Michael Schenker Group: Don't Sell Your Soul

Don't Sell Your Soul is the latest release from German guitar hero Michael Schenker, who is now going back to using the MSG moniker after years of Fests and Temples of Rock, but, as always, it's a revolving door gathering of musicians and singers. For this album, the line-up includes:

Michael Schenker: guitars
Erik Gronwall: vocals
Steve Mann: keyboards
Bodo Schopf: drums
Barend Courbois: bass
Special Guests:
Roberto D. Liapakis: vocals on It's You
Robin McAuley: vocals on Sixstring Shotgun and Eye of the Storm
Michael Voss: vocals on Janey the Fox and Sign of the Times

"Don't Sell Your Soul" opens, a mid-paced rocker, lots of tasty wah-wah inflected leads from Schenker and a scorching finale solo. Gronwall does well here, though he's not approaching the high marks of his time with HEAT in my opinion. "Danger Zone" follows, a memorable melodic rock/AOR track, decent chorus, could have come off any of the McAuley Schenker albums, missing riffs though, but the soloing is cool. Gronwall is again kind of subdued, which forshadows the results across the entire album. "Eye of the Storm" is up next, and McAuley is top-notch here on the vocals, lots of acrobatic guitar lines and riffs from Schenker, drums are on point, a memorable chorus...this one has vintage MSG written all over it. One of the best tracks on the album, easily. With "Janey the Fox", Michael Voss takes the lead vocal, but this song does nothing for me...sounds quite uninspired, the chorus isn't memorable, and I'm left waiting for Schenker's solo, which is fine, but nothing earth-shattering. On "I Can't Stand Waiting", there's the Erik Gronwall I was waiting for! This is a soaring melodic rock track, with great vocals and a ca n't-miss chorus! Again, if you love the McAuley Schenker stuff, and certainly HEAT, you'll dig this one. Not a huge song for guitar heroics, but the solo is pretty cool.

"Sign of the Times" sees Voss is back on vocals, and this one is more of a hard rocker, with some cool riffing. I'm not really moved by his vocals on this album, but he's not really been given a lot to work with. "The Chosen" is up next, a slower, more atmospheric track...Gronwall's vocals are good, but this one just plods along and doesn't push the needle much. Its followed by "It's You", with Liapakis from Mystic Prophecy, and who appeared on the US tour, sings on this one; he has more of a gravelly voice, and fits in fine on this hard rocker. Good chorus, and some solid guitar work from Schenker throughout. "Sixstring Shotgun" then appears, and I was almost hoping this was an instrumental; instead we get a mid-paced atmospheric rocker, McAuley back on vocals, and he's always good, but this song isn't 100% clicking with me, but I do like parts of it. The solo is great, of course. "Flesh and Bone", pretty cool hard rocker...kinda short though, and "Surrender", again, kind of short, but decent enough, and finishes up the album.

Overall, I'm feeling kind of 'meh' throughout much of this album. I feel that Gronwall's talents aren't fully let to cut loose; there's an absence of memorable riffs here, though the lead guitar work is spectacular as always. I'd say there are way better places to explore the Schenker catalog. And, the cover art is awful.

Track Listing
1) Don't Sell Your Soul
2) Danger Zone
3) Eye of the Storm
4) Janey the Fox
5) I Can't Stand Waiting
6) Sign of the Times
7) The Chosen
8) It's You
9) Sixstring Shotgun
10) Flesh and Bone
11) Surrender

Added: December 22nd 2025
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 50
Language: english

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