Defenders Of The Faith, le forum Metal

STRYPER frontman and accomplished solo artist Michael Sweet announced his departure from legendary rock band BOSTON today in order to devote his full attention to his longstanding rôle as the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for rock outfit STRYPER — a band he co-founded in 1983. Sweet joined BOSTON in 2008, sharing lead vocals and playing guitar on a headlining tour of North America, performing the band's classic hits like "More than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", "Amanda" and "Don't Look Back".

Following the BOSTON tour, STRYPER released the 2009 studio album, "Murder by Pride" (featuring a cover of BOSTON's "Peace of Mind"), which led to a yearlong world tour with all of the original members. In 2010, STRYPER released "The Covering", and another world tour recently concluded. STRYPER is currently in the studio working on an untitled release for 2011, with tour dates already announced for this fall.

"My focus and my loyalty lies with STRYPER, the band that I've committed almost thirty years of my life to," says Sweet. "The guys in STRYPER are my brothers and I'm excited about our future together. The music of BOSTON helped shape who I am as an artist, and the opportunity to be a part of their musical legacy is overwhelming. It's been an honor to share the stage with them, and a bigger honor to call them my friends."