Michael Schenker
Spirit on a Mission
in-akustik GmbH
2015
Michael Schenker, seems to be in a better place, mentally and psychologically, than he’s been in years and that has reflected in his recent works which are more consistent and reminiscent of his glorious past. Building his latest “vehicle/band” around the considerable talents of Doogie White on vocals (La Paz, Midnight Blue, Rainbow, Cornerstone, Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Praying Mantis, Rata Blanca, Tank, Michael Schenker Group) ex-Scorpions, Herman Rarebell on drums (Scorpions, Herman Ze German) and Francis Buchholz on bass (Scorpions, Dawn Road, Dreamtide, Uli Jon Roth Sky Band) and Wayne Findlay on guitar and keyboards and with all arounder, Michael Voss producing, he’s to turn his “Temple of Rock” band, into a solid & rockin’ entity.
“Spirit on a Mission” is the description Michael gave, as an answer to the question in an interview of how he’d like to be remembered in the event he was to depart, this vain, cruel, cold world… to which he replied: “as a spirit on a mission, spreading the joy of music from a place of pure self-expression”, hence the new album’s title.
The style, of this new album feels closer to the original “Temple of Rock” album, more straightforward, no frills rock and a bit less like the “Bridge the Gap” album which was more epic and classic inspired, but there are songs where these styles overlap somewhat. Boasting 12 new songs, all co-written with Doogie White and some co-written with Findlay. Most of them feel like energetic, simple, to the point rockers, but the band always throws some nice curveball to keep things fresh and interesting, either in the form of an inspired solo or some other smart arrangement. Also the extensive use of 7 string guitars adds a greater depth, allows for a greater range and most definitely adds a lot of low end, but without murking or mudding the sound. The band had a spell of bad luck, when during the recordings, some of the unfinished material as well as all of Michael’s original guitars were stolen, from the studios, but that didn’t stop the band, from completing the album, although, losing all of the committed performances, did set them back considerably. They went back in and re-recorded everything they had lost and that made them even more determined to finish the album and not allow that setback to meddle with them.
Open “Live and Let Live” is an energetic rocker that couples the best of Doogie’s melodic hard rock vocal ideas, with a tasty riff and a monolithic but highly effect stomping rhythm.
“Communion” which is one of those “more” collective efforts with Findlay co-writing, is a more carefree, loose 70s flavored jam, but it sounds like its taking place today.
“Vigilante Man” is mean and has a hard hitting hard beating melody, that’s not the most original thing you’ve ever heard, but works like a charm, for what it’s set out to do: which is rock!
“Rock City” is fast paced, slightly dumb, but highly enjoyable, with its great melodic riffs driving it forward... it has that good British rock quality that, made bands like Uriah Heep quite great. Simple songwriting, but a few small details that set them apart from the competition.
“Saviour Machine” is evident from it’s almost swampy sound, that is another of the Findlay co-writes and this one, is quite brilliant, the crushing gigantic riff on the 7-stringer, makes this one mean sounding number and White's calculated delivery, give it this weird brooding, epic tone, that’s hard to describe, or dislike for that matter. The highly melodious if somewhat simple solo that Schenker comes up with in the middle of it, is also, like a stroke of genius.
“Something of the Night” is probably based on an idea, which might have felt “right” for Rainbow, had White stayed and had they continued. It’s got this pretty awesome riff that transforms almost into a lead, and a matching cool ass solo down the way. Pretty cool stuff.
“All Our Yesterdays” sports a somewhat more modern riff and overall weird-threatening, ominous style, in places being reminiscent of one of those slower doomy Dio mid-pacers, with Findlay’s keyboards, being almost omnipresent.
“Bulletproof” another of the multi-writes, might sport a heavy-seven stringent, but overall has a vibe that’s more “classic” and is quite good actually. Shenker, even does some “acoustic” noodling mid-way, just because, he can… and yet another of the co-writes by the troika, is “Let the Devil Scream” another heavy number, with slow mournful riffs and a mean sounding Doogie... it’s pretty great actually...
“Good Times” is a simple stompy melodic rocker about all the good times that have passed... I suppose Doogie is revisiting the subject he did touch upon on the La’Paz song “The Good Old Times” but this song is more melodic and quite heavier. And the subject is also tackled from a somewhat different point of view, even if the sentiment is similar.
“Restless Heart” is a furious up-tempo rocker, that is almost basic, but has this spartan, yet highly infectious, tasteful solo in the middle that really lift it up a whole league.
Last but not least comes the last of the tri-writes “Wicked” with its muted, deep riff, and it almost devilishly possessed Doogie vocals… who only switches to a more sly, but still wickedly evil delivery during the chorus. Schenker’s solo, is fittingly, diabolical in its conception and execution.
Without being as great as some of the material on “Bridge the Gap”, the material on “Spirit on aa Mission” feels more consistent and it’s almost consistently high quality tunes, that Shenker and company come up with, with only a couple of tunes, being a little below par... which is telling of the work that went into this and the high pedigree of musicians involved in this project. Pretty outstanding, but I wouldn’t mind for a few more “epic” mid-to-fast paced rockers...
“Spirit on a Mission” is the description Michael gave, as an answer to the question in an interview of how he’d like to be remembered in the event he was to depart, this vain, cruel, cold world… to which he replied: “as a spirit on a mission, spreading the joy of music from a place of pure self-expression”, hence the new album’s title.
The style, of this new album feels closer to the original “Temple of Rock” album, more straightforward, no frills rock and a bit less like the “Bridge the Gap” album which was more epic and classic inspired, but there are songs where these styles overlap somewhat. Boasting 12 new songs, all co-written with Doogie White and some co-written with Findlay. Most of them feel like energetic, simple, to the point rockers, but the band always throws some nice curveball to keep things fresh and interesting, either in the form of an inspired solo or some other smart arrangement. Also the extensive use of 7 string guitars adds a greater depth, allows for a greater range and most definitely adds a lot of low end, but without murking or mudding the sound. The band had a spell of bad luck, when during the recordings, some of the unfinished material as well as all of Michael’s original guitars were stolen, from the studios, but that didn’t stop the band, from completing the album, although, losing all of the committed performances, did set them back considerably. They went back in and re-recorded everything they had lost and that made them even more determined to finish the album and not allow that setback to meddle with them.
Open “Live and Let Live” is an energetic rocker that couples the best of Doogie’s melodic hard rock vocal ideas, with a tasty riff and a monolithic but highly effect stomping rhythm.
“Communion” which is one of those “more” collective efforts with Findlay co-writing, is a more carefree, loose 70s flavored jam, but it sounds like its taking place today.
“Vigilante Man” is mean and has a hard hitting hard beating melody, that’s not the most original thing you’ve ever heard, but works like a charm, for what it’s set out to do: which is rock!
“Rock City” is fast paced, slightly dumb, but highly enjoyable, with its great melodic riffs driving it forward... it has that good British rock quality that, made bands like Uriah Heep quite great. Simple songwriting, but a few small details that set them apart from the competition.
“Saviour Machine” is evident from it’s almost swampy sound, that is another of the Findlay co-writes and this one, is quite brilliant, the crushing gigantic riff on the 7-stringer, makes this one mean sounding number and White's calculated delivery, give it this weird brooding, epic tone, that’s hard to describe, or dislike for that matter. The highly melodious if somewhat simple solo that Schenker comes up with in the middle of it, is also, like a stroke of genius.
“Something of the Night” is probably based on an idea, which might have felt “right” for Rainbow, had White stayed and had they continued. It’s got this pretty awesome riff that transforms almost into a lead, and a matching cool ass solo down the way. Pretty cool stuff.
“All Our Yesterdays” sports a somewhat more modern riff and overall weird-threatening, ominous style, in places being reminiscent of one of those slower doomy Dio mid-pacers, with Findlay’s keyboards, being almost omnipresent.
“Bulletproof” another of the multi-writes, might sport a heavy-seven stringent, but overall has a vibe that’s more “classic” and is quite good actually. Shenker, even does some “acoustic” noodling mid-way, just because, he can… and yet another of the co-writes by the troika, is “Let the Devil Scream” another heavy number, with slow mournful riffs and a mean sounding Doogie... it’s pretty great actually...
“Good Times” is a simple stompy melodic rocker about all the good times that have passed... I suppose Doogie is revisiting the subject he did touch upon on the La’Paz song “The Good Old Times” but this song is more melodic and quite heavier. And the subject is also tackled from a somewhat different point of view, even if the sentiment is similar.
“Restless Heart” is a furious up-tempo rocker, that is almost basic, but has this spartan, yet highly infectious, tasteful solo in the middle that really lift it up a whole league.
Last but not least comes the last of the tri-writes “Wicked” with its muted, deep riff, and it almost devilishly possessed Doogie vocals… who only switches to a more sly, but still wickedly evil delivery during the chorus. Schenker’s solo, is fittingly, diabolical in its conception and execution.
Without being as great as some of the material on “Bridge the Gap”, the material on “Spirit on aa Mission” feels more consistent and it’s almost consistently high quality tunes, that Shenker and company come up with, with only a couple of tunes, being a little below par... which is telling of the work that went into this and the high pedigree of musicians involved in this project. Pretty outstanding, but I wouldn’t mind for a few more “epic” mid-to-fast paced rockers...