Album Review — Michael Sweet
Michael Sweet — Ten
Michael Sweet keeps churning out records like a hard rock factory. In an age where bands can take 3–4 years to release new music if they release new music at all, Sweet has kept busy with his main band, Stryper, his Sweet/Lynch project and now his tenth solo record, aptly titled “Ten”.
I have to imagine part of the reason Sweet is so prolific is because he sounds as great as ever. Many vocalists of his era have had to change their singing styles or be creative in the mixing room but Sweet’s voice is still impressive.
For “Ten”, Sweet called on friends to appear as guests on the record. Many times having different guests can lead to a disjointed album, but that’s not the case here. The album has very nice flow and there aren’t any tracks that seem out of place.
The overall sound of the record is quite heavy. It’s very guitar forward and no hint of any keyboards. I would use Iron Maiden as a comparison as far as the musical sound . Heavy riffs but very melodic. It doesn’t take as many turns as Maiden record and no ten-plus minute epics, but a similar sound.
I like every song on the record. The album starts with a classic sounding metal riff and Sweet’s best metal scream and it really doesn’t let up. “Let It Be Love” is the one track where things slow down a bit, but it’s a welcome break and doesn’t cause the album to lose any momentum.
The title track, “Ten”, is one of my favorite tracks on the record. It’s one of the heavier songs and has a great riff that runs through the track. As with most of Sweet’s lyrics, he doesn’t hide his faith and that stands here as“Ten” is a reference to the Ten Commandments. But Sweet does a good job of not sounding preachy.
“With You Til The End” is another favorite on the record. On first listen, I thought Todd La Torre of Queensryche shared vocals but it turns out it is Ian Raposa of Boston band “Firstbourne”. La Torre does guest on the album ending track, “Son of Man”, but I think Raposa steals the show a bit.
As mentioned earlier, the album is surprisingly cohesive with so many different singers and players. Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake is featured on a couple of tracks and Tracii Guns appears on another album highlight, “Ricochet”.
If I have any complaint it’s that I’m not sure there’s track here I really love and that I’ll go back to. But I’ve been through the album quite a few times and I’ve liked it each time through.
This is the album I thought we would get from the Sweet/Lynch partnership. That didn’t happen, but we get a strong solo record that I think is one of the best records I’ve heard from Michael Sweet, especially a solo release.
This is a must have for all Michael Sweet and Stryper fans. And if you are looking for a heavy yet melodic record, this one is definitely worth a listen.
90 out of 100
Track Listing
01 Better Part of Me (featuring Jeff Loomis of Arch Enemy)
02 Lay It Down (featuring Marzi Montazeri)
03 Forget, Forgive (featuring Howie Simon)
04 Now Or Never (featuring Gus G of Firewind)
05 Ten featuring (Rich Ward of Fozzy) *
06 Shine (featuring Ethan Brosh) *
07 Let It Be Love
08 Never Alone (featuring Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake)
09 When Love Is Hated (featuring Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake) *
10 Ricochet (featuring Tracii Guns of LA Guns) *
BONUS TRACKS
11 With You Till The End (featuring Mike Kerr and Ian Raposa from Firstbourne) *
12 Son Of Man (featuring Todd La Torre of Queensryche and Andy James)
*Best Songs