STRYPER’s MICHAEL SWEET: ‘No Matter What, Never Lose Faith Or Stop Believing That God Has A Plan’

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Openly Christian hard rockers STRYPER have finished recording their new album, due later in the year via Frontiers Music Srl. At least some of the sessions took place at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts. Earlier today (Friday, April 17), STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet took to his Instagram to write: "I'm so thankful to say that I'm officially done tracking my lead vocals and guitar solos for the new @Stryper album. It may very well be our most important album and it is an album filled with hope and inspiration. STRYPER has always worked so hard to be a light in the dark. Now more than ever and in such desperate times. No matter what, never lose faith or stop believing that God has a plan. He holds the whole world in His hands. This new album was recorded during an incredibly difficult time yet through this time, we've produced our best and most powerful album to date. Coming soon on @frontiersmusicsrl" Last September, Sweet told The Metal Voice about the musical direction of STRYPER's follow-up to 2018's "God Damn Evil": "It's gonna be aligned with the last album, but taking it a step further. We're gonna do some things where people are gonna hear it and go, 'You've gotta be kidding me,' that's gonna surprise and shock people in a really good way. It's gonna be a metal album — it's not gonna be a pop album or pop-rock or glam metal and all these silly terms. It's gonna be a metal album. And we're gonna really pull some things out of the hat, man, and try to blow people's minds." Formed 37 years ago, STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen" and the aforementioned "God Damn Evil". Sweet's tenth solo album, "Ten", was released in October via Rat Pak Records in North America and Frontiers Music Srl in Europe.