God Damn Evil

Asked by All That Shreds what made Stryper choose such a seemingly provocative title for their twelfth studio album, Michael Sweet replied: "We didn't do it just to shake things up. We have a point to prove in a statement. A few years back we thought about using this title. We didn't go with it because we felt it was a little too much at that time. Now in 2018, with everything that we've seen on the news, the evil we're faced with on a daily basis to new levels and new degrees, it made perfect sense for us to have an album called 'God Damn Evil'. It's a prayer request. It is what it is. It's not a swear, it's not just the shock statement, it's a prayer request, and we're asking God to damn the evil that we see. It should be a prayer for everybody. Some people are freaking out thinking you're taking the Lord's name in vain, and it's not that at all."

On whether Stryper had a long internal debate about using "God Damn Evil" as an album name Michael Sweet told Bay Ragni of Totally Driven Radio: "No, it is a title that Robert [Sweet, drums] threw out there a few years back and we didn't go with it. We felt like it wasn't the right time and we certainly contemplated and thought about it for a long period, then I threw it out there again in '17 and everyone is, like, 'Yeah, this is perfect.' It is perfect for the times that we live in. It's a powerful message, makes people talk, makes people think and hopefully makes people pray."

Walmart refused to stock physical CDs of God Damn Evil in their stores because of its title. "It's confusing to see all the music on Walmart shelves with explicit labels, yet they won't carry Evil, which is a prayer asking God to condemn evil," Sweet told Billboard.