MICHAEL SWEET Comments On End Of LYNCH MOB: 'You Can't Stop Using Your Name'

STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has commented on George Lynch's decision to retire the LYNCH MOB band name.

Earlier in the month, Lynch announced that he was ending LYNCH MOB, apparently due to the racial insensitivity of the band name, saying he will no longer record or perform under that moniker.

George told Audio Ink Radio: "The [band] name itself, of course, has always been problematic, and now it's inexcusable to keep the name. So, things have just sort of all conspired. A lot of different events triangulated to this point where it just makes sense on every single level to let it go and wrap it up with a nice neat bow and move on."

Lynch clarified that he will continue to make music and perform, but won't do so under the LYNCH MOB name. "I'm not going to tour anymore with that name or put out any more records with that name," he said. "I'll probably still play with some of the same people. We'll just call it something else."

Asked in a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio about his SWEET & LYNCH bandmate George's decision to put LYNCH MOB to rest, Michael said (hear audio below): "I heard that too, which is interesting. I'm not sure [about his reasons for doing it]. I haven't talked to George personally about that and if it's based on trying to be politically correct and not offend people. The sad part about that is that's George's name. It's, like, dude, that's your name. You're gonna change your name? It's just so interesting to see.

"There's gotta be some sort of middle ground," he continued. "It seems to me, in the world that we live in, it's one way or the other — there's no middle ground. And we all have to kind of keep our common sense and let there be some sort of middle ground.

"Maybe George has other convictions that are causing him to wanna not record under that name, LYNCH MOB," Sweet added. "I kind of get that. The 'MOB' adds a little extra a concern to the name. But, you know, you can't stop using your name… So, if someone has the name White, are they gonna change their name? It's their name. [Laughs]"

Launched earlier this decade, SWEET & LYNCH has yet to play a single live show despite issuing two acclaimed studio albums, 2015's "Only To Rise" and 2017's "Unified", through the Frontiers Music Srl label.

In a 2018 intervie with the "Focus On Metal" podcast, Sweet said that it's likely that there will be no future releases from SWEET & LYNCH.

"I've gotten to the point with SWEET & LYNCH where I'm almost sensing and feeling like maybe it's run its course," he said. "We did two albums. I talked about doing a third and a fourth and a fifth, but there is kind of no point to it if we don't tour. We really should be touring and playing those songs live. It's kind of pointless, after a while, if you're not doing that."

Lynch said in 2018 that the third SWEET & LYNCH would be "a concept record" about Christianity, with George "advocating for one side of the argument" and Michael "advocating for another."

In addition to Sweet and Lynch, SWEET & LYNCH features bassist James LoMenzo (MEGADETH, WHITE LION, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE).