Michael Sweet – ‘One Sided War’ album review

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Seven solo studio albums into his remarkably prolific career, veteran Stryper singer and one time Boston co-singer/guitar slinger sounds just as hungry as ever to evolve and uplift. One Sided War (buy) is most definitely his heaviest individual offering thus far, thanks in part to a roaring band comprised of guitarist Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake), drummer Will Hunt (Evanescence), plus equally aggressive bassist John O’Boyle and “East Coast shred-master” Ethan Brosh, though it thankfully never loses sight of strong melodies. Along the way, Michael Sweet is incredibly bold with his beliefs without ever coming across as preachy, a factor likely to expand one of the widest-reaching audiences throughout hard rock and metal’s last three decades.