Review: Michael Sweet - I'm Not Your Suicide

First listen gut impression: very good and definitely worth getting.

It's not Stryper, but then I wouldn't expect it to be, although there are a couple of Stryper-ish songs ("The Cause", "Unsuspecting"). Nor is it a praise album; there are no anthems like "J.E.S.U.S." from his S/T CD.  (I don't have any of his other solo projects, so I don't know what's on them). And while he plays a little with some different styles, this is for the most part a good rock album.

Considering some of the posts that Michael has left on CMR, and considering the release of his book today, I wasn't too surprised to see there is a "quit judging me" song ("Anybody Else"). In truth I was surprised there was only one!   It's a good tune, too, with a good message to anyone that expects a Brother in Christ to be perfect.

As for the supposed country song, I wouldn't have called it that. "Coming Home" makes use of a slide guitar, giving it a country feel, including the slide guitar solo, but take that out and it could have easily been a Stryper ballad. I don't listen to a lot of country, but I have a few (Travis Tritt, Randy Travis), and I wouldn't call this country.  Of course, that's just my IMO.  

He also did a rendition of Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" which also has slide guitar and has a country-pop feel to it, as one would expect from a Niel Young song. But it also has a couple of distorted guitar solos, and what sounds to me like down-tuned rhythm guitar work (but not being a musician I'm probably hearing that wrong), and even some mouth organ (is that what it's called) like Neil did himself. The song is actually on the CD twice, but the only difference I have been able to discern is the second version has a female country singer helping out with the BG vox.

FWIW, this is all based off a single run through, and from the MP3's as the CD hasn't arrived yet. In other words, I don't have any liner notes or lyrical sheets to answer questions, like who's singing BG vox on the second version of Heart of Gold.

To repeat my first line, this CD is definitely worth getting.  Well done Michael!

   


Edit: I'd like to add I am not a musician or professional critic, just a fan. No doubt angelicwarlord.com will have a more "proper" review soon.

Very cool, looking forward to hearing the entire album.

I have just learned the female singer on Heart of God is Electra Mustaine, and in truth it's more of a duet than her doing BG vox.

Staybrite wrote:

Very cool, looking forward to hearing the entire album.

I hear it's on Spotify.

Just listened to the whole thing on Spotify. I think I will pass on it for now. Not bad, but doesn't sound like something that would have long-playing power with me. Would prob listen to it heavy for 2-3 weeks then never again. I think I am looking forward more to the book.

BearDad wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

Very cool, looking forward to hearing the entire album.

I hear it's on Spotify.

I might check it out there. I tend to dislike Spotify because with the commercials it seems to take too long to get through an album.

Just got mine in the mail and listened to it in the car. I will agree with BearDad's review. It is really good and has a bit of a smooth groove to a lot of the disc. I think my fav track is the one that features Chris Jericho...Anybody Else.

I am downloading my digital version right now and will receive the CD (along with the new Seventh Day Slumber album) sometime next week.

Kinda digging this album... however, I'm with MikeInFla - I doubt this would be something I'd spin very much.
I do really like the duet with Dave's daughter and the song choice (always been a fan of Neil Young, Megadeth and Stryper... so it's a great mash-up !)

alldatndensum wrote:

I am downloading my digital version right now and will receive the CD (along with the new Seventh Day Slumber album) sometime next week.

I have all of SDS' stuff, but I'm going to wait on the new one. I heard it's supposed to be more rock and less worship-style, but the two samples on Amazon sound like more of the same to me.

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Kinda digging this album... however, I'm with MikeInFla - I doubt this would be something I'd spin very much.
I do really like the duet with Dave's daughter and the song choice (always been a fan of Neil Young, Megadeth and Stryper... so it's a great mash-up !)

ditto on the "won't play too much." I like it, but it's not a "gotta listen to over and over and over again" CD. In fact, I'm already listening to something else, but I can't tell you what lest I get banned from the forum.

I've had Mike's albums over the years but never played them much so I traded them off. This sounds like the same from the samples so i'll pass.

I have learned to never trade anything away, because I will inevitably wish I still had it. Case in point: Seventh Avenue's Rainbowland; I traded it to Cross Rhythms Music for chump change and now will have to shell out $30 or more if I want to get it again, which I do. A CD has to pretty much max out the "this really sucks" meter for me to get rid of it (Stryken's tape comes to mind, LOL!)

BearDad wrote:

I have just learned the female singer on Heart of God is Electra Mustaine, and in truth it's more of a duet than her doing BG vox.

Don't know if you noticed but Heart of Gold is track 10. The duet with Electra is the bonus track at #13.

I'll have to have a listen of some samples first, but I may have to pass on this one too.

I'm diggin' it so far.  Sure, it isn't Stryper but it isn't meant to be.  It's a little metal, some pop, some alternative, and some old school rock all mixed together.  I can hear bits of all of Michael's previous albums here.  Overall, I am quite pleased.

I'm still waiting patiently for this album. I ordered it from Michael Sweets webpage and got the book/cd combo. I emailed because it is a day later, and they said they are in the processing of shipping them. So hopefully by the end of the week.

It figures thou, I checked my local Best Buy and sho enuff they had it in stock.