tiens, sinon un peu de potins
Michael Sweet aurait apparemment une nouvelle dulcinée , elle s'appellerait Lisa
Il est allé vite en besogne, moins de 6 mois apres le décès de sa femme
l'interview ci dessous!
Twenty-five years? You’ve got to be kidding me! But that’s the anniversary that Christian rock icons Stryper are celebrating this year with a heralded tour and brand new album, Murder By Pride. For those of us who grew up listening to The Yellow and Black Attack or To Hell With the Devil, it seems like it was just yesterday and ironically, the band says the same. And while that time has passed, it hasn’t taken the edge off of Stryper’s mission or passion for what they do.
We recently sat down with frontman Michael Sweet to discuss the passing of time and the band’s enduring legacy, the new album, and Sweet’s own personal heartaches this year with the passing of his wife, Kyle, to cancer.
Soul-Audio: 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 blow 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: Does the continued popularity of the band surprise you at all, especially considering that it’s somewhat removed from the original heyday?
Michael: It does. It surprises me a little bit. I mean, I wish sometimes that we had done things differently and I think if we had I think we might have been able to have a more easy go at it these days. It seems to be very difficult sometimes to get the music out there and to let people know that we’re still alive and we’re still doing this. It’s just harder and harder to promote the band and get the word out, create that buzz or whatever it may be. Versus, you go back in time and it was a lot easier. Certainly back in the 80’s, it just kind of happened on its own.
And that’s due in part to the fact that we live in a different period. I mean, musically speaking, everything’s so different. We don’t live in the age of cassettes and CDs or vinyl anymore; it’s all about downloads and people just going online and getting the music instead of going in the store and buying it. So a different period, a different place that we’re at, and it is what it is. But it does make it difficult for bands like us who come from the 80’s, it makes it a little bit more difficult to somehow blend in and fit in and get in out there and let it be known that we’re still alive.
SA: Now given the fact that you guys have been doing this for 25 years, what are your thoughts on what the band’s legacy stands as? Or, what do you really want that legacy to be seen as?
Michael: Well, whenever this question’s asked it’s always the same answer; that is that people would look back on us and say, “Wow, they didn’t waver. They didn’t walk away from their faith. No matter what, they may have done this, they may have done that, we may not have liked the look, we may not have liked the sound, but I’ve got to give them props because they didn’t waver from their faith. And they were always examples of Christ.” And we really try hard to be a light in the dark and to be examples of Christ and to encourage people and help people. That’s what this band has always been about, that’s what we want to continue being about.
It gets hard sometimes, when you’re beat up and you’re ridiculed or put down or the Church is beating you up and saying you’re not real Christians, you’re wolves in sheep’s’ clothing, whatever! It’s been years and years of that and I’m not crying here or playing the fiddle but it does get tough. It beats you up, it wears you down. But we’ve always continued to spread the Word and get our message out there and to continue what we’ve always done and that’s be an encouragement to those around us, or at least try to be, an example of Christ in all that we do and say, and hold that torch and be that light in a dark world. And we’ll keep doing it.
SA: Do you still feel that stigma of judgment these days? I realize the early days had to be very tough when in many minds, the words “Christian” and “rock” had no place being remotely together but do you still get much of that?
Michael: I think a little bit. You still find those that believe that you can’t combine the two. And a lot of times, believe it or not, on the opposite side. People who are into real heavy, dark music, they feel that it’s a joke and that there’s no way you can combine Christianity with metal music or with hard rock music. But that’s cool. We kind of get it from all ends and, no matter what, we know what we’re called to do and we keep doing it. And in the end, that’s the payoff. We stay true to who we are and what we feel led to do. No matter what.
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: 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.
SA: Well, our reviewer is right in line with you. He raved about this and said that it’s essentially the quintessential Stryper album…
Michael: Well, good, man! We’re really proud of it and we’re going to see what happens. We’re going to go tour and give it our best and hopefully it’ll catch on and it’ll be promoted properly and people will know that it’s out there and that it’s available and we’ll gain some new ground and we’ll go to some new places here. That’s what we want to do. We want to try to, not so much reinvent ourselves but kick things into gear again. It’s been a tough road over the past ten years to do that and it would feel sometimes like we were just beating our head against the wall and it’s very hard. And you go back to 1983-84, all the way to ’91, and it wasn’t so hard. It just kind of happened. But we did live in a different time and it’s hard for a lot of bands from our era and from our time.
SA: That’s a great segue there actually. Thanks for that! I recently just finished Chuck Klosterman’s Fargo Rock City wherein he very much deconstructs metal and whatnot and I was wondering what you thought the ongoing vitality of metal really was? I mean, grunge swept in there for a bit but somehow Motley Crue and Poison are still touring and seeing sales. You guys have reunited and are back on the rise. Any thoughts on that?
Michael: I don’t know; I really don’t know. I’d like to say it’s because of all the really great music but, not to sound harsh, but there’s some really bad music from that era too. [Laughs] So that can’t be the only reason. I don’t know. It’s a good question. It might just be the nostalgia of the fact that the 80’s made people feel good. You know, there was something about the 80’s. When I hear pop songs from the 80’s, it just kind of puts a smile on my face. It makes me feel good.
I don’t know; it’s a good question. It really is a good question. There’s certain things that I kind of scratch my head on and I say to myself, “Wow! Okay, how is that still popular?” or “How is it that people are going to spend $50 or $100 to go see that band or listen to that music?” and it’s just a head scratcher. I can’t figure it out. There’s a lot of great music from that period though, a lot of great music, a lot of great bands, and a lot of talented people. And you can’t deny that. And when you have that kind of talent, when you have a great song, people are always going to listen. There’s certain songs that are timeless, and they’ll be good twenty years from now and one hundred years from now they’ll always sound good. It always starts with the song. If you’ve got a good song, you’ve got a good song.
SA: Now with the recent year that you’ve had, with the tragic loss of your wife, how much more difficult was this recording process for you?
Michael: Yeah, I wrote the album in ’06, before my wife was diagnosed. And we were due to start recording in ’07 and she was diagnosed and everything got put on hold, rightfully so. It’s been a tough road, as you know; the past two and a half years have been very tough, very difficult. Kyle passed in March, March 5 of this year, so it’s been a little over four months. And I’ve just been kind of learning to live again and how to live again. Everything’s different; everything changes, good and bad. That’s the interesting thing. I think people would expect me, the natural thing is to kind of expect me to be grieving and really down and just kind of everything at a standstill and taking a break from life and whatnot. And I haven’t been!
I kind of put the throttle into full gear and called and booked a tour and have been traveling and just trying to stay busy, trying to be a good dad. By the grace of God, miraculously, this isn’t the norm if there’s a book but there isn’t a book on the grieving process and the ‘how long until you wait until you meet someone?’ or whatnot, but miraculously, I did meet somebody, somebody that’s really brought me a lot of joy and a lot of happiness who I’m in a relationship with. There’s the things to go through regarding that, the sensitivity of that with my kids and whatnot. It’s been a blessing. God’s been really good to my family and understanding. This person, her name is Lisa; she’s just been a real blessing to my life and at a time where I needed it most. And God knew that and He brought her to me.
So there’s a lot of things going on in my life. Things that some people may not understand, but I hope that they do. And the interesting thing is, and I always say that people haven’t walked in my shoes, y’know?
SA: Exactly.
Michael: I believe that I started along with Kyle, my wife, the grieving process back when she was diagnosed. I’ve been in it for a long time. To be honest, it’s been hell on earth the last two plus years. And I feel now knowing she’s in Heaven, she’s at peace, she’s with God, and she’s where we all long to be, then why in the world would she want to come back here? That’s number one. And number two, I know that she would want me to be happy and I’ve experienced some joy and happiness, a lot of joy and happiness, by meeting this girl, Lisa. It’s been wonderful.
Anyway, I just felt the need to tell you that. I’m kind of opening up about that because that’s the way I am. I’m a very open person and I kind of wear my heart on my sleeve and share everything with everyone. Sometimes that’s a good and a bad thing; it gets me in trouble but then it saves me sometimes! [Laughs]
SA: And ultimately, I think we share like that because we hope it’ll help someone else along the way too.
Michael: I know, I know. And the bottom line is that what’s most important to me are my children, my son and my daughter, and my happiness. We’re working everything through and I’m very happy right now, believe it or not. I’m a very happy man and I’ve got a lot of things to figure out down the road and I’m trying to do that. And I’m getting there slowly but surely. I’m excited about the new chapter in my life, the next chapter in my life; I’m very excited about it. And again, I know that Kyle, my wife, is at peace. And she’s not suffering any longer and I’ll see her again someday and she’s where we all long to be.
SA: So let’s close by talking about the tour. When does that kick off? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Michael: Well it kicks off September 6. It was going to be the 11th in Boston and now we’re adding a Puerto Rico show on the 6th. So we’ll go there first and then come back and start up in Boston and move our way from the east coast to the west coast and back again. It’s going to go all the way through mid-November. We’re looking at doing about 45-50 cities and then we’re going to take the holidays off. And after the holidays we’re going to go overseas and do a European run, possibly a Japanese run, and an Australian run. So, we’ll see. There’s a lot of things being worked out still, logistics and a lot of details that need to be ironed out but we’re getting there and it’s exciting.
It’s a good record, a really great record, and who knows what’s going to happen? We just pray and give it all to God and put our faith and trust in Him, lay it at His feet and we just trust Him and follow His lead, and hope for the best and pray for the best. And in the past when we’ve done that, we’ve seen some amazing things happen. And that’s what we’re doing to do again with this record. And we’re going to hope and pray for amazing things and, most important, that lives are changed. That people’s lives, people that are hurting, who are addicted, who are struggling, who are hurting, that their lives are changed. That they’re able to see Christ in us and commit their lives to Christ and therefore, in that process, they’re changed.
