In a recent appearance on the Talkin’ Bout Rock podcast with Rob Edwards, STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet opened up about the evolving challenges of being a Christian metal band more than four decades into their career.
When asked whether it’s harder to be a Christian rock act today compared to the early days, Sweet reflected on how the obstacles have changed over time.
“I think it’s different,” he explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “There are challenges now that are different from the challenges then. So back in the ’80s, the challenges for us were the different sound and the different look and basically singing about Jesus. It was difficult for people to take the lyrics and look at the image and listen to the sound and combine the three. People were, like, ‘Wait a minute. This can’t be Christian music.’ Now it’s more about just the message itself.”
Sweet went on to describe how opposition to STRYPER’s message has become more direct in recent years, even at their own concerts. “The Christian message, from my experience, is a message that is persecuted to no get-out, man,” he continued. “I hear it and I read it in e-mails, I hear it from people, I see it at our shows, those people that come to just speak out against the faith and Christianity. I don’t get it. It’s bizarre. But I see that more often with Christianity than I do with other religions. And for some reason… I mean, it seems to me like certain religions are off limits — you can’t say anything bad about certain religions because if you do, you’re a bad person. But yet it seems like you could say anything you want about Christianity. I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong. Somebody else out there, convince me that I’m wrong. But this is from my personal experience. And it kind of bums me out, but at the same time, it also drives me to do more. That’s the way I’m built. It’s never stop. Get up. You get knocked down, get back up. Keep going.”
Despite the pushback, STRYPER’s influence on both Christian and metal music remains undeniable. Their third album, 1986’s To Hell With The Devil, made history as the first contemporary Christian record to achieve platinum status. Yet even with that success, Sweet and his bandmates have often found themselves caught between two worlds — sometimes rejected by Christian circles that viewed heavy metal as incompatible with faith.
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.