STRYPER's MICHAEL SWEET Completes Recording Vocals For 'Ten' Solo Album

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has finished recording vocals for his new solo album, "Ten". The disc, which will be mixed starting next week, is due later in the year via Rat Pak Records.

In a social media post earlier today, Sweet stated about the follow-up to 2016's "One Sided War": "It's an amazing album and I want to thank all the incredible musicians who were a part of making this solo album the best one yet!"

Michael recently told Daily Boom that the songs on his next solo album "have incredible energy. I've got Will Hunt playing drums on it and John O'Boyle is playing bass," he said. "The rhythm section is phenomenal and the guitar tones are great. I'm going to have a different guest guitar player on every song, with a solo, of course. I've got Todd La Torre of QUEENSRŸCHE joining me on a song and it's just turning out to be a really cool album. I think that it's going to surpass my last solo album and that did really well, but I think this one is going to be even better."

As for a possible release date for "Ten", Sweet said: "I'm still not sure. It's definitely going to be this year. We're talking about a summer release, and I'm turning it all in by the end of April, and so we're probably looking at a July or August release. It depends on how much setup we need with licensing deals worldwide and those kinds of things. But I would say hopefully July-August."

Other guest musicians who will appear on Sweet's new disc include guitarists Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE, NIGHT RANGER),Jeff Loomis (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE),Marzi Montazeri (EXHORDER, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS),Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE) and Andy James.

Sweet previously stated about his new solo album: "There are old-school, straight-ahead metal ideas à la [JUDAS] PRIEST and DIO, as well as a few uptempo riffs à la [IRON] MAIDEN. There's also a few ballads with a bit of a [LED] ZEPPELIN vibe.

"I'm really excited about the musical direction. I'm bringing back a few of those classic hooks and melodies that some of you have asked for. Ask and you shall receive."

"One Sided War" was released in August 2016 via Rat Pak Records. Backing Michael on the record were Hoekstra, Hunt, O'Boyle and East Coast shred-master Ethan Brosh.

In a 2016 interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Sweet said that he enjoyed making solo albums "because it's an opportunity to free myself up a little bit more, experiment a little bit more, and try some things that STRYPER may not be able to try."

STRYPER's latest album, "God Damn Evil", was released in April 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl.