Every religion has rules or commandments that followers must abide by and rock and roll is no exception. After all, thou shalt play loud and thou shalt shred and in my opinion nobody shreds better than Michael Schenker. The Mad Axeman is back with a new album “Spirit On A Mission” from his latest group Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock.
Despite the setback of having his guitars and original recordings stolen during the making of the album, Schenker and company have given us a blues heavy classic rock album full of all the vim and vigor of his youthful days. The songs are well crafted and the record is a true band effort with ex Rainbow vocalist Doogie White’s clean and powerful vocals and long-term collaborator Wayne Findlay on keyboards and 7 string guitar. Schenker’s ex-Scorpions bandmates provide a superstar rhtyhm section with Francis Bucholz on bass and Herman Rarebell behind the kit. From the punchy riff of the anthemic opener “Live and Let Live” to the bluesy rock of “Communion, ” Michael is at the top of his game. There’s a wicked Black Sabbath type feel to “Let The Devil Scream” and a definite UFO vibe on “Good Times.” To mix things up there are some fantastic keyboards on “All Our Yesterdays” which could have been off a DIO album and don’t miss Herman Rarebell’s performance on “Restless Heart,” a true double bass master. The highlight of the album for me was “Something of the Night” with a fantastic intro with Michael just letting it loose.
There’s no doubt that Michael Schenker is one of the most gifted guitarists on the planet. He is a master of melodic soloing and of course has mad skills but “Spirit On A Mission” is much more than a showcase for Schenker’s shreds. The album is an extraordinary collection of classic rock songs, aggressive yet not overdone. Check it out today and kneel at the Temple of Rock.
