Stryper frontman Michael Sweet addressed the possibility of ever performing with King Diamond’s band. He explained why he would ultimately turn down such an offer, in comments shared by Dr. Music.
Sweet was asked whether he would consider joining King Diamond’s band if the opportunity arose and the numbers were right. He explained that the stark difference between his faith and the themes of King Diamond’s music would make it impossible for him to say yes.
“You mean, like be in [King’s] band? I don’t know that I would do that. I would probably safely say no, I wouldn’t do that,” Sweet said. “I would think that he would probably say the same thing if we asked him to come and sing for Stryper. I could be wrong.”
Sweet went on to clarify that his reluctance has nothing to do with King Diamond personally, but rather with the conflicting messages conveyed through their respective music.
“But it’s nothing against him as a person, but just I don’t agree with anything spiritually in terms of what he sings about versus what we sing. It’s a polar [opposite],” he continued. “So it’s, like, I would feel like I’m basically betraying my, my faith, betraying myself and what I stand for.”
Despite drawing that line, Sweet made clear that touring alongside King Diamond or Mercyful Fate as separate acts would be a different matter entirely.
“Now, some people might not agree with that, and that’s okay. But now, would we go tour with him and play with Mercyful Fate or King Diamond — Stryper and Mercyful Fate? Absolutely. 100%, 100%,” he said.
Sweet’s comments echo sentiments he expressed before. He first crossed paths with King Diamond in person and found the encounter far removed from the divide their music suggests.
That meeting took place on December 4, 2022, when Stryper and Mercyful Fate shared a bill at Hell & Heaven Metal Fest in Mexico. It marked the first time the two frontmen had ever met face to face, despite both having built decades-long careers at opposite ends of metal’s spiritual spectrum.
Sweet came away from the encounter with nothing but praise for his counterpart. He called King Diamond “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” and described their exchange as a normal, friendly conversation rather than a clash of ideologies.
The interaction later drew some backlash online after Sweet posted a photo of the two together. Fans criticized the pairing, taking issue with a Christian artist being pictured alongside a performer known for Satanic imagery.
Sweet addressed that divide directly, summing up the encounter in a way that mirrors his latest remarks about respecting King Diamond as a person while rejecting the message behind his music.
“You’re Satanic. We’re Christian. But then when you break it down, we’re just people,” Sweet said.
