STRYPER’s MICHAEL SWEET: ‘I’ve Realized That Criticism of Our Band Comes from a Dislike for God’

Michael Sweet of the Christian metal band STRYPER has responded to online criticism, asserting that he and his bandmates “have nothing to prove.”

On Thursday (June 5), Michael took to social media to share his thoughts: “I’m just thinking out loud here. I was raised in a musical family. Everyone (and I truly mean everyone) plays an instrument and/or sings. Not just adequately, but exceptionally well.

“My dad is a talented singer-songwriter who co-wrote a number one country song back in 1976. My mom has a similar talent; she was part of the trio that sang for the traveling ‘Gunsmoke’ (James Arness) show in the late 50s. My aunt Reba and my grandmother (Maxine) were the other two members of that trio. My sister is also an incredible singer!

“I spent my childhood in recording studios. My parents were always recording, whether it be in local or major studios. They were managed by Mike Curb in the 60s and appeared in a few ‘Beach/Dune buggy’ films. Always performing, always immersed in music.

“So when people claim we suck, I find it amusing. It’s such an ignorant thing to say. Music is in our blood; it’s our DNA. Composing music is intrinsic to who I am. While we may not be the fastest or most flamboyant players, I genuinely appreciate that we are not. Still, we have our own unique [sound] and style.

“Some people just love to hate. Hate us. Jealousy and envy? Who really knows? Who cares? I’ve concluded that the animosity towards this band stems from hatred for God. It’s deep, sad, pathetic, shallow, and pointless.

“We have nothing to prove. We’ve shattered all barriers, broken rules, and surpassed statistics. That just upsets the haters even more. Sometimes we win over the closed-minded; sometimes we don’t.
Regardless, we have achieved more than we ever imagined. We are blessed, we are chosen, and we are grateful. And we’re not finished yet.”

Last August, Sweet was asked during the “1 Question With…” interview series if STRYPER‘s increasingly heavy and aggressive musical style was inspired by the fact that he and his bandmates have never fully embraced heavy metal and hard rock circles, largely due to their Christian lyrics. He replied: “Well, it does bother me often when you see a band or an individual openly express their faith, whether they are Muslim, atheist, or Satanist. And they are often applauded for it. But frequently, when a Christian band like STRYPER openly expresses their beliefs, they get criticized. It’s just the way it is. Those who disagree are clueless, since the truth is readily available to anyone with eyes and ears.”

“We’ve faced mockery since day one,” he continued. “If we sang about girls or Satan, we would have been considered the cool kids. But we’re not because we sing about Jesus.

“METALLICA and SLAYER — with all due respect, I would never want to be like them,” Sweet added. “Not in a million years. Yes, [METALLICA] is playing stadiums, but who cares? I didn’t get into this for the money or the stadium gig experiences. Sure, there’s an adrenaline rush from performing for a large crowd, but that’s not our goal. We don’t aspire to be METALLICA or SLAYER, nor do we follow that style. I grew up on [IRON] MAIDEN and [JUDAS] PRIEST. To me, that’s metal—classic metal with a great singer and melody. Not the other stuff. This is just my opinion, and some may disagree. That’s perfectly fine. But we’re going to continue being who we are, just as we have for 40 years. I don’t know how much more time we have left in us or how many years we have remaining. It could be another 10 or 15. We’ll keep doing what we do.”

Three and a half years ago, Michael stated that STRYPER was not a “Christian” band, despite many of their songs explicitly referencing Christ. During an appearance on the “Talk Is Jericho” podcast hosted by FOZZY frontman and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho, he explained: “I have recently said multiple times—much to people’s surprise—that we’re not a Christian band. And folks respond, ‘What?’ But we’re Christians in a rock band, and there’s a distinction.

“I consider PETRA, SWEET COMFORT, and REZ BAND as Christian bands because they were Christians in rock bands,” Sweet continued. “They were raised in the church, for the most part. We, however, were not raised in the church; we grew up on the streets of L.A. playing Gazzarri’s, Troubadour, Whisky, and we became Christians. We just continued doing what we always did, but with a different message.

“So, we’re a rock band made up of Christians,” Sweet clarified. “We’re not a Christian band. If people choose to label us as such, that’s fine. But I see us as just a rock band that decided to take a different path.”

Michael further mentioned that STRYPER‘s lyrics come from the heart and are not merely a marketing strategy, unlike some of their more extreme counterparts.

“With bands like SLAYER—not just SLAYER, but several black metal bands… It’s interesting because STRYPER reads the Bible, prays, goes to church, and believes in its teachings,” Michael noted. “So in that sense, we practice what we preach. We’re not perfect in any sense of the word, but we genuinely strive to represent Christ and all that God embodies. It’s ironic that with SLAYER, you hear the Satanic themes, symbols, and evil — yet Tom [Araya, SLAYER frontman] attends church every Sunday with his kids. That’s fantastic. However, it creates a stark contrast to what they portray. On the other hand, STRYPER is authentic both on and off stage. We’re not sneaking off to a satanic church after our performances.”

Despite STRYPER‘s third album, 1986’s “To Hell With The Devil”, making them the first contemporary Christian act to achieve platinum status, the group has often found itself unwelcome in Christian circles, with some church members believing that Christianity and heavy metal are incompatible.

In a 2018 interview with the Detroit Free Press, Michael remarked: “We’ve never been accepted by either end. The secular mainstream has never embraced us to this day. We’re probably that band everyone targets when it’s time to mock. On the Christian side, we’ve seldom received full support because we don’t fit into their little category. We’re not donning suits and ties, attending every church and preaching.”

Founded 42 years ago, STRYPER‘s name is derived from Isaiah 53:5, which reads: “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 discography includes “To Hell With The Devil”, “Second Coming”, “No More Hell To Pay”, “Fallen”, “God Damn Evil”, “Even The Devil Believes”, “The Final Battle”, and their latest effort, 2024’s “When We Were Kings.”