Stryper frontman Michael Sweet has checked in from the studio with an update on the band's new album, which he previously described as "metal all the way, but it's got a little more groove to it."
Michael: "I’m currently singing / recording lead vocals for the new Stryper album. I also have eight guitar solos to write and track as well. I sang the first song, 'Same Old Story', yesterday and I was a little cautious. I sing loud and obviously there’s a lot of pressure when I sing. Everything is good.
I’ve got three weeks to get it all done and then off to mix. Then rehearsals start in Nashville end of April and we start touring in early May! Amazing!
I wish you could all hear the news album. It’s a real banger and as I listen to each track, I realize that it will be one for the books for sure. Now, off to work."
Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon from Canada's The Metal Voice recently spoke toSweet, who talked about the upcoming Stryper album. Watch below.
On Stryper's upcoming new album, Sweet reveals: "The options for the new album were to postpone it because of my eye. I've go a long road to recovery to be able to see out of this eye, so I am going to be wearing a patch for a while. I realized when I started writing the album, just two and a half three weeks ago, it's a lot more difficult to play as well. Your perception and hand placement, where that falls on the guitar neck and everything is off a little bit. I decided, we are not going to put the album off because that just makes no sense for too many people. It's not just me that is involvedm there are many people that are involved and that is going to alter everyone's plans and schedules. So, I made a decision we are going to push on and do it and we're doing it. The guys fly out in two weeks and we start rehearsals on the 25th of January. We are going to rehearse two songs and then go and record them, then rehearse two songs and record them, we are doing it a little differently this time. Maybe it will be a little more metal because of the eye patch."
On what will the new album sound like: "I always go back to Soldiers Under Command when I do a new album, and somehow try to recapture a little bit of that energy and that raw power. But I always want to record something new. This album has its own signature on it already, I can tell you that. I don't want to compare it to Guns N' Roses but it's got a little bit more of that raw groove oriented... but it's metal all the way. It's got a little more groove to it."
As far as a release date goes, Michael says: "October, November of 2022."
