Stryper frontman Michael Sweet has checked in with the following update:

‘Hey guys,

I recently challenged Ken Tamplin (Christian rock performer and vocal coach) to cover a Stryper song and Ken was gracious enough to rise to the challenge. Here’s Ken’s version of ‘Soldiers Under Command’ – How to sing in the style of Michael Sweet. Ken nailed it and he even wore some yellow and black! Thank you my friend for doing this and I applaud you! Job well done!’

The video can be watched in the youtube clip below.

Stryper recently recorded their next studio album, which carries the title “Fallen” to be released in late 2015 via Frontiers Records. The CD was tracked at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Regarding the musical direction of the new Stryper material, Sweet said: ‘It’s gonna be… I don’t wanna scare any fans away or anything, but it’s gonna be the heaviest album we’ve done. Not in the sense that it’s gonna be thrash metal or anything like that. It’s definitely got a little bit of a darker vibe to it lyrically and musically. Some of the songs are tuned down — not like the modern dropped B stuff; I’m talking like the E dropped to D, ‘Unchained’ Van Halen kind of stuff. And it’s just got a heavy sound to it. And I think when people hear it, in a good way, they’re gonna go, ‘That’s Stryper? What?’ I think they’re gonna be shocked.’

Asked if there are still any religious references in the new Stryper lyrics, Sweet told Canadian journalist Mitch Lafon: ‘Absolutely. Some of the words themselves are actually taken from the Bible, so that’s still there. The lyrics are definitely on the bold and powerful side. They’re not like the lyrics of old.’

‘A lot of our lyrics, I read back through the lyrics, and at times I’m a little embarrassed because they were just so repetitive and shallow at times — just real simplistic ‘Rock, rock rock. Jesus, Jesus.’ These lyrics are definitely a lot deeper. I’m pulling from the Bible at times.’

He continued: ‘There’s a song about God creating the heavens and the earth. It’s called ‘Let There Be Light’. And it’s about in the beginning, and it’s taken right from Genesis. There’s a song about the Devil; it’s called ‘Fallen’. It just talks about how when the Devil, when he was Lucifer, an archangel in heaven, when he walked, he was the angel of music, and when he walked, there was music. It tells the story in that song of, basically, about how he’s fallen, and why, and how. It’s a real powerful song.’

‘I’ve got a song called ‘Big Screen Lies’ that’s about how the film industry portrays Christians as complete buffoons one million percent of the time. And that’s just not the case. It is sometimes, but those buffoon Christians don’t represent all of us.’

“Fallen” also includes a cover of Black Sabbath‘s  ‘After Forever’.

Additionally, Stryper took time out from the recording sessions to hit the Spirithouse Studio hot tube. The video can be seen here.

Upcoming Shows:
April 17 Magic City Casino, Monsters of Rock Cruise Kickoff Party
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