Michael Sweet, frontman for the pioneering Christian metal band Stryper, has issued a powerful defense of his group against online critics, asserting that the long-standing negativity directed at them is rooted in “hatred for God.” In a recent social media post, Sweet declared that the band has “nothing to prove” after a 40-year career that has broken “all boundaries, all rules and all stats.”
“So, when people say we s**k I just laugh lately. Such an ignorant thing to say,” Sweet wrote on Thursday, June 5. He pointed to his deep musical heritage, explaining that music is in his “blood” and “DNA.” He detailed his family’s history, noting his father co-wrote a number one country song in 1976 and that his mother, aunt, and grandmother were a professional singing trio in the late 1950s.
Sweet acknowledged that Stryper may not fit a certain mold, but celebrated their individuality. “We may not be shredders or flashy players but to be honest, I’m glad we’re not. We do however have our own, unique sound and style,” he said. He then offered his conclusion as to why the band has faced so much animosity over the years. “I’ve come to the conclusion that the hate for this band stems from hatred for God. It’s deep. It’s sad. It’s pathetic. It’s shallow. It’s pointless.” He ended his post on a defiant note: “We’re blessed, we’re chosen and we’re thankful. And, we’re not done”.
This sentiment echoes comments Sweet made in a previous interview from last August. He spoke then about what he perceives as a double standard in the music world. “It does upset me often when you see a band… speak about openly their faith… whether it’s they’re a Muslim or they’re an atheist or they’re Satanist… And [they get applauded for it],” he said. “But often when a Christian comes out, a Christian band like Stryper… they get [criticized for it].”
He added, “We’ve been mocked from the very beginning. If we sang about girls or Satan, we would have been the cool kids. But we’re not, because we sing about Jesus.”
In that same interview, Sweet also clarified that he has never aspired to the level of fame achieved by some of his peers. “Metallica and Slayer — no disrespect to those guys, I would never wanna be like those guys. Not in a million years,” he stated. “Yeah, Metallica are playing stadiums. Who cares? I didn’t get in this for the money.”
Instead, he pointed to his own definition of heavy metal. “I grew up on Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. That’s metal to me. Those are the true metal bands. Classic metal with a great singer and great melody — not the other stuff,” he said. “We’re gonna keep being who we are… we’ll just keep doing what we do.”
