MICHAEL SWEET – Reborn Again (2021) *0dayrox EXCLUSIVE*

Another worldwide exclusive at 0dayrox: MICHAEL SWEET‘s new solo album ”Reborn Again”. This is the original solo album Michael planned in early 2000’s, but ended being a Stryper comeback album after reunite again titled ‘Reborn’, of course, re-recorded by all members.
Says Michael: “After years of requests and a lot of thought, I decided to release the original versions/tracks and add some things that I felt were always missing: guitar solos, high vocal notes, more rhythm guitars, synth parts and an alternate version of “Passion”. The original drums and bass are clean and punchy and Derek & Lou did an outstanding job laying down the foundation. I’ve always wanted everyone to hear what these original versions sound alike”
And they sound great…
The general style on “‘Reborn Again” is pretty less heavier than on the Stryper versions of these songs. Overall melodic and driven by modern riffs, Michael vocals are on spot here.

His version of ‘Reborn’ add synths in the background, ‘When Did I See You Cry’ and ‘Open Your Eyes’ feature that 2000’s sound in the arrangements that brings to mind TNT / Harnell material from the same era.
There’s an anthemic, midtempo semi-ballad take on ‘Passion’, a great song on any format, and Sweet let us us hear another version of it at the end.

After the quite heavy ‘Live Again’, we have a trifecta of melodic, midpaced tunes ‘If I Die’, ‘Wait for You’, ‘Rain’, while the upbeat ‘Ten Thousand Years’ has a lot of multi-tracks in the background with guitars layers and synths – and a killer solo – these are part for sure of the ‘added stuff’ Sweet is talking about. It’s one of the highlights of this solid album.

And solid, effective it is, as I’m listening to it for the second time and already humming some melodies. It’s a modern melodic hard rock album, and despite conceived almost 20 years ago, seems recorded yesterday.
Highly Recommended

You’ve seen it first at 0dayrox

01 – Open Your Eyes
02 – Reborn
03 – When Did I See You Cry
04 – Made You Mind
05 – Passion
06 – Live Again
07 – If I Die
08 – Wait for You
09 – Rain
10 – Ten Thousand Years
11 – Passion [Alternate Mix]

Lou Spagnola – Bass
Derek Kerswill – Drums
Cordaro Rodriguez – Piano, Keyboards, Strings
Peter Vantine – Strings
Kenny Lewis – Keyboards, Producer

Try here:
roxxrecords.com/collections/christian-metal-distro/products/copy-of-michael-sweet-reborn-again-2021-l-e-vinyl-lp-stryper