Metal Sludge Gossip Board

Pure garbage...

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1uDc5JEr1w

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STRYPER's MICHAEL SWEET Launches 'Melodic Rock' Project SOLEDRIVER

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the upcoming debut album from SOLEDRIVER, a collaboration between two extremely talented and prolific songwriters, musicians and producers, Michael Sweet (STRYPER, BOSTON, ICONIC, SWEET & LYNCH) and Alessandro Del Vecchio (EDGE OF FOREVER, HARDLINE, JORN). The first single from the album, "Rise Again", is out now accompanied by a music video.

"Return Me To Light" sees these two incredible talents joining forces to make a killer melodic rock album that only they could create. In their studio work, both Sweet and Del Vecchio have a shared vision of very detailed productions, and both love crystal-clear arrangements. But both never forget the power that a rock album needs to have, so "Return Me To Light" showcases great, powerful deliveries, but nothing overwhelms the vocals and beauty of the melodies. To put it simply, the album is melodic rock in the style of JOURNEY and FOREIGNER, but on steroids and with the unique Sweet and Del Vecchio sonic stamp on it.

Sweet says: "I've always been a metalhead at heart, but as much as I love metal, I love the melodic and 'song'-oriented side of music. Songs that move you and songs that touch your soul. So many bands from the '70s and '80s did just that. I'm proud to say that as much as I listened to IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST, I also listened to LOVERBOY, TOTO, FOREIGNER, SURVIVOR, JOURNEY, and many others. That's what makes me who I am today. Diversity. So, I've always wanted to do an album that takes you back to those days and here it is!"

He adds: "Working with Alessandro Del Vecchio has been an absolute pleasure and he's an amazing talent. We worked together to record and produce an album we're both very proud of. Every song has something powerful to say yet makes its own statement musically and lyrically. I could not be more excited about this release and I'm blessed to be able to work with a company (Frontiers) that allows me to follow and capture my dreams."

Del Vecchio says: "It all started during the pandemic when Frontiers asked me to write a collaboration song featuring multiple artists from the Frontiers roster. Michael and I got in touch about this and kept in contact ever since. I was surprised when Michael asked me to do an album together, one on which we would capture the melodic side of his singing and writing.

"We still couldn't fully hold back the power and fire that Michael has, but what we accomplished on 'Return Me To Light' is something that really reflects what an album with the two of us really sounds like: melodic, anthemic, and with deep and spiritual lyrical messages.

He adds: "One of the many cool things about working with Michael on this album was him asking me to play all guitars on the album as well. This is something I never do, but he thought I was really capturing the essence of these songs. So, here I am for the first time delivering the guitar parts I had in my head while writing these songs.

"I'm very honored to be teamed up with Michael as we share the same love for great-sounding albums and we are perfectionists who never deliver below 100% and certainly always aim to go beyond our limits.

"I'm sure you're gonna end up singing, humming, and whistling these songs after you hear the album, while still being captured by the delivery of the vocals and the music, where passion, fire, and depth all melted into the essence of these songs."

"Return Me To Light" track listing:

01. Rise Again
02. Anymore
03. Pieces Of Forever
04. Hope's Holding You
05. Spinning Wheel
06. Out Of The Dark
07. Eternal Flame
08. To Be Saved
09. Return Me To Light
10. Soul Inside
11. Wounded

SOLEDRIVER recording lineup:

Michael Sweet - vocals
Alessandro Del Vecchio - guitars, bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Michele Sanna - drums


> https://blabbermouth.net/news/strypers- ... soledriver

----------------------

$ludge

Frontiers has such an obvious, generic song structure. Plus, Michael sings the same way/tone in every single song.

That press release is word salad of the most nauseating sort...

though frontiers are cashing in on its talent pool by creating these "super groups" from its list of clients...this song isn't bad.

I made it through about 1/2 the video.

Another 'band' that probably has never all been in the same room together.

And it looks like they did one take of each guy doing their parts, spliced them together with some stock Grand Canyon footage, and called it a day.

ZERO effort went into this.

Stick to Stryper bud

That was bad

Fuck Soledriver

Cleanbreak with perry Richardson was better. How come Cleanbreak ain't tourin'??!!

How this label release and pay so many bands? It's like everyday there's a new group/release... How does it work? And they all sound the same...

BiggusDickus wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 1:15 pm How this label release and pay so many bands? It's like everyday there's a new group/release... How does it work? And they all sound the same...

isn’t that what labels did in the 80s?
Throw a bunch out there in hopes of 1or2 black swans

BiggusDickus wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 1:15 pm How this label release and pay so many bands? It's like everyday there's a new group/release... How does it work? And they all sound the same...

""""""""""""""""""""How this label release and pay so many bands? It's like everyday there's a new group/release... """""""""""""""""""""

They're not spending a lot of money to begin with...

I have done a few of these deals, or shall I say, have been involved with a few... Vains of Jenna did 1 of these with Deadline Cleopatra.

I blogged about this before... our VoJ deal with Cleo was in this same range, and they had us choose from 1 of their "in-house" Producers... which at the time were Bob Kulick, Adam Hamilton, etc... we worked with Adam, who is GREAT... has a great little Home Studio, and he's great at what he does... super talented guy.

And these labels have learned over the years, by trial and error, to NOT just give some D-list band $15,000.00 and wait for the record. It doesn't work like that, and it didn't work like that with the major label deals back in the day either.

With our VoJ deal, once we agreed to work with Adam, a set "fee - amount" was set aside, for the recording process, studio, and producer fee. That money was then broken into a few payments, which went directly to "studio/producer" and the band and RLS never even touched it. The label paid directly to those outlets.

In the end, there was $ X,XXX of dollars left for VoJ... and once all was said and done, and the studio sessions and Producer were paid, songs done, mixed, etc.. we got our money. It went very smooth... all worked out great... and we had a very fair and solid experience with that deal.

I'd bet Michael Sweet gets about $10-15k per record... total!




"""""""""""""""""""""How does it work? And they all sound the same...""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Label rings Sweet: "Hey Michael... how about you do a record with >insert guitarist here< (Tracii Guns, aka Sun Bomb)"

Sweet... "Okay... sure..."

Label... "We need 15 songs... 12-13 for the U.S. release... and a few "bonus" or 'remix' tunes for the Japanese and / or European release."

Sweet... "Great, I have a bunch of ideas laying around, that didn't make the last Stryper record..."

Label... "Perfect..."

The label then says something like, "We'll give you $12,000.00 ( a grand per song)... and if it's $15,000.00 (then we need 15 songs)."

They likely give him an advance, perhaps, a 2 or 3 payment plan of $ 4-5k each payment... installments.

Like, $4-5k up front to start the project... and a 2nd installment when tracks are done, rough mixes, and possibly a final payment, when mixed and turned in.

Guys like Sweet, and Guns, who have home-studios, and do a lot or most of the recording themselves, is in their favor, as they are essentially "self-producing" too, which cuts out the "Producer" fee or cost, and the "Studio" cost... they are doing all... Writing, Recording, Producing, in Home (house or garage, spare bedroom, etc..).

Of course when Frontiers does a deal with Journey, or Whitesnake, it's a bigger budget, more money, etc.. but most of the C & D list bands, these deals are all in the $10-12 or perhaps $15-20k (tops) range.

I would bet that 50-75% of these deals were done for between $10 and 20k all in. That includes the Crashdiet bands, PBF, Gilby Clarke, Heaven's Edge, etc..



In this Blabbermouth post, Sweet says he walks away with $7-10k per project.
> https://blabbermouth.net/news/strypers- ... m-he-makes


$tEvil

The song sounds like it could be used as a montage for an 80s movie like Rocky 4 or something

Nice way to make 10k. Over and over again...

MetalSludgeCEO wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 3:09 pm

BiggusDickus wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 1:15 pm How this label release and pay so many bands? It's like everyday there's a new group/release... How does it work? And they all sound the same...

""""""""""""""""""""How this label release and pay so many bands? It's like everyday there's a new group/release... """""""""""""""""""""

They're not spending a lot of money to begin with...

I have done a few of these deals, or shall I say, have been involved with a few... Vains of Jenna did 1 of these with Deadline Cleopatra.

I blogged about this before... our VoJ deal with Cleo was in this same range, and they had us choose from 1 of their "in-house" Producers... which at the time were Bob Kulick, Adam Hamilton, etc... we worked with Adam, who is GREAT... has a great little Home Studio, and he's great at what he does... super talented guy.

And these labels have learned over the years, by trial and error, to NOT just give some D-list band $15,000.00 and wait for the record. It doesn't work like that, and it didn't work like that with the major label deals back in the day either.

With our VoJ deal, once we agreed to work with Adam, a set "fee - amount" was set aside, for the recording process, studio, and producer fee. That money was then broken into a few payments, which went directly to "studio/producer" and the band and RLS never even touched it. The label paid directly to those outlets.

In the end, there was $ X,XXX of dollars left for VoJ... and once all was said and done, and the studio sessions and Producer were paid, songs done, mixed, etc.. we got our money. It went very smooth... all worked out great... and we had a very fair and solid experience with that deal.

I'd bet Michael Sweet gets about $10-15k per record... total!




"""""""""""""""""""""How does it work? And they all sound the same...""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Label rings Sweet: "Hey Michael... how about you do a record with >insert guitarist here< (Tracii Guns, aka Sun Bomb)"

Sweet... "Okay... sure..."

Label... "We need 15 songs... 12-13 for the U.S. release... and a few "bonus" or 'remix' tunes for the Japanese and / or European release."

Sweet... "Great, I have a bunch of ideas laying around, that didn't make the last Stryper record..."

Label... "Perfect..."

The label then says something like, "We'll give you $12,000.00 ( a grand per song)... and if it's $15,000.00 (then we need 15 songs)."

They likely give him an advance, perhaps, a 2 or 3 payment plan of $ 4-5k each payment... installments.

Like, $4-5k up front to start the project... and a 2nd installment when tracks are done, rough mixes, and possibly a final payment, when mixed and turned in.

Guys like Sweet, and Guns, who have home-studios, and do a lot or most of the recording themselves, is in their favor, as they are essentially "self-producing" too, which cuts out the "Producer" fee or cost, and the "Studio" cost... they are doing all... Writing, Recording, Producing, in Home (house or garage, spare bedroom, etc..).

Of course when Frontiers does a deal with Journey, or Whitesnake, it's a bigger budget, more money, etc.. but most of the C & D list bands, these deals are all in the $10-12 or perhaps $15-20k (tops) range.

I would bet that 50-75% of these deals were done for between $10 and 20k all in. That includes the Crashdiet bands, PBF, Gilby Clarke, Heaven's Edge, etc..



In this Blabbermouth post, Sweet says he walks away with $7-10k per project.
> https://blabbermouth.net/news/strypers- ... m-he-makes


$tEvil

Thanks for that clarification. CZN told me once what he got but not details of making the record. Makes sense why he does the EZN albums all by himself.

MS is involved in so many projects that his songwriting gets watered down and generic. What’s the sense in putting a record out if you’re not gotta tour to support it, and how many people beyond this page even know about this latest “band”?

whoami wrote: ↑Fri Oct 06, 2023 5:52 pm MS is involved in so many projects that his songwriting gets watered down and generic. What’s the sense in putting a record out if you’re not gotta tour to support it, and how many people beyond this page even know about this latest “band”?

Everybody knows about Cleanbreak u dummy. Perry Richardson is able to elevate Michael Sweet from the gutter.

MetalSludgeCEO wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 3:09 pm

BiggusDickus wrote: ↑Thu Oct 05, 2023 1:15 pm How this label release and pay so many bands? It's like everyday there's a new group/release... How does it work? And they all sound the same...

""""""""""""""""""""How this label release and pay so many bands? It's like everyday there's a new group/release... """""""""""""""""""""

They're not spending a lot of money to begin with...

I have done a few of these deals, or shall I say, have been involved with a few... Vains of Jenna did 1 of these with Deadline Cleopatra.

I blogged about this before... our VoJ deal with Cleo was in this same range, and they had us choose from 1 of their "in-house" Producers... which at the time were Bob Kulick, Adam Hamilton, etc... we worked with Adam, who is GREAT... has a great little Home Studio, and he's great at what he does... super talented guy.

And these labels have learned over the years, by trial and error, to NOT just give some D-list band $15,000.00 and wait for the record. It doesn't work like that, and it didn't work like that with the major label deals back in the day either.

With our VoJ deal, once we agreed to work with Adam, a set "fee - amount" was set aside, for the recording process, studio, and producer fee. That money was then broken into a few payments, which went directly to "studio/producer" and the band and RLS never even touched it. The label paid directly to those outlets.

In the end, there was $ X,XXX of dollars left for VoJ... and once all was said and done, and the studio sessions and Producer were paid, songs done, mixed, etc.. we got our money. It went very smooth... all worked out great... and we had a very fair and solid experience with that deal.

I'd bet Michael Sweet gets about $10-15k per record... total!




"""""""""""""""""""""How does it work? And they all sound the same...""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Label rings Sweet: "Hey Michael... how about you do a record with >insert guitarist here< (Tracii Guns, aka Sun Bomb)"

Sweet... "Okay... sure..."

Label... "We need 15 songs... 12-13 for the U.S. release... and a few "bonus" or 'remix' tunes for the Japanese and / or European release."

Sweet... "Great, I have a bunch of ideas laying around, that didn't make the last Stryper record..."

Label... "Perfect..."

The label then says something like, "We'll give you $12,000.00 ( a grand per song)... and if it's $15,000.00 (then we need 15 songs)."

They likely give him an advance, perhaps, a 2 or 3 payment plan of $ 4-5k each payment... installments.

Like, $4-5k up front to start the project... and a 2nd installment when tracks are done, rough mixes, and possibly a final payment, when mixed and turned in.

Guys like Sweet, and Guns, who have home-studios, and do a lot or most of the recording themselves, is in their favor, as they are essentially "self-producing" too, which cuts out the "Producer" fee or cost, and the "Studio" cost... they are doing all... Writing, Recording, Producing, in Home (house or garage, spare bedroom, etc..).

Of course when Frontiers does a deal with Journey, or Whitesnake, it's a bigger budget, more money, etc.. but most of the C & D list bands, these deals are all in the $10-12 or perhaps $15-20k (tops) range.

I would bet that 50-75% of these deals were done for between $10 and 20k all in. That includes the Crashdiet bands, PBF, Gilby Clarke, Heaven's Edge, etc..



In this Blabbermouth post, Sweet says he walks away with $7-10k per project.
> https://blabbermouth.net/news/strypers- ... m-he-makes


$tEvil

Thank you!

Cheers from Brazil!

I was wondering the same; The CEO's explanation was enlightening. I didn't think that most of these shitty songs could have been written in the past and didn't make the cut for another project. With today's tech, there isn't a need to be together as a band. Shit this turd out fast, collect $10K+, lather/rinse/repeat to continue having some income. I didn't consider Stryper an A-list band back in the 80s despite having their moment on MTV. Still makes me wonder how a guy like Sweet lives decently unless he has strong investments or side hustles.

You guys are making it sounds like this is a lot of money. $15k for the entire recording budget and he pockets $7-10k. How many does he do per year... 2? 3? That's barely above poverty level!!! Even if he owns his house and car outright, how long does $7-10k last?

This is an excellent example for the phrase All Press Is Good Press

A bunch of us would never have known of this without this thread

Never got into Stryper, but still...

Also wonder if Stryper ever plays concerts with Monster Energy Drinks sponsored anywhere near the stage.. as the company logo says 666 in Hebrew.. That would be better Sludge than the Prayers for Prostitutes campaign.

SikkiNixx wrote: ↑Sun Oct 08, 2023 9:18 am This is an excellent example for the phrase All Press Is Good Press

But, is it really? Yeah, we're talking about it here, and I know it exists. Aside from the 10 seconds of the video posted above, it won't touch my wallet or ears again, and I'll never recommend this to anyone. I get why a has-been isn't going to turn down an easy $10K doing what he does, but it still won't sell donkey dicks and will vanish the moment it's released.

So he probably spends a month making each record, gets paid $15k for it, makes around four albums a year - not bad extra income for just churning out generic sounding hard rock music. Plus I would assume he retains his songwriter royalties on all these releases. Welcome to today's music business model - Quantity over Quality.

Unlike most Frontiers bands, Stryper actually tours. If he keeps that going, along with a Stryper record every couple years, and since he writes all the tunes, he isn't exactly starving.

George Lynch does the same shit... He'll play shows with Lynch Mob. The rest is a couple weeks per project at his home studio, then show up at the video shoot and on to the next project.

Can't blame any of those supergroup participants... it's an easy way to make 5 grand (per band member) for a week or so of work and not have to leave the house.