Despite being now well past his 1970s and 1980s commercial peak, the German guitar legend Michael Schenker has possibly been busier than he has ever been over the past decade or so. After years of touring under the Michael Schenker Group (MSG) name, with something of a revolving door of musicians, and an on-again-off-again relationship with UFO between 1993 and 2003, Schenker formed the band Temple of Rock in 2011 - and essentially relaunched himself in the process. Rather than focusing on his MSG material, Temple of Rock allowed Schenker to showcase his whole career in one band. MSG, Scorpions, and UFO songs featured in the band's lengthy sets - and three strong albums of original material followed. MSG had always toured, but it seemed that with Temple of Rock Schenker really had the hunger again - and, now clean and healthy, he was playing better than ever. Temple of Rock came to a natural end in 2016 but, later that year, Schenker debuted Michael Schenker Fest - his latest project. Michael Schenker Fest was essentially the latest version of MSG, but it was perhaps the most mammoth version of MSG yet. Joining Schenker on the road (and, eventually, on two more strong studio albums) were many members of MSG past - including many of the classic collaborators that helped to make those early MSG albums so successful. If Temple of Rock showcased Schenker as an all-round songwriter, then Michael Schenker Fest was the best of MSG - performed by all those that made it a special band in the 1980s. As good as it was, however, Michael Schenker Fest was never going to last. It was such a vast project, with a number of schedules to constantly align, so after a few tours and two successful albums the band has been laid to rest - at least for now. It was difficult to know where Schenker would go after the epic Michael Schenker Fest tours - but it seems that he wanted to build on the success of the last few years by releasing yet another album, this time under the MSG name. Immortal, which is the name of the new album, is the first collection of new songs to be released under the MSG name since 2008's In the Midst of Beauty. In the Midst of Beauty was something of a reunion of the very original MSG line-up, so it naturally had a very old-school sound, but Immortal is actually more a continuation of the Michael Schenker Fest-era than a true MSG band album. Joining Schenker here are a huge number of collaborators - many of whom have played with him previously, but there are some new faces too. Vocalists Gary Barden, Robin McAuley, Doogie White, Michael Voss, Joe Lynn Turner, and Ronnie Romero; bassist Barry Sparks; keyboardist Steve Mann, and drummers Simon Phillips, Bodo Schopf, and Brian Tichy all return from various Schenker projects past. Elsewhere, vocalist Ralf Scheepers (Gamma Ray; Primal Fear) and keyboardist Derek Sherenian (Dream Theater; Planet X; Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force; Black Country Communion; Sons of Apollo) add their talents to the album to help bring Schenker's creations to life. The result ends up feeling like a third Michael Schenker Fest album (i.e. more of a collection of songs and performances than a coherent album), but fans of Schenker's guitar playing and hard rock songwriting style are in for a treat.
Immortal, like the two Michael Schenker Fest albums before it, has quite a lot of variety within its 10 song, 45 minute runtime. The album's opening track, and its lead single, Drilled to Kill actually has more in common with classic Accept than MSG in my opinion - the fast-paced, heavy song a contrast to Schenker's usual, more controlled style. Scheepers provides the vocals here, his power metal credentials perfect to tackle the pounding track - while Tichy's double bass drums drive everything with precision and pace. Accept-style gang vocals fill the song's anthemic chorus, which ensure that the song will go down well live, but Scheeper's varied vocal performance adds melody throughout. While the rest of the album features Mann on keyboards, Drilled to Kill features a prominent Hammond organ performance from Sherinian. His dense playing fills the chorus, and he and Schenker play off each other throughout - the two trading neo-classical leads which recall classic Deep Purple. It is rare for Schenker to play with such a dominant keyboard player, but the combination works well here - and the two virtuosos seemed to relish the challenge of one-upmanship! In contrast, Don't Die On Me Now is more typical of the MSG sound, but with the smooth croon of Turner to add some additional quality to the song. Turner and Schenker previously collaborated on the latter's 2005 covers album Heavy Hitters, but this is their first songwriting collaboration together - and the result sounds like a real mix of classic MSG and the bluesier end of the Turner-era of Rainbow. Turner's voice might not be as velvety as it was in the 1980s, but he is still a powerful singer, and his croon really brings the best out of the mid-paced track - which is packed full of groove thanks to Phillips' slightly off-kilter drumming. This same groove also enhances Schenker's solo; the fluid, deliberate phrases somewhat clashing against the beat - with the combination being a winning one. Knight of the Dead introduces Romero, who guested on 2019's Revelation (which I reviewed here). I was not a fan of his performance on We are the Voice from that album, but his contributions throughout Immortal are much stronger in my opinion - as he has seemed to morph his style to fit with Schenker. He is also much less nasally here, which is a big improvement. It helps that the song is written to his strengths, and the heavier track allows him to channel his Dio-esque style perfectly - with a strong chorus for him to sink his teeth into present. Occasional spooky keyboard leads add something different in the context of a driving hard rocker, with Tichy again laying into his drum kit, but this song really just sums up the modern Schenker sound - and is similar to many of the songs found on the Temple of Rock albums. I was unsure of the Romero and Schenker combination before this album, but this song has certainly made me more of a fan of the pairing.
After the Rain is the album's ballad which, after a medieval-esque opening, gets underway slowly. Voss (who also co-produced the album and co-wrote many of the songs here) handles the vocals - his Ronnie Atkins/Claus Lessmann-esque melodic gravel perfect for the song's atmospheric and emotional vibe. Mann's keyboards help to make the song sound huge, while Sparks and Schopf lock in nicely to create a mournful pace. Voss does well vocally, but the star of the show here is Schenker - who's solos are all over this song. He should be applauded throughout his albums for allowing his collaborators a chance to breathe and show off, but he knows when to shine when he needs to. The song's main solo is one of the album's best, but his lead work generally throughout it is very strong. Devil's Daughter is the second of two songs to feature Scheepers' vocals, and it is very similar to the album's opening cut - although it is more Primal Fear and less Accept this time around. In fact if this song had been released on a Primal Fear album it would not have sounded out of place, and Scheepers sounds really at home on what is essentially a modern power metal track played through an old-school classic rock filter. Schopf's drumming is a bit more organic than would usually be heard on a power metal album, but the intensity and pace is certainly there - with another strong chorus bringing the best out of everyone. Sail the Darkness features Romero again, but this song is a songwriting collaboration between him and Schenker - their first effort. It is my understanding that Romero will be joining Schenker on his next MSG tour (whenever that might be allowed to happen), although details of the band line-up are still unknown, so I wonder if he is someone that Schenker is keen to work with more going forward. For a first songwriting collaboration, Sail the Darkness hints at a very promising future for the pair. The song is perhaps more majestic than Schenker's usual style, but it does not sound so different that it sounds out of place on an MSG album. There is certainly elements of Dio-era Rainbow to be found here, with the chorus effortlessly handled by Romero, while Mann's keyboards take on a bit more of a prominent role here to bulk out the sound. Schenker is still the star of course however, with his solo perfectly fitting the grander mood of the track. Again in contrast to what came before The Queen of Thorns and Roses feels like a real throwback to those first couple of early 1980s MSG albums, and it sounds like the sort of song that Barden and Schenker used to write together - although this time with Voss' vocals and writing. It is an upbeat rocker with a strong, organic groove and some deliciously-subtle guitar playing that elevates everything to the next level - especially during the chorus. This is possibly the most old-school sounding MSG track here, and it shows that Schenker knows how to return to his roots when required.
Come On Over also exhibits more of an old-school sound however, with a bounce akin to Armed and Ready present - that benefits from the vocal stylings of Romero. On his last solo outing with Schenker on Immortal, the Chilean once again showcases his class - and if he is indeed to be the next MSG singer then Schenker has made a good choice. We are the Voice from Revelation was certainly a misstep in my opinion, but Romero's three solo lead vocal contributions here are much improved - and show the talents that I witnessed at those Birmingham Rainbow reunion shows back in 2016 and 2017. An upbeat track like Come On Over is always going to suit a singer like Romero however, and it would appear that Schenker has done well throughout this album picking the right singer for each track. It helps to bring out the best in both the song and the singer - and Schenker should be applauded for having the vision to do this, unlike some other solo lead guitarists I could mention. Sangria Morte is Turner's final contribution to the album, and if I was told that the song was left over from an old Rainbow session then I would believe it. The song's verse has a very Straight Between the Eyes-esque feel, complete with warm keyboards, while the hooky chorus is one of the album's most instantly-memorable moments. The song also allows for a more playful solo from Schenker, and some of the phrases that he uses seem quite Ritchie Blackmore-esque. Schenker does not seem like the sort of player to pay tribute in that way, so this could be a coincidence, but I do wonder if this was deliberate due to Turner's presence and the overall Rainbow-esque sound that the song possesses. There is a lot to like about the track, even if it does not really sound like MSG, and it showcases what a great singer Turner still is. The final track is a new version of In Search of the Piece of Mind - which is one of the first songs Schenker had a hand in writing in the early days of the Scorpions. It originally appeared on the Scorpions' 1972 debut album Lonesome Crow (although I am more familiar with the Schenker-less live version on 1978's Tokyo Tapes) and, while it has never been a favourite of mine, it is fun to hear Schenker revisit this old song many years later with a whole new cast of characters. Vocal duties are split four ways between Barden, Romero, White, and McAuley, which brings the Michael Schenker Fest albums to mind, but in truth this is more of an instrumentalists piece - with Schenker's varied guitar playing and Mann's classical-esque piano playing standing out the most. The song has not aged that well in my opinion, its pseudo-Eastern vibes very different from the sound that Schenker goes for these days - but it sounds like everyone involved had a great time re-arranging it. It is an enjoyable end to a strong album as a result, but it is overshadowed by many of the stronger original pieces here. While this is only really an MSG album in name, Immortal continues on the good work established on the Temple of Rock and Michael Schenker Fest albums before it, and shows that Schenker is one of the most consistent veteran rock songwriters around today. Fans of his will love it, and the variety will keep listeners coming back for more.
The album was released on 29th January 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for After the Rain.
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