Michael Sweet
Plymouth, Massachusetts7 reviews across 4 releases
Michael Sweet is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who emerged from southern California's Stryper, where his high tenor and melodic guitar work helped define the band's Christian hard-rock sound. His solo music moved away from Stryper's heavier attack without abandoning large choruses or explicit faith-based lyrics. The 1994 debut combined electronic drums with polished pop rock, bluesy touches, power ballads and direct songs such as "J.E.S.U.S." Real shifted toward acoustic pop, using prominent strummed guitar with piano and accordion while dropping Stryper's large background vocals. Truth returned to melodic hard rock but widened the palette, moving from grungy and metallic passages to sweeter pop sections. Across the three records, Sweet remained the principal writer and a frequent player of the guitar parts.
In 1992, Sweet left Stryper to pursue a solo career, and the band's 1993 breakup left him working outside its established format. He released an independent version of Truth in 1998 before Restless Records expanded and reissued it in 2000. A 2003 Stryper reunion tour brought Sweet back to the group; the reunion led to Reborn in 2005, and Stryper continued with him as its lead vocalist and guitarist. In 2007 he performed at a tribute to Boston singer Brad Delp, then joined Boston for its 2008 tour. Sweet continued releasing solo albums, including I'm Not Your Suicide and Ten, while also working with George Lynch in Sweet & Lynch and with Tracii Guns in Sunbomb. As of 2026, he remains active with Stryper and as a solo artist.
4 releases reviewed
Michael Sweet
Real
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