Speaking with Noize In The Attic, Stryper frontman responded to some of the negative reactions the band's new song "Take It To The Cross" has received from their fanbase. The track, available below along with the podcast, features guest death metal vocals from Shadows fall's Matt Bachand.

Sweet: "I think that there lies the problem, initially, is when people heard it, those who didn't like it is because it's probably the furthest thing that they could have thought it was going to be. People expect those angelic vocals from Stryper; that's what they wanna hear and that's what they expect and they probably expected a harmony and a chorus with more melody or this and that, and we just wanted to do something different... a little edgier, a little darker, a little more unique. And there you have it; you have 'Take It To The Cross'. 

Love it or hate it, at least we're breaking the mold and we're trying different things. Now, when people hear the rest of the album you're gonna get some of that classic Stryper stuff, of course. The next song coming called 'Sorry' is my favorite song on the album. It's got this riff and this groove that's just killer, but it's got the nice harmony spreads in the chorus. It'll be more what people, to some degree, expect."

Stryper's new album, God Damn Evil, will be released on April 20th. The band's follow-up to 2015's Fallen album was recorded at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts. Artwork and tracklisting below.

Michael Sweet recently stated: "The new Stryper album is our best to date. If this was 1987 (when rock and metal ruled the charts) we might have a Grammy waiting with our name on it. But since this is 2018, we're just happy knowing that our fans will love it. We are blessed. Can't wait to get this one into your ears!"

God Damn Evil tracklislting:

"Take It To The Cross"
"Sorry"
"Lost"
"God Damn Evil"
"You Don’t Even Know Me"
"The Valley"
"Sea Of Thieves"
"Beautiful"
"Can’t Live Without Your Love"
"Own Up"
"The Devil Doesn’t Live Here"