Fans of high-octane melodic metal may not have seen the last of Sweet & Lynch, the powerhouse collaboration between Stryper frontman Michael Sweet and guitar virtuoso George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob). However, if the project is to continue, Sweet has made it clear that he expects a return to the high-budget, all-star production values that launched the supergroup a decade ago.
In a recent conversation with Jorge Botas of Portugal’s “Metal Global,” Sweet addressed the possibility of a follow-up to their 2023 release, Heart & Sacrifice. While he remains enthusiastic about working with Lynch, he emphasized that the ball is currently in the record label’s court.
“Absolutely. There’s always a chance for that,” Sweet confirmed (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “And I think that’s going to depend on the label knocking on our doors and asking for it. They haven’t yet. That doesn’t mean it’s not gonna happen. But I will tell them when they do knock that it’s gotta be done different. I don’t wanna do it like the last record, is what I’m saying.”
Sweet‘s hesitation stems from a desire to recapture the specific chemistry of the group’s 2015 debut, Only To Rise. That album featured a rhythm section comprised of drummer Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Foreigner) and bassist James LoMenzo (Megadeth, White Lion), a lineup Sweet considers the “dream team.”
“I personally think the first [Sweet & Lynch] album was the best of the batch,” Sweet explained. “It had [drummer] Brian Tichy on it, [bassist] James LoMenzo, a little more money was spent. And that’s what I mean by that. I don’t wanna compromise the quality. And I’d wanna go back and do it just like the first album… And that team was the best team you could ask for. There was something magical about that team.”
He offered high praise for his former collaborators, noting that their contributions elevated the material significantly.
“James, his playing is insane. Brian, I don’t even know what to say. [He’s] just one of the best I’ve ever worked with. George [is amazing], obviously. So it was a very special team, and we created a really cool album, I think… And I think that one, overall, had the best songs too. There were a few more doozies on that one, and I’d like to repeat that and do something. And I loved it, ’cause it’s kind of that cross between Dokken and Stryper and something else.”
The project’s most recent offering, Heart & Sacrifice, arrived in May 2023 via Frontiers Music Srl. For that release, the lineup shifted, with Alessandro Del Vecchio handling bass and co-production duties alongside drummer Jelly Cardarelli.
Despite never performing a single concert live, Sweet & Lynch has enjoyed considerable chart success. Their debut Only To Rise cracked the Billboard 200 and hit No. 6 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. They followed up with Unified in 2017, which also performed well, landing at No. 13 on the Top Current Rock Albums chart. After a brief hiatus where both principals focused on their primary bands, they reconnected in 2022 to forge their third album, keeping the collaborative flame alive—at least in the studio.
