Last year was a comeback of epic proportions for Christian rock band Stryper. Their album, No More Hell to Pay, sold nearly 10,000 copies in it’s first week, and was actually a nice return to form for the band. Now lead singer Michael Sweet is making the most of 2014 by announcing not only a solo album, but an autobiography. There are a few things about this that make this noteworthy:
His solo album, I’m Not Your Suicide, due out on May 6, features an all-star lineup, including Chris Jericho, Tony Harnell (TNT), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), drummer Kenny Aronoff, fellow Stryper members Robert Sweet and Timothy Gaines, and ELECTRA MUSTAINE. Yeah, that’s right, Dave Mustaine’s daughter. Why would she make her singing debut on a Stryper member’s solo album and not on one of her dad’s albums? Good question, and one we don’t have an answer to. Maybe because it’s only a bonus track on the album? The song they’re dueting on is “Heart of Gold,” a cover of the Neil Young classic. P.S., it’s Electra’s 16th birthday today. Happy birthday, Electra!
And Sweet’s autobiography, Honestly: My Life and Stryper Revealed, looks to be pretty fascinating, or at least an interesting read for any fan of the band. Among the topics covered are “why so many people have declared Michael Sweet a significant influence on their lives, from Larry the Cable Guy to… Wyclef Jean.” OK, a Christian rock star’s autobiography isn’t exactly going to be The Dirt, that’s for sure. But to hear how a redneck comic and a Haitian singer/politician that was in the Fugees, among others, came to be influenced by Stryper’s frontman certainly has us intrigued. He also promises to reveal how Jimmy Swaggart and Tammy Faye Bakker played a role in his life. Hopefully that role was to point out that televangelists are fraudulent assholes.
Here’s the track listing for I’m Not Your Suicide:
Taking on the World Tonight (featuring Tony Harnell)
All That’s Left (For Me To Prove)
The Cause
This Time (featuring Kevin Max)
I’m Not Your Suicide (co-written with Blair Daly)
Coming Home
Miles Away
Strong
How to Live (featuring Robert Sweet and Timothy Gaines)
Heart of Gold
Anybody Else (featuring Chris Jericho and Doug Aldritch)
Unsuspecting
Heart of Gold (featuring Electra Mustaine)
For more information, head to Michael’s web site.
