Michael Sweet regretful about ‘Against The Law’ LP where Stryper went from arenas to clubs overnight

Michael Sweet regretful about ‘Against The Law’ LP where Stryper went from arenas to clubs overnight

Stryper frontman Michael Sweet continues to view the album Against The Law in a regretful and even negative way. Back in early March 2018, Sweet explained why he ranked Against The Law, which was released in 1990, last among Stryper‘s discography.

The following message was posted on Sweet‘s Facebook page earlier today (with slight edits):

“I guess this may be beating a dead horse but it seems to come up often. How can an album be a fan favorite when it’s the worst selling album from a band in an era that was thriving? ATL is (by very large margins) our worst selling album to date (from that period) and achieved lower stats overall, all around. I see the numbers on all the statements: Radio, royalties, streaming, you name it. Lower numbers that literally are night and day compared to the other albums (The Yellow & Black Attack, Soldiers Under Command, To Hell With The Devil, In God We Trust).

Obviously there are fans that like it. It’s a great sounding album. But, it’s just not a true, classic Stryper album. We decided to throw away everything that made us unique and different. From guitar tones, to guitar harmonies, to the Y&B color scheme to the message, everything! That was a really bad decision, especially since we were doing so well.

We literally changed everything. At that time I was all for it. Now looking back on those times, I’m very regretful. You live and learn. I learned a lot from those times and I made a decision never to repeat the past.

We made ATL and when it came out you could literally sense the future. We were on a path that we should never have taken and that album helped to create a very negative narrative around the band. We went from arenas into clubs overnight, literally! Some have blamed that on the grunge movement yet bands like Firehouse, Trixter, Slaughter, Steelheart, Love/Hate continued to thrive in the early nineties. Bottom line? Many fans of the band saw through the facade and decided to move on. I can’t say that I blame them.

Fast forward to now and I couldn’t be more proud of what this band has accomplished. We’ve made the best albums of our career in the last 10 years and we’ve retained who we are in the process. We are Stryper. Not VH. We have a unique look and sound and we should never throw that aside like we did with ATL. Biggest mistake of our career IMO.

I’m really not trying to “kick the hornets nest”, I’m simply stating facts and sharing my heart and reasoning behind my detest for ATL. Although I LOVE a few original songs from the album (All For One, Lady, Two Bodies), I can barely even name the rest. There are just too many negatives for me to truly enjoy this album.

To end on a positive note, our new album turned out absolutely amazing!! We’ll be releasing the first song in June. It has everything you expect to hear from Stryper and then some. Wait till you hear it!”

Stryper‘s “Two Time Woman” video: