MICHAEL SWEET Reveals OZ FOX Doesn't Appear On STRYPER's 'Throne Of Thorns' LP: 'I'm Playing All The Guitars On This Album'

In a new interview with Alan Dixon and Jimmy Kay of Canada's The Metal Voice, guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet of Christian metal pioneers STRYPER was asked about his musical chemistry with STRYPER guitarist Oz Fox on the band's upcoming eighteenth studio album, "Throne Of Thorns", which will arrive on September 25 via Frontiers Music Srl. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I'll tell you, just because I just did an interview for [a media outlet from] Italy, and they asked me the question directly. They said, 'Oz did a great job on guitar on this album.' And then they said, 'What's your favorite solos that he did?' And I postponed the interview, 'cause it was a written e-mail interview, and I called Oz and I said, 'Hey, man, we better talk about this, 'cause I'm gonna start getting questions and whatnot.' But basically, on this album… Oz had problems with his blood pressure and regulating that, and it really affected his pitch and his hearing, and he wasn't able to play. He wasn't able to play, and he was having trouble at rehearsals with Robert [Sweet, STRYPER drummer and Michael's brother], and Robert came and pulled me aside and said, 'Hey, Mikey, I just wanna warn you, Oz is having some trouble.' And I said, "Oh, gosh, okay.' And then when it came time to track guitars for Oz, and sure enough, he wasn't able to do it. So, I'm basically playing all the guitars on this album, which is a first. It's different, and maybe that's part of the difference in the sound, or maybe not. Who knows? But I tried really hard as a guitar player myself to make it sound like two guitar players, with the style of sections and adding harmonies here and there, coming in and out, doubling, and I really tried my best to make it sound like STRYPER sounds."

Michael added: "So, there you go, guys. We're gonna release a statement, and Oz wants to, obviously, explain and add to that down the road very soon, before the album comes out. But I just wanted to let you guys know that that's the situation with this."

In 2018, Fox fell during an onstage performance as a result of a seizure. Doctors soon discovered the musician had two tumors in his brain. By August 2019, Fox said the tumors had grown.

Fox's two tumors — one by his ear and the other in the back of his brain — were discovered when he suffered his first seizure in August 2018 while performing with SIN CITY SINNERS at Harrah's in Las Vegas.

In October 2020, Fox was briefly hospitalized after suffering another massive seizure.

Within weeks of Fox's original August 2018 seizure, STRYPER toured Australia and Japan as a three-piece, and later recruited Howie Simon to fill in while Fox was unable to go on the road.

Oz's latest brain surgery forced him to sit out STRYPER's spring 2024 "To Hell With The Amps" acoustic tour.

STRYPER released its long-awaited Christmas album, "The Greatest Gift Of All", in November 2025 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Formed 43 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's other albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil", "Even The Devil Believes" and "The Final Battle".