Frontiers Records last month announced the signing of iconic Christian rockers Stryper to a multi-album deal. The first CD to be made available the agreement will be a collection of re-recorded versions of the band’s classic songs, due in North America on March 26. Entitled “Second Coming” and produced by frontman Michael Sweet, the CD will contain a total of 16 cuts — two from “The Yellow And Black Attack”, six from“Soldiers Under Command”, six from “To Hell With The Devil”, as well as two new tracks, “Bleeding From Inside Out” and “Blackened”.
Check out the Second Coming EPK [Electronic Press Kit] below.
Commented Sweet: “We’re really excited about this record. The re-recorded songs are sounding awesome… better than the originals in many ways! One word to describe the record? Heavier.”
He added: “Why did we re-record old songs? That’s a multiple-answer question.
“First, because we wanted to cut out the middle men and have a little more control over our own songs.
“Second, we wanted to ‘fix’ some things that have annoyed the ‘hell’ out of us for the past 30 years such as: no bass in the mix of ‘The Yellow And Black Attack’ or ‘Soldiers Under Command’, and no Tim [Gaines, bass] on the mix of ‘To Hell With The Devil’. The fact that I sound a little more like a man instead of a helium-induced kid at Disneyland. The sheer joy of still loving these songs and still being able to perform these songs [well, we’ll let the experts be the judge of that]. And last but not certainly least? We did it just because we wanted to.
“So there you go, the mystery is over and the reasons have been revealed.
“Seriously, we’re really excited about this record. It’s one of the few re-records that I believe will stand against any of the originals if not surpass them.
“If you liked ‘The Covering’, you’ll love ‘Second Coming’!”
Bleeding From the Inside Out, the first digital single off Second Coming, Bleeding From Inside Out can be streamed below and is available now via iTunes, Amazon and other digital music provdiers.
Stryper will enter the studio on April 2 to begin recording their next all-new original album for a late 2013 release. The band’s frontman, Michael Sweet, states: “[I] started arranging songs for the next Stryper record today. I’ve got a phone filled with 50-plus riffs and I’m diving in! Stryper starts recording on April 2 and wrap the record on June 1. It will be released later in the year, 2013! We’re busier now than in 1986.
“Second Coming” Track list :
* Soldiers Under Command
* Makes Me Wanna Sing
* Reach Out
* Loving You
* Loud ‘N’ Clear
* The Rock That Makes Me Roll
* Calling On You
* First Love
* Surrender
* To Hell With The Devil
* Free
* Sing Along Song
* More Than A Man
* The Way
* Bleeding From Inside Out [new]
* Blackened [new]
Stryper Tour Dates:
March 16 – 20, 2013 – Monsters Of Rock Cruise , FT Lauderdale
Aug. 10, 2013 – West Allis, WI Wisconsin State Fair w/ Vince Neil NEW
more dates tba.
Band members:
Michael Sweet- Lead Vocals / Guitar
Robert Sweet- Drums
Oz Fox- Guitar / Vocals
Timothy Gaines- Bass/Vocals
Weblinks: Website / Facebook / Twitter
Video below: Second Coming EPK
Video below: Bleeding From Inside Out
Related articles:
‘Michael Sweet’ Talks About Upcoming Solo Album, Autobiography [Sept. 2012]
‘Robert Sweet’ Interviewed By His Mother ‘Janice Sweet’, Video [Oct. 2012]
‘Michael Sweet’ Releases Solo Track As Tribute To Those Affected By Hurricane Sandy [Nov. 2012]
‘Michael Sweet’ Joins Ex ‘Dokken’ Members On Tour In 2013‘ [Dec. 2012]
Video Interview With ‘Stryper’s’ ‘Michael Sweet’ & ‘Tim Gaines’ At ‘NAMM’ 2013 [Jan. 2013]
‘Stryper’ To Begin Recording All-New Album Of Original Material In April [Jan. 2013]
‘Stryper’ More Fan-Filmed Video From Anaheim Show, Pre-Order ‘Second Coming’ Now, New Tour Dates [Feb. 2013]
‘Michael Sweet’ Says “I’m Almost 50 Yet I Feel Like I’ve Lived The Life Of A Man Who Is Almost 90″ [Feb. 2013]
‘Dave Mustaine’ Says ‘Michael Sweet’ And I ‘Believe In The Same Jesus’ [Feb. 2013]