According to Michael Sweet, Stryper learned how to manage the Christian backlash against the band.
During a new conversation with the Metal Voice, the singer talked about whether they still receive the same amount of backlash both from Christian and anti-Christian sides they did in the ’80s:
“My take on that is we live in a world that there’s always going to be some sort of a wall that’s built up when it comes to religion, in general. In terms of God and faith, there’s always going to be with a number of people a little bit of a ‘Oh, wait a minute. I’m not sure.’ I was like that before I became a Christian. When a Christian would come up to me and talk to me, I’d be like, ‘Get away from me. I don’t want to hear it.'”
Sweet Sees The Backlash As A Natural Reaction
He continued, explaining how Styrper changed people’s minds about these issues:
“I was like that. So I know that feeling and I think it’s a natural reaction. It is for some reason. It’s just a natural reaction but Stryper has been able to break down those barriers and see a lot of people come into the Stryper camp and appreciate what we do and respect what we do and enjoy. It’s really cool.”
Stryper Has A Wide Audience
Previously, in an interview with Igor Miranda last year, Sweet reflected on how Stryper’s music made some people believe in God while others just appreciate the music and the band although they don’t share their beliefs:
“It happens all the time, many times almost on a daily basis. I mean, on Facebook and instant messenger and, you know, emails and text messages, people reaching out to me saying, ‘Your song changed my life and made me believe in God,’ and then on the other side of that coin, there’s a lot of people that reach out to me who are Atheists and Satanists who are big fans of the band. They love the music and the band, but they don’t believe what we believe, but they’re still really encouraged and influenced and inspired by the band, which is amazing.”
Stryper is planning to release a new full album within 2024. The band will also hit the road at the end of this month for their North American tour. It kicks off on May 30 in Woodstock, Georgia, and ends on June 23 in Franklin, Tennessee.
You can watch the rest of his interview below.
