STRYPER Frontman MICHAEL SWEET

STRYPER Frontman MICHAEL SWEET - "Our New Album Is All About Guitar Solos"





Classic Rock Revisited founder Jeb Wright recently caught up with STRYPER / BOSTON vocalist Michael Sweet. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

Jeb: I heard Stryper but I never paid attention that you were a Christian band. Someone had a cassette and I heard some of it and thought it rocked. Then, I found out you were a Christian band and I decided that I had to hate you.

Michael: "It is amazing because that has happened more times that you would believe. People would hear the music and like it but then find out we are Christians and not like us. The same people will take some of the really dark stuff and not want to listen to it because of the lyrical content. Our latest record, Reborn, is not lyrically like it was in the past. In the past, it was all about Jesus and it was really up front. We are not sweeping anything under the carpet now; we still take a really strong stance on who we are and what we are and we would never run from that. We have just changed our approach over the years."

Jeb: My only complaint on that album is that there needed to be guitar solos.

Michael: "Two things that we have heard about that album are, 'Where are the guitar solos?' and 'Where are the high notes?' We just weren’t feeling it at the time. If I could go back then I would at least add guitar solos. Our new album, Murder By Pride, is all about guitar solos. There are a lot of harmony guitar solos with lots of notes."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

As previously reported, STRYPER fans will have limited time to purchase Murder By Pride song-by-song via iTunes up until July 21st, 2009 when the full album will be released. The new track 'Eclipse Of The Son' is currently available here and is available for streaming on MySpace.

Following is the original press release for the song-by-song release campaign:

"Beginning on Tuesday May 5th, 2009 you can purchase a song per week on iTunes. However, as each new song is released, the previous one will no longer be available until the full album is released. So fans have a seven day window to purchase each track from Murder By Pride beginning May 5th.

Below is a schedule of the release dates for each song on the album. Remember, each song only stays up until the next one is made available so be sure to mark your calendars!"

Below is a schedule of the release dates for each song on the album. Remember, each song only stays up until the next one is made available so be sure to mark your calendars!"

Release Date on iTunes:

May
19 - '4 Leaf Clover'
26 - 'The Plan'

June
2 - 'Alive'
9 - 'I Believe'
16 - 'Love Is Why'
23 - 'Mercy Over Blame'
30 - 'Run In You'

July
7 - 'Everything'
14 - 'My Love (I’ll Always Show)'
21 - Full Murder By Pride album

STRYPER Frontman MICHAEL SWEET On Murder By Pride - "It’s Our Best Record To Date; I Think It Shows That The Band Has Come A Long Way"





STRYPER frontman Micahel Sweet is featured in a new interview with Soul-Audio.com discussing the band's new album, Murder By Pride, and the recent passing of his wife, Kyle Rae. An excerpt is available below.

SA: With this album and this upcoming tour more or less celebrating Stryper’s 25th anniversary, are you surprised to still be doing this? What does it mean to you to still be able to get out and make the music you love and still have it heard?

Michael Sweet: "It’s really something I don’t think about. I mean, I do think about the time, how quickly it passes, and how important it is to use that time wisely because the past twenty-five years have gone by in a blink and it’s just been a blur. And that blows my mind. But I don’t really think about what it’s like to still be making music and doing this or doing that; we just do it. It’s just in me, it’s been part of my life since day one, and I think it’ll be part of my life until I’m no longer here on earth. So it’s just one of those things. It’s what I do, what I’ve always known, and what I’ll always continue to do and want to do."

SA: Now the new album, Murder By Pride, where does that fall into the Stryper canon? How do you feel this album measures up against the past releases?

Michael Sweet: "Well, I’ve gotta say, that, for myself, I think it’s our best record to date. I really do. It’s got everything that a Stryper record should have. It’s got new flavors, it’s got a bit of a modern overtone to it, and at the same time it’s got the old flavors of the past. And it’s got what all the Stryper fans are expecting from a Stryper record, you know, with guitar harmony solos and background vocals and high pitched lead vocals. All this stuff over the years has kind of become our signature sound. We incorporated those qualities and those things into this record, things that we to some degree walked away from on Reborn. Especially guitar solos. And I even regret that. If I could go back and redo certain things about that record, I would’ve made it a point to include more guitar solos on that record. But we did that on this record and I think it’s our best record to date, man. I think there’s a level of maturity in the lyrics, in the music, and the production. I think it shows that the band has come a long way in all those areas and I’m really proud of it. I listen to it, put it on, and I say, we did good with this. We got it right. I’m very happy with the way it sounds sonically. I’m very, very pleased.

Now, is everyone else going to be? Time’s going to tell. So far, it seems to be that people are really liking it. And they’re saying the very same things that I’m sitting here telling you that they think it’s one of, if not the, best Stryper albums to date. And people seem to really like this record. And it’s going to be interesting to see how well it’s promoted and how much of a buzz is created and if that word passes on to all of those people out there that have possibly forgotten Stryper or who don’t know who Stryper is. Maybe we can get some new fans and gain some new ground here and reach a lot of new people. So, I don’t know. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens."

Go to this location for the complete interview.