Michael Sweet Gives Us The Rundown of The New Stryper Release on This Weeks Focus on Metal

  Episode 473 - Even The Devil Believes

So this week we start off with some chat about drive in concert events and the new Rust in Peace book but we managed to rein in our metal chatter long enough to have another chat with Michael Sweet. Yep, Michael makes yet another appearance the show this week as we talk with him about Stryper’s latest release “Even The Devil Believes”

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and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

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And as always
Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Michael Sweet & Ricky Warwick on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 436 - Another State of Ten

Michael Sweet just put out his latest solo release “Ten” via Rat Pak Records. This is probably his heaviest effort yet and loaded with great guest guitar slingers including Jeff Loomis, Gus G, Ethan Brosh, Joel Hoekstra. This week we’ll get the story on that one direct from the man himself. 

After that we sit down with Ricky Warwick to talk through Black Star Riders latest “Another State of Grace”

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

RAT PAK RECORDS SET TO RELEASE MICHAEL SWEET "TEN" on OCT 11th.

RAT PAK RECORDS SET TO RELEASE MICHAEL SWEET "TEN"

Building upon the success of his 2016 release One Sided War, Stryper front man Michael Sweet returns with his tenth solo studio release aptly titled, “Ten”. The new album is scheduled for release on October 11th via Rat Pak Recordsand will also be available in Europe via Frontiers Music SRL. Ten features an all star guest lineup that includes appearances by, Jeff Loomis of Arch Enemy, Todd La Torre of Queensryche, Andy James, Tracii Guns of LA Guns, Rich Ward of Fozzy, Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake, Gus G of Firewind, Howie Simon, Ethan Brosh, Marzi Montazeri, Will Hunt of Evanescence , John O’Boyle, Mike Kerr and Ian Raposa of Firstbourne and more.

On the subject of guest musicians Michael comments, “There is a different player appearing on every song. It started out where I was just going to have a couple of guest appearances on it, then I decided that it would be really interesting to bring in different players for every song. I started putting names out there and reaching out to people, and they started agreeing to do it. And then I had guys reaching out to me."

Regarding the musical direction of the album Michael states, “I’m very excited about this release, there are old-school, straight-ahead metal ideas in the vein of Judas Priest, Dio and Iron Maiden, all the stuff I love listening to!” 

As for the "Ten" album title, Sweet recently stated, "It's called 'Ten' cause it's my tenth album, and because there is a title track on there about the Ten Commandments — a really powerful song. There's real heavy stuff. It starts kind of smacking you in the face and it ends kicking you in the gut."

TRACK LISTING

01 Better Part of Me (featuring Jeff Loomis of Arch Enemy)

02 Lay It Down (featuring Marzi Montazeri)

03 Forget, Forgive (featuring Howie Simon)

04 Now Or Never (featuring Gus G of Firewind)

05 Ten featuring (Rich Ward of Fozzy)

06 Shine (featuring Ethan Brosh)

07 Let It Be Love

08 Never Alone (featuring Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake)

09 When Love Is Hated (featuring Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake)

10 Ricochet (featuring Tracii Guns of LA Guns)

BONUS TRACKS

11 With You Till The End (featuring Mike Kerr and Ian Raposa from Firstbourne)

12 Son Of Man (featuring Todd La Torre of Queensryche and Andy James)

Head over to ratpakrecordsamerica.com/michaelsweet to get your preorder bundle

Gus G & Michael Sweet Guest on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 372 - God Damn Fearless

Double shot of metal goodness once again as we bring not one but two great chats this week. First up we talk with guitarist Gus G about his brand new release “Fearless” and we follow that up with a chat with Michael Sweet about the latest from Stryper “God Damn Evil”. Both of those releases are due to drop this Friday so this ought to get you in the mood for release day.

Here's a taste of what to expect from Gus


and of course some new Stryper

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, EarPeeler.com or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Michael Sweet Guests Once Again on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 360 - Unified

I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve had Michael Sweet on the show but this week, you can another appearance to his total. Sweet & Lynch just released “Unified” and Michael is on this week to give us his insights into the album. He also gives us an update on what’s going on in the Stryper camp.

Find out more at: MichaelSweet.com and at facebook.com/SweetLynch/

Track of the week is from Pink Cream 69 from their great new release “Headstrong”

Here's another great track from the album:

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, EarPeeler.com or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Projected's John Connolly Talks Up "Ignite My Insanity" on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 346 - Projected

Sevendust & Projected guitarist John Connolly joins us this week to talk all about the new release from Projected “Ignite My Insanity” which was released via RatPak Records. Projected, which also consists of Vinnie Hornsby (Sevendust), Scott Phillips (Alterbridge), and Eric Friedman (Tremonti) went all out and released a double album of great new music and John’s here to give us the inside track.

Get a great deal on a Projected bundle at: RatPakRecordsAmerica.com

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, EarPeeler.com or subscribe on iTunes.

You can hear us every Tuesday night on Pure Rock Radio
and each Wednesday afternoon on Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always

Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Michael Sweet Returns Once Again to Focus on Metal This Week

Episode 297 - Michael Sweet

Our annual summer break is upon us but before we take a few weeks off Michael Sweet returns to the show once again this week to talk about the imminent release of his latest solo album “One Sided War” due from Rat Pak on August 26th. He also talks about the upcoming Stryper 30th anniversary “To Hell With The Devil” tour and we even manage to fit in some gear talk too. Enjoy our talk with Michael and we’ll be back the week of Sept 12th with more metal goodness.

Michael can be found on the net at michaelsweet.com/ and the latest Stryper news and tour dates are at stryper.com/

And be sure to pick up your copy of "One Sided War" This Week.

Track of the week is from the new Metal Allegiance EP Fallen Heroes. Here's Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy talking about making the track

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes.

You can hear us On Demand everyday on Platinum Rock Radio by going to this link

You can hear us every Wednesday on these great stations:
Pure Rock Radio & Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

RPR set to release Michael Sweet (Stryper) "One Sided War"

In what promises to be Stryper front-man Michael Sweet’s most intense solo release to date, “One Sided War” showcases a full plate of hard rock & classic metal riffs from start to finish. One Sided War marks Michael’s 7^th studio solo album and it clearly proves that he is still at the very top of his game! “I’ll tell you about it”, says Michael, “Musically it’s my heaviest solo album. It’s not thrash metal but there are definitely some songs on there that will pop out at you. There are some songs that have a bit of the Iron Maiden / Dio feel to them, as well as some songs that have a little bit of a Van Halen influence to them. It’s a very guitar-oriented, hard rock/metal album with lots of melodies and hooks!”

Surrounding himself in the studio with Whitesnake guitarist Joel Hoekstra, Evanescence drummer Will Hunt, bassist John O’Boyle and East Coast shred-master Ethan Brosh, Michael began creating what would soon be known as “One Sided War”. Michael states “Originally I planned on showcasing my own guitar playing; I was going to do it all myself, but once I brought Joel & Ethan into the picture, things began to take a new direction and I am very happy with what we have accomplished”. Says Ethan Brosh about working with Michael, "He's one of those guys who have always been at the top of their game and has just never lost it and for me to be a part of this is very special". Joel Hoekstra comments "Michael and I actually go back to my time in Night Ranger when we opened for him when he was playing with Boston. Ever since then we've just been kind of collaborating and this is sort of a natural evolution getting to play on a few songs on his solo album".

The fast and furious opener “Bizarre” ignites the album’s pace with it's lightning fast riffage, soaring vocals and blazing guitar solos. Tracks like “Can’t Take This Life”, “One Sided War”, "Golden Age", “I Am” and “Comfort Zone” keep the metal fires ablaze, while tracks like “Radio”, “One Way” and “You Make Me Wanna” bring the hard rock vibe to the forefront . “One Sided War” features only one ballad, “Who Am I?”, a heartfelt, passionate song that reminds us of the softer side of Michael’s talents. Closing out the disc is a bonus track; it’s a different version of the song “Can’t Take This Life”, a duet with Michael and 16 year old up-and-coming female vocalist Moriah Formica. If you are a fan of Michael Sweet / Stryper or a fan of classic Hard Rock & Metal in general “One Sided War” is an absolute must have, you won’t be disappointed! Official release date is August 26, 2016

The CD was tracked at Spirithouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts.

TRACK LISTING:

Bizarre

One Sided War

Can't Take This Life

Radio

Golden Age

Only You

I Am

Who Am I

You Make Me Wanna

Comfort Zone

One Way Up

Can't Take This Life (*bonus track* featuring  Moriah Formica)

Just posted, FoM 256 With Michael Sweet of Stryper

Episode 256 - Fallen

Not sure at this point how many times the prolific Michael Sweet ( http://www.michaelsweet.com/ ) has appeared on Focus on Metal but he's back again this week. Stryper just released their 11th (and heaviest) full length studio album "Fallen" via Frontiers Records ( http://www.frontiers.it/ ) on October 16th and so far it's been getting very solid reviews. Michael will give us the full lowdown on the album as well as what's going on with all his other projects.

Track of the week is from High Roller ( http://www.hrrecords.de/ ) artists Ambush from their second release "Desecrator". Ambush hail from Sweden and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Ambushsweden

In case ya missed it Focus on Metal is now part of a new network The Blast Syndicate. So point your browser to http://www.blastsyndicate.com/ and Get Blasted!

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes.

You can hear us Tuesdays on Platinum Rock Radio and be sure to check their schedule because we usually get a repeat run during the week.

You can hear us every Wednesday on these great stations:
Pure Rock Radio & Metal World Radio

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Just posted: Mark Tremonti on This Weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 247 - Tremonti

We have two guests on tap this week. First up is Mark Tremonti. Fresh off the release of "Cauterize" Mark is making the rounds and getting the word out. We had a quick chat with Mark about all things Tremonti as well as what's up with his other gig Alter Bridge. After that we have a talk with guitarist Scott Leach one of the founders of Swiss melodic metal band Crystal Ball. They recently released their 8th studio effort "Liferider" via Massacre Records. 

Here's a clip from the Liferider release featuring Noora from Battle Beast

Track of the week "Lie To Me" comes to us from indie rockers On Top from their EP Topless. Here's the vid for it.

Learn about all things Tremonti at https://fret12.com/mark-tremonti

Crystal Ball can be found at http://www.crystal-ball.ch

Get your own copy of Topless by visiting http://www.toilinc.com/

As mentioned on the show, The V is starting to get some traction with the single "Again" from "Now or Never". Help support her by letting your local stations know you want to hear more V.

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes.

You can hear us Tuesdays on Platinum Rock Radio and be sure to check their schedule because we usually get repeat run during the week.

You can hear us every Wednesday on these great stations:
Pure Rock Radio, Metal World Radio,  and now on The Indie Authority

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Veronica Freeman Returns To Focus on Metal This Week

Episode 244 - The V

At long last the wait is over, Veronica Freeman (aka The V) has finally released her first solo outing "Now or Never". As long time listeners know we are heavy duty supporters of Benedictum here on FoM and part of that is due to the vocal firepower of Veronica. This week we are pleased to have The V making her third appearance back on FoM. Don't miss this one folks as the always outspoken Veronica didn't disappoint and of course you'll also get to her some samples of what to expect on "Now or Never". So sit back and enjoy a healthy dose of vitamin V.

Find The V at her new site http://veronicafreeman.com/ , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/veronicafreemanofficial or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/therealvfreeman

Here's a bit of classic V as she announces her first solo effort.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Get the this episode from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes.

You can hear us Tuesdays on Platinum Rock Radio and be sure to check their schedule because we usually get repeat run during the week.

You can hear us every Wednesday on these great stations:
Pure Rock Radio, Metal World Radio, Audio Graffiti

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

Michael Sweet and Ada Flechtner guest on this weeks Focus on Metal

Episode 219 - Sweet & Ada

Wha? No, there's no new band called Sweet & Ada. This week we have Michael Sweet back on again. This time he's promoting the new Sweet & Lynch record that he just did with George Lynch, James Lomenzo and Brian Tichy. It's called "Only To Rise" and we'll get the lowdown on that and a few other things from the always busy Michael.

If that wasn't enough we also feature a talk I did with Ada Flechtner from Voices of Destiny about their new one "Crisis Cult" out now on Massacre Records.

Oh yeah Richie also has a bit of rant about "supergroups" too.

Track of the week is from Level 10 the latest metal project from Frontiers. Combine the voice of Russell Allen with the core of Primal Fear and you get Level 10. The debut is called Chapter 1 and it's out now.

Hook up with Sweet & Lynch at https://www.facebook.com/SweetLynch you can also ake part in the pledge music campaign at http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/sweetlynch

Get your fill of Voices of Destiny at http://www.voices-of-destiny.com/ or on social media at https://www.facebook.com/voicesofdestiny

Level 10 info can be found at http://www.frontiers.it/album/5236/ you can buy the album while you're there too

Get it now from the Focus on Metal Site, The Focus on Metal RSS feed, or on iTunes

Visit http://focusonmetal.net/ for information on all the past episodes and to find the links to all our other social media sites.

And as always Focus On Metal…Everything Else is Insignificant.

ICONIC CHRISTIAN ROCKERS STRYPER SIGN TO FRONTIERS RECORDS FOR MULTI-ALBUM DEAL

RE-RECORDED COLLECTION “SECOND COMING” DUE OUT IN MARCH

Frontiers Records is proud to announce the signing of iconic Christian rockers Stryper to a multi-album deal.  The first release due out will be a new re-recorded collection; SECOND COMING will hit streets on March 22^nd in Europe and March 26^th in North America. 

The album features sixteen tracks, including new recordings of fourteen songs from the band’s early years as well as two brand new songs recorded especially for SECOND COMING, and is produced by Stryper frontman Michael Sweet. 

Sweet commented, “We're really excited about this record. The re-recorded songs are sounding awesome…better than the originals in many ways!  One word to describe the record? Heavier. We've hooked up with some great people - we've got new management, a great album, a great label. We just feel like everything is coming together, and hopefully some big things are to follow."  Please see below for the complete track listing.

Stryper is one of the top Christian rock bands of all time.  Comprised of the original line-up of Michael Sweet (vocals/guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Tim Gaines (bass), and Robert Sweet (drums), Stryper has been rocking since 1984, and is responsible for such '80s metal classic albums as SOLDIERS UNDER COMMAND, TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL, IN GOD WE TRUST and such MTV hit singles/videos as "Calling on You," "Free," and "Honestly."

After a sabbatical for much of the 1990's, Stryper returned strong in the early 21st century.  To date, the band has sold upwards of 8 million records worldwide and is a Dove Award-winner and Grammy nominee.  Stryper is the first band to have two songs in MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously.

SECOND COMING track listing: Loud N’ Clear; Loving You; Soldiers Under Command; Makes Me Wanna Sing; First Love; The Rock That Makes Me Roll; Reach Out; Surrender; To Hell With The Devil; Calling On You; Free; The Way; Sing Along Song; More Than A Man; Bleeding From Inside Out (New song); Blackened (New song)

Weblinks: www.stryper.com / www.frontiers.it