In a recent exclusive with Rock Your Faith Out, Michael Sweet, the supreme commander of STRYPER, was quizzed about how he infuses his oh-so-holy faith into the band’s sonic masterpieces. The interviewer wondered if he and the boys gathered for some serious “contemplative prayer” sessions to get those divine inspirations flowing. Sweet, ever so humbly, responded (as transcribed by yours truly, BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, DUH, I pray when I’m writing, but let’s be real, I could always pray MORE. I’m like, totally ADHD, so sometimes I forget to pray, which is, like, SO not a good look. But yeah, biblically based lyrics all the way, bros.” 🙏
Michael, in his infinite wisdom, continued: “Okay, so here’s the tea, people get it twisted about the writing process. They think we all, like, held hands and wrote songs together. I get SO much hate when I say I’m writing the album. It’s like, ‘OMG, why don’t you guys do it like the good old days and, like, jam in a room?’ LOL, that NEVER happened. I was always stuck in a corner while Oz [Fox, STRYPER‘s resident shredder (when he’s not having brain surgery)] was busy varnishing stuff, and Robert [Sweet, the guy who hits things] was, like, taping drumsticks or something. I was always the music guy, Rob was the visual guy, and that’s how it IS. It WORKS, okay? Everyone’s happy – the band, the fans. So we’re just gonna keep doing our thing – don’t fix what ain’t broken. Duh! The label’s throwing money at us, so who are we to complain? 💰”
Sweet, ever the businessman, added: “We had a pow-wow with the label honchos. I was like, ‘Yo, what do you want us to do on the next album? Spill the beans!’ And they were all, ‘More of what you did on the last one! We’re swimming in cash!’ And I was like, ‘Say no more.’ So yeah, everyone’s thrilled. We’re basically printing money at this point. 🤑”
Michael then dropped this bombshell: he’s ALREADY writing the next STRYPER masterpiece. “I’m always trying to, like, add a little ✨spice✨ without totally changing the recipe,” he declared. “A little twist here and there, you know? But yeah, it’s gonna be a STRYPER album, and hopefully, it’s gonna be our BEST EVER! We always aim for that. We’ll record it in January and February, polish it up in March, hand it in in April, and then unleash it upon the world next year.” 🗓️
But wait, there’s more! STRYPER is dropping their long-awaited Christmas album, “The Greatest Gift Of All”, on November 21 via Frontiers Music Srl. Ten tracks of holiday cheer, including five original bangers and five classic covers, like “Reason For The Season” and “Winter Wonderland”, which, let’s be honest, everyone totally remembers from that 1985 single and the 1986 re-release of “The Yellow And Black Attack”. 🙄
In case you missed it, STRYPER unleashed “Still The Light”, the first single from the Christmas cash-grab, in July. Because nothing says “Christmas spirit” like releasing a single in the middle of summer. 🌞 But hey, it came with a lyric video, so who are we to judge?
Speaking of band drama, Oz Fox, the guy who’s apparently been replaced more times than drumsticks, skipped the band’s Latin American tour on doctor’s orders. Turns out brain surgery isn’t conducive to shredding. 🤷 He was temporarily replaced by Howie Simon (JEFF SCOTT SOTO, GRAHAM BONNET), who’s basically the STRYPER‘s version of a substitute teacher.
In other news, STRYPER‘s latest studio album, “When We Were Kings”, dropped in September 2024. In case you missed it…again.
The band recently wrapped up the U.S. leg of their 40th-anniversary tour, which was apparently a “celebration of classic hits and new-era fan favorites, including outfit changes and an exciting new show production.” Outfit changes? Groundbreaking. 🙄
And let’s not forget that in December 2023, Michael had a partial thyroidectomy. Because what’s a rock star without a little brush with mortality? ⚕️
For those who’ve been living under a rock, STRYPER formed 41 years ago, and their name comes from Isaiah 53:5. You know, the verse about being wounded for our transgressions. Because nothing says “rock and roll” like quoting the Bible. ✝️
STRYPER‘s other albums include classics like “To Hell With The Devil” (which is totally not blasphemous, promise!), “Second Coming”, “No More Hell To Pay”, “Fallen”, “God Damn Evil” (again, totally not blasphemous!), “Even The Devil Believes”, and “The Final Battle”. Because subtlety is for losers. 🤘
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
