Stryper

Iconic rock outfit Stryper is set to release The Final Battle (Frontiers Music Srl), the band’s fourteenth studio album. Showcasing hard-charging songs filled with crunchy guitar riffs, full-throated vocals and soaring melodies, the album reminds listeners that the seasoned foursome continues to produce divinely inspired music with enduring excellence.

“I could not be more pleased with how the project turned out,” says lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Michael Sweet. “Against all odds and with many obstacles, we were able to deliver a powerful album with an energy unlike any other.

Speaking of obstacles, Sweet explains one of the challenging circumstances encountered during the songwriting process.

“Trying to stay on schedule, I continued to write the album lyrics as I was lying face down for two weeks recovering from surgery,” he says. “I kept thinking to myself, how is this possible? And then I was reminded of the Scripture from Matthew 19:26: ‘But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.'”

When it comes to groundbreaking bands in the Christian hard-rock genre, Stryper is renowned for its distinctive brand of “heavenly metal,” extraordinary crossover success and venerable endurance. The group ascended to prominence in the 1980s with Billboard Top 40 hits like “Calling on You,” “Honestly” and “Always There for You.”

Today, close to 40 years after emerging from the southern California nightclub scene, the foursome continues to record, tour and perform for devoted fans around the globe. Comprising three original members including brothers Michael Sweet and Robert Sweet (drums), Oz Fox (guitar) and newest bandmate, veteran bassist Perry Richardson (formerly of Firehouse), the group finds itself continuing to create their finest, most powerful music yet.