Stryper vocalist Michael Sweet has a lot of irons in the fire. He has a new solo album I'm Not Your Suicide, along with his autobiography Honestly: My Life and Stryper Revealed. Stryper also released a new album late last year and has a lot of touring coming up. I spoke with Sweet about all his different projects.

Chad Bowar:  How long have you been working on the material that ended up on I'm Not Your Suicide?
Michael Sweet: I started writing for it a little over two years ago, and I started recording it two years ago, basically.

It's been done for quite a long time. It dragged on and on, because it was just a completely different situation and way of doing things that I've never done before. It's just exciting to see it coming to fruition, and actually see the light of day and become a reality.

Is part of the fun of doing a solo album getting to play with all those different guest musicians that you brought on board for this album?
Absolutely. As I've said in a lot of interviews, you get to stretch out and spread your wings, and try different things that you may not be able to try in your band. The band has a certain unique sound, and people want to hear that, and hear those signature screams and guitar solos, and what-not.

On a solo album, I can maybe not do the screams, and bring in steel guitars, try different things. That's what I did on this album. Tried to really mix it up in terms of the diversity of it, just trying different styles. I love doing that, anyway.

Did you decide on the album title before the song was written, or did you have your songs, and then decide, this one is going to be the album title?
I went to Nashville and cowrote that particular song with a guy by the name of Blair Daly.

He's written for lots of people, some number one songs; one for Rascal Flatts. He wrote the song "Smile" for Uncle Kracker. We wrote it together. He's a big Stryper fan, and we just hit it off.

When we penned that song "I'm Not Your Suicide," I knew in the back of my mind that that would be the title. I just really liked it; I thought it was powerful. I don't know that everyone agreed. I think some people at the label wanted to go with something else. It makes a very bold statement, very powerful statement, and one that needed to be heard.

The video, as well, sends a powerful message.
It's one of those things where you turn on the news, and you see, almost on a daily basis, the situation and the problems and issues at hand regarding abuse, and all sorts of things going on. Someone needs to do something about it. I know people that have done a lot to educate and turn things around. I'm trying to, in a small way. I'm waving the small flag, but at least I'm trying.

It's great to see how it's inspired people and touched people. We looked at a number of organizations, and we felt really comfortable with ChildHelp. They had a vision for it. That means everything to me. They got really excited about working with us, equally as much as we got excited about working with them. That means a lot.

With your other obligations, are you going to be able to do any shows or any tours in support of the solo album?
Probably not so much this year. Maybe just a few, here and there. Next year, for sure. I am planning on doing some touring acoustically, some touring electric with the full band. Definitely, some touring coming down the pipe, for sure.

Stryper's last album No More Hell To Pay was released last year. Were you surprised at just how well it was received, and how much people loved it?
I was. I really was, because I think sometimes we often expect to get flack or naysayers. That's how it's been for 30 years. It's also not 100 percent surprising, because we work really hard to achieve what we achieve, to make things sound good, and write good songs, and produce good songs and great performers. I don't know that we are, but we certainly try to be.

Because of all the work that goes into it, it's really nice at the end of the day, to see some recognition for that, and read the reviews that people are giving us, say, "Hey, we like it; this is awesome." It's really cool to see and hear people say it's our best album. That's surprising. That blows my mind, because we've made some really cool albums and done a lot over the years. For this one to be our best, makes you wonder what it would have done back in 1986.

This day and age, so many people listen to the album without buying it, through streaming services, Spotify, and things like that. Everything's different in how people consume it.
There's not a lot we can do about that. It's really sad, because you go in, and you bust your cans working on a project for two or three or four months making 12, 13 songs. Then you go to iTunes, and you see that one song is lit up, in terms of popularity, and the other songs have one bar. It's pretty obvious that those songs aren't being downloaded, and it's like, "Gee, thanks."

It's just not about the album, anymore. It's about a song. That's sad, because I come from the time period when it was about the album. You'd go and buy it, and hold it, and smell it, and read it. That's what it was about. Those days are gone.

Stryper are planning on releasing a live DVD this year?
Yeah, that's all finished. That's turned in, and that's coming out in October or November of this year, on Frontiers.We did a show at the Whisky last November, 2013. That's what this show that's coming out on DVD and CD.

Let's talk now about the book. Why was this the right time in your life to write your autobiography?
There are all sorts of questions that come from writing a book, and people say, "Why did you do it?" Or "Why did you feel the need to say this or that?" You get all these questions, and it was a situation for me, really, where it was therapeutic for me to just get everything out. I've had a lot of questions over the years from people, like, "Hey, what happened, with Tim not playing on the albums?" Or "What happened during 'It's the Law'?" "We've heard a lot of rumors."

Instead of just continuing to answer those rumors one on one, I figured, I'm just going to write a book and answer them all. Answer the masses in one shot. That's what I did. Again, in doing so, it was healing and therapeutic for me. There's a lot of stuff in there. It's a really cool book. I think people are going to enjoy it.

What was the most challenging or difficult part of writing the book for you?
Just being honest. Not that I'm not honest, but it's hard to share your soul with the world. My personality and who I am as a person, I've always been an open book, so to speak. I wanted to be honest and share my heart and soul, and give every detail. At the same time, I didn't want to hurt anybody that was involved in the story. I feel there's so many autobiographies that just trash everyone. Bulldoze over them, and roll over them with the bus, and back up over them again.

I just feel like, man, that's brutal. I didn't want to do that, so I did my best to just tell the stories, but not hurt my band mates or my mom, or whoever was involved in those stories. The bankruptcy and leaving the band, and all the internal issues; just everything that goes on in a band.

Has your faith evolved over the years, or has it been pretty steadfast?
I think it's evolved. Definitely, a little bit of both, in terms of being steadfast and straight and narrow. It evolved in ways, too. Sometimes, I would even go so far as to say, regressed in ways. There have been tough times, and times when we questioned God, and get mad at God, and don't acknowledge God, and all that stuff.

Some of the things that you've been through, like the death of your wife, are some of the most devastating things people can be through. Sometimes it draws people closer to God. Sometimes it pushes them away. Did you have that struggle, on which way you were going to go?
Absolutely. I'm very fortunate that you have a good support team, and I know a lot of people have prayed over the years; just so hard for us. That's just really cool. I'm blessed to be around that, and to be here, and still doing what I'm doing with a smile on my face. I get burnt out. I get aggravated. I get upset; all that stuff. I'm human, but I still enjoy life. I love music.

Now that you've released the book, it's out of your hands, into the readers' hands, what do you want them to take away from it, after they read that final chapter?
If they could have a new perspective on all things Stryper and Michael Sweet. Sometimes people tend to, not necessarily on purpose, but maybe subconsciously, put it in a box, or put us on a pedestal, and view us one-dimensionally. I hope the book will break that. I also hope that people that read the book, who maybe have experienced some of the same things I have experienced in my life, might be inspired by it or encouraged by it. That would be pretty cool.

Is there anything else you have going on?
I have this George Lynch, Michael Sweet thing going on. It's a project with George Lynch, myself, Brian Tichy and James Lomenzo. I was very fortunate enough to be asked to produce it. I co-wrote it, with George. That's coming out next year around this time, on Frontiers. It's a really cool album.

It's got more of that classic, late ‘70s, early ‘80s vibe to it. It's really cool. I think people are going to dig it. I'm really loving it, and tapping my foot along to it when I hear it. I'm excited for people to hear it, because it's definitely different from the Stryper thing. It's not a metal record.