Robert Sweet (Stryper) NOT playing on the new album!

I know, this sucks but here is everything I know.

Robert was not in the studio (Longview Farm Studios in Massachusetts) with the rest of the band last month.
Kenny
Aronoff was brought in as a session drummer for the album. (His website
even confirms that he was there at the same time.)
Robert is still in the band and should be on the road for the up coming tour in November.

Stryper's management & label are NOT going to make any type of public statement.
Michael "said" (still holding my breath) that he was going to make a personal statement back on 9/4/07 this has not happened.

I
doubt the eventual statement will explain why Robert did not record
with them on the album. Just like the statement about Tim "leaving" the
band didn't really explain anything. I also understand what a hard and
sensitive situation it has to be for Michael. I mean it's not only a
band "issue" it's a family "issue" as well. If its just to hard for him
or any of the band to discuss then just say so. I would rather know
that NO real info is coming rather then checking the forum everyday for
info that was going to be posted weeks ago.

I think if you search around the web and forums it is pretty clear why Robert wasn't with them.

Hey Stryped, great to see you over here at CHM.

Major bummer to hear that Robert will not record on the new album. I have no idea why he wont/can't record for this album, but I hope that it is not the big drama everyone seems to be making of it.

Still it is great news to hear that we will be seeing another new studio album from Stryper.

Quote :

Still it is great news to hear that we will be seeing another new studio album from Stryper.

YES indeed, from what I have heard it will be out in early 2008!

Bummer Robert Sweet wasn't in the studio to record the new Stryper studio album.
The good news is a new Stryper album next year.
I hope it rocks.

I'm glad that he is touring with them though, so it's not all bad. Stryper are a great band, and whilst Reborn wasn't totally in the style I love, it was still a good album and very catchy.

Fundy

If Robert is going out on the road with Stryper, then there must not be as much behind the scenes drama as everyone expect. If there were a band/family riff for the brothers Sweet, then I doubt you'd have Robert behind the kit at all.

I'll just be glad to get my hand on some new Stryper!

I could care less what they do at this point. Stryper is dead to me.

I think alldat is right, and Robert wouldn't play on tour if there were really big issues. I would think it's just personal problems for Robert that he has to deal with right at this moment.

Fundy

Tall Tyrion wrote:

I could care less what they do at this point. Stryper is dead to me.

Oh my, tell us how you really feel TT.

I think I can empathise with you though. I really liked the classic Stryper sound but seemed to like them less and less the more commercial they sounded (I really didn't care for "In God We Trust" much at all). I certainly didn't dig anything that Micheal Sweet did as a solo artists. And while Reborn wasn't nearly as mellow as his solo stuff, it certainly sounded more like Micheal Sweet solo then it did like Stryper.

While I can actually enjoy Reborn (on some level) I am holding out hope that their new album will sound significantly tougher.

Well it has been speculated and talked about for weeks at the Stryped Forever Fan Forum but several post at the Stryper Forum confirm that Robert Sweet indeed did not record on the new album. There was given NO reason to why he didn't record on the new album. Michael did say that Robert is the drummer and that he will be with them on the up coming tour in November.

Staybrite wrote:

I certainly didn't dig anything that
Micheal Sweet did as a solo artists. And while Reborn wasn't nearly as
mellow as his solo stuff, it certainly sounded more like Micheal Sweet
solo then it did like Stryper.

I agree, and I never picked it up for that reason. It just held no interest for me musically.

Quote :

While
I can actually enjoy Reborn (on some level) I am holding out hope that
their new album will sound significantly tougher.

Even if it sounds exactly like Soldiers, I really don't intend to get
it. To me, cutting Robert out of the recording process is a really low
blow. They may have had their reasons, but if Robert is still judged by
Mike (who seems to be running the $tryp3r show with an iron fist) as
worthy to tour, why is he not worthy to record? If he is going through
a hard time personally and needs some breathing room, put off recording
the album. Def Leppard waited YEARS for Rick Allen to recover from his
accident so that he could record with the band, why can't the Mike
Sweet band do the same? We waited years for the reunion and came out in
droves to support Stryper once Mike Sweet decided to do it. We'll wait
a few more months for a new album if need be, but I can't see how using
any other drummer could possibly result in a better album.



And the secrecy bugs me as well. I don't want details, but once the
rumors start flying, a short statement of what's going on does wonders
to squelch the endless speculation and rumor-mongering that results.
Trying to put a lid on it only exacerbates the problem.

You make it sound like you have inside info that Michael is some sort of tyrant to the others. Maybe Robert is going through some hard times. But, maybe, just maybe, it is he that did not want to do the studio tracks this time. Perhaps he convinced Michael to go on with recording without him so that he could get his life straight by the time the tour starts.

I know--it's far fetched, but no more so that your story. Personally, without knowing anything more than we really do, we ought to be lifting all of the guys & their families up in prayer. Then, let's just see what God does through them.

And, regardless of which musical direction they head this time, wait to pass judgement on it until you hear some clips.

Well it's true that it could be Robert not Michael who caused/encouraged/forced the decisions to use a studio drummer for this recording we just don't know.

Personally I really don't give a rip why or who, but I think that it is a little crazy not to make some sort of statement to the die-hard fans in some effort to appease them. For some reason this sort of "drama" just seems to follow Stryper everywhere, it's seems a small miracle they can even get any recording done.

alldatndensum wrote:

You make it sound like you have inside info that Michael is some sort of tyrant to the others.

Nope, I have no inside info at all. I also don’t have any inside info
that Gene Simmons dictates anything to the members of KISS, but the
weight of the evidence in both cases certainly seems to point that way.
I think Tim Gaines' public statements on his time in Stryper would be
corroborating evidence of that as well, but that's not really the
point.



The point is that if rumors start flying, the best way to squash them
is by open and direct dialogue, which is something that just did not
happen here, no matter how you slice it.



Look at the drug accusations that came up in the campaigns for both
Bush and Clinton. Clinton made all sorts of vague denials and twisted
statements about using marijuana. Remember “I have never broken the
drug laws of my country”? When allegations surfaced about Bush have
used cocaine as a young man, he immediately replied “Yep, it was a
terrible mistake and I regret it.” and the “scandal” went away.



In the same way, a simple statement saying “Robert Sweet is still
Stryper’s drummer and will be touring with us next year, but due to
scheduling conflicts, he will not be able to record with us.” would
have ended this thing immediately. To me, it makes no sense to ignore
rumors in the hopes they will go away. They never do.

Quote :

And, regardless of which musical direction they head this time,
wait to pass judgement on it until you hear some clips.

Musically, Reborn was a yawner for me. I really can't see any new stuff
being different, so I would probably pass anyways, but frankly, even if
it were great musically, the way Mike Sweet seems to do business turns
me off and makes me not want to buy it anyways. There are plenty of
bands who appreciate their fans. I’d rather support them.

Staybrite wrote:

For some reason this sort of "drama" just seems to
follow Stryper everywhere, it's seems a small miracle they can even get
any recording done.

I believe drama follows them as a direct result of the actions of Michael Sweet.

It has been said numerous times at the Stryperforum that when the time is right the guys will make a statement to the fans on the situation. So for the time being I will just be patient and simply have faith, hope, and love for the guys in all they do for his glory.