best of both worlds!”
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