New Stryper Vocalist??!?

So, this was published on the interwebs.

Stryper’s Michael Sweet ‘Can’t Hit All the High Notes,’ Polls Fans About Adding Singer

What say you CMR?

I say replace him with Luke Easter - that will make EVERYONE happy

lol how about Ripper Owens

This is kind of old news now...

It got blown way out of proportion and I think Michael had to come out and tell everyone to relax..that it was just a question

bodachi wrote:I say replace him with Luke Easter - that will make EVERYONE happy

We all know Dale Thompson would be a much better choice for that.

I will state here what I told Michael on Facebook.  Just record where you are comfortable as that seems to be working for you right now.  Also, just don't do the screams.  Adjust those notes to something you can do powerfully.  If anyone asks, tell them the truth that you don't have the range that you used to have.

I started to ask him if Oz could hit those notes.  If he can, then just use someone already in the band.

It's not as if this is a new concept.  Geoff Tate hasn't been able to hit those high notes he did in days of old and for some of his live solo band performances he would use one of the guitarists as a second vocalist to hit the higher notes.

alldatndensum wrote:I will state here what I told Michael on Facebook.  Just record where you are comfortable as that seems to be working for you right now.  Also, just don't do the screams.  Adjust those notes to something you can do powerfully.  If anyone asks, tell them the truth that you don't have the range that you used to have.

I started to ask him if Oz could hit those notes.  If he can, then just use someone already in the band.

I've heard Oz sing...I don't think he can hit the high notes  

I watch the DVD of them playing in Jakarta and I heard nothing wrong at all with either Michael or Oz...

Michael Sweet's voice as well as Les Carlsen's voice aren't what it used to be.

Aparently, Les reaches the highest notes, but he doesn't play live concerts every weekend as Michael does.

So, in order to reach these high notes, I would recommend either Rob Rock or Ken Tamplin. Those guys voices don't looked too aged.

It will never happen.... No one will ever be brought in.

But if it was ever going to happen, it would be a nobody.

You wouldn't bring in a big name singer just to hit a couple notes from the background. Too expensive and too much of a distraction, not to mention the big name singer won't let himself be relegated to such a role.

You are right.  If you brought in a big name singer, you would have to turn over the vocal duties completely to them.

At which point it would stop being Stryper ... in my opinion.

NoOneIsHere wrote:It will never happen.... No one will ever be brought in.

But if it was ever going to happen, it would be a nobody.

You wouldn't bring in a big name singer just to hit a couple notes from the background. Too expensive and too much of a distraction, not to mention the big name singer won't let himself be relegated to such a role.

I was thinking about someone coming to the band and being the lead singer, so Michael would dedicate to the guitar playing, only. Anyway, we are speaking hipotetically. I am sure that Strryper would end if Michael couldn't sing anymore.

IMO, Michael Sweet's voice has held up better over the years than anyone else.

I would love to hear a melo-death vocalist against their music.

.....or is that venturing too much into " mad scientist " territory ?

If they added that, then a lot of us would dump them.  I personally think that style of vocal would ruin the magic.  If they brought someone like that in, I would be so done.  Besides, remember "Reborn"?  This was Stryper experimenting outside what the fans really wanted to hear and the backlash was extremely loud and clear.  The fans want classic sounding Stryper and our favorite releases thus far since the reunion have been in that style.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

James Hetfield can't hit notes that he did on Kill-Master but you don't see him complaining.

oldschooldoom wrote:IMO, Michael Sweet's voice has held up better over the years than anyone else.

+1 

It seems likely that Michael was just musing on Facebook by posting this question.  Much like when he posted here about whether people would like to seem them tour with Theocracy, etc.  It seems unlikely to me that he would actually follow through with it.  Though I could be off base.

Michael is still singing just fine. Can he sing the highest notes from the old songs, night after night? Probably not. I couldn't care less. NMHTP sounded amazing, and has become my favorite Stryper record. He hits plenty of high notes on that one.

+1

I watched the "Live at the Whiskey" concert and aside from a couple things that he didn't even attempt, he pretty much nailed everything else. There's nothing at all wrong with his voice. In fact, I think his voice has held up much better than most singers (Christian or secular) from that era. And I think Stryper as a band have held up much better than most bands (Christian or secular) from that era. But yes, I think Michael was just musing here. I don't think there was any serious thought given to this.

Benny4SR wrote:I watched the "Live at the Whiskey" concert and aside from a couple things that he didn't even attempt, he pretty much nailed everything else. There's nothing at all wrong with his voice. In fact, I think his voice has held up much better than most singers (Christian or secular) from that era. And I think Stryper as a band have held up much better than most bands (Christian or secular) from that era. But yes, I think Michael was just musing here. I don't think there was any serious thought given to this.

I think sometimes Michael throws little tid bits out there because he likes to mess with everyone. 

I have seen Michael twice in concert in the last several years...his voice sounds great

NoOneIsHere wrote:

Benny4SR wrote:I watched the "Live at the Whiskey" concert and aside from a couple things that he didn't even attempt, he pretty much nailed everything else. There's nothing at all wrong with his voice. In fact, I think his voice has held up much better than most singers (Christian or secular) from that era. And I think Stryper as a band have held up much better than most bands (Christian or secular) from that era. But yes, I think Michael was just musing here. I don't think there was any serious thought given to this.

I think sometimes Michael throws little tid bits out there because he likes to mess with everyone. 

I have seen Michael twice in concert in the last several years...his voice sounds great

Agreed!

Would not go over well I would Imagine.