STRYPER's MICHAEL SWEET: I'm Going To Keep Making Albums Until I Can't Do Them Anymore

Seven solo studio albums into his remarkably prolific career, veteran STRYPER singer and one time BOSTON co-singer/guitar slinger Michael Sweet has pushed back against criticism of the rapid-fire pace at which he is releasing new music. He tells BigMusicGeek.com in a new interview: "It's funny, ya know? We keep putting out albums because right now we're very passionate about it. Right now, those ideas just keep coming and as long as they keep coming, we'll keep doing it."

He continued: "I read a moronic statement by someone on Blabbermouth recently that said, 'What's the point? Why do they do it? Why do they put out so many albums?' That's probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard anybody say. We do it because we love it and we do it because we still enjoy it.

"When I read interviews from bands who make these ridiculously silly comments where they say, 'It's not worth it anymore,' man, you're in it for the wrong reasons, buddy... What happened to doing it for the love of it and just the sheer passion of it? What happened to that, man? Where is it at? I just don't understand it."

Sweet added: "We will continue doing new albums and I'll continue making the solo albums as well. I enjoy doing a STRYPER album every couple years and solo album every couple years. I've got some other things planned as well like a Joel Hoekstra [WHITESNAKE] and Micheal Sweet project. I'm going to keep making them until I can't do them anymore, ya know? Hopefully, that won't be for another twenty or twenty-five years."

Sweet's seventh solo album, "One Sided War", was released on August 26 via Rat Pak Records. Backing Michael on the record are Hoekstra, EVANESCENCE drummer Will Hunt, bassist John O'Boyle and East Coast shred-master Ethan Brosh.

Speaking about the inspiration for "One Sided War", Sweet said: "When I wrote the [title track], I was thinking about a lot of stuff I see online, primarily with musicians and sometimes with actors and actresses where they go on these tangents and the other person is sitting there thinking 'What just happened? Why are you attacking me? Why are you saying these things about me? I didn't do anything.' A lot of times we're pulling our our weapons and shooting our bullets when there's no reason to. A lot of people do that, without naming names. It gets kind of frustrating at times for me to see. ...And I've been involved in some of those myself. I'll never forget it. I did an interview with ['That Metal Show' co-host] Eddie Trunk as there was a possibility of me [producing] a Sebastian Bach [ex-SKID ROW] album and we talked about it on air. About an hour later, I see a tweet where Sebastian says I should shut my fucking mouth or he'll shut it for me. I consider that a one-sided war. It's, like, 'What?', ya know? It's this full-blown attack and you're left sitting there thinking, 'What just happened?' It does speak to a lot of issues for people. Unfortunately, it happens on the Internet on a daily basis."