Michael Schenker Group: Universal

Michael Schenker is rightly regarded as a legend within the rock fraternity, albeit a rather temperamental and at times erratic one though, and here he’s once more going out under the MSG moniker with a cast of members that reads as a veritable who`s who in rock music.

It should come as no surprise that the guitars are centre stage on this album, although main vocalist Ronnie Romero does give Schenker a run for his money for a large majority of the album, with an impressive vocal display.

It`s fair to say that there are no real surprises to be found here as Schenker and his band of merry men run through a set of songs that are hard hitting, yet with enough of a commercial edge to them to keep fans with a more melodic bent interested too. `Emergency` and `Under Attack` are both fairly substantial rockers without really over stretching themselves. `A King Has Gone` being a tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio and bringing together the original Rainbow rhythm section is a suitably epic number and one that is an album high point. Elsewhere, the album treads a familiar path that fans of Schenker will no doubt take straight to their hearts with the likes of the feisty `Wrecking Ball` and the evocative `London Calling` standing out.

It’s an album with a big, brash expansive production job courtesy of Michael Voss and Schenker himself and helps the material reach its expected heights.

Will it find any new converts to the Schenker cause though? No I doubt it and if I sound a little underwhelmed, well yes I am rather but with this now being Schenker`s fiftieth year in the recording business I hardly think that is going to worry him too much, as there is still a healthily strong enough fan base who will buy anything which has the Schenker name attached to it. It’s ultimately an album that doesn’t really throw up anything new for me and does on too many occasions play it rather safe.

Track Listing
1.Emergency
2.Under Attack
3.Calling Baal
4.A King Has Gone
5.The Universe
6.Long Long Road
7.Wrecking Ball
8.Yesterday Is Dead
9.London Calling
10.Sad Is The Song
11.Au Revoir
12.Turn Off The World (CD Bonus Track)
13.Fighter (CD Bonus Track)

Added: June 19th 2022
Reviewer: Malcolm Smith
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 1053
Language: english

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