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MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP
Don't Sell Your Soul
earMUSIC Records

With a difference of about 2-3 years between them, it still seems rather odd that Germany's powerhouse hard rock/metal veterans the SCORPIONS are rarely given as much credit for their career-spanning longevity as the ROLLING STONES are in this day and age. Granted, starting out in the small touring circuit of their native Hanover in 1965, the SCORPS took much of their musical influences from their aforementioned peers from the 60's British Invasion, learning as much of their catalogue as they could so as to appeal to international audiences before gaining further confidence to write their own original material in English; by 1972, the band had released their first studio album Lonesome Crow - a fine assortment of raw-infused blues-based hard rock with some experimentative prog rock influences, even copping a few comparisons ranging from PINK FLOYD and HUMBLE PIE to BLACK SABBATH to even Mick and Keef themselves. Much of their early sound from Lonesome Crow was courtesy of original axeman Michael Schenker before he left for the UK to join UFO, staying with the band for five of their most critically-acclaimed albums including Phenomenon, Force It, No Heavy Petting and Lights Out before rejoining the SCORPIONS briefly in 1979, playing on Lovedrive before leaving for the second time to form the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and later the MCAULEY/SCHENKER GROUP and several other different denominations of his name in the band project moniker - SCHENKER PATTISON SUMMIT, SCHENKER/BARDEN ACOUSTIC PROJECT, SCHENKER FEST and TEMPLE OF ROCK.

At this point it would be easier to list the number of albums Michael Schenker hasn't played on during his career, but it's better to be focused on the fact that Michael Schenker is still actively playing, recording and touring at all at the age of 70 and enjoying it. Talk about still being here from day to day and still having something to say. It might have something to do with him not catering to record label demands but listening more to the fans instead - and he has plenty of them in the music industry. Last year's My Years With UFO album had featured some new renditions of UFO classics but featuring guest appearances by diehard fans ranging from Dee Snider to Joe Lynn Turner to Stephen Pearcy to Axl and Slash. And if that album wasn't going to finally bolster Michael Schenker's overdue street credibility to even greater heights, what would?

Maybe a follow-up MSG album but with new material, perhaps?

That follow-up MSG album is a reality titled Don't Sell Your Soul - an album whose title is basically Michael Schenker's life motto ever since he picked up his first guitar at age 11. Don't Sell Your Soul is a testament to his legacy, a record that could have been ripped straight from the golden age of '80s rock filled with blistering guitar work, soaring vocals, and anthemic melodies that will leave fans electrified. Featuring Michael alongside longtime bandmates Bodo Schopf (drums), Barend Courbois (bass), and Steve Mann (keys), the album boasts an outstanding vocal performance by Erik Gronwall. Special guest appearances by Robin McAuley, Dimitri 'Lia' Liapakis, and Michael Voss add even more depth to this already powerhouse lineup. That said, with a lot of golden age of 80's rock outside of those blistering riffs and powerhouse vocals, a lot of that same excess can overshadow everything else that makes Don't Sell Your Soul only a good album instead of a great album.

Opening with the 5-minute long title track which could've been just as impactful at 4 minutes, Erik, with some backing vocal help from Dimitri Liapakis, both otherwise deliver a strong vocal performance throughout the song, with the momentum continues onward with Erik going solo on "Danger Zone". Schenker's playing undoubtedly remains as fiery and passionately precise as ever, but on occasion there almost appears to be a bit of a sonic disconnect in some parts of his arrangements. "Janey The Fox" opens with a catchy power chord intro and a couple of neat licks here and there, but otherwise has (or had) a lot more potential to sound more than what was offered as its final take here just to give more room for more soloing. Same could also be said for "The Chosen", which starts off as a slow yet dark-sounding groove track, with Schenker's riffs creeping nonchalantly all over the song before it descends into an unnecessarily chaotic climax.

On other songs, "Sign Of The Times", sung by Michael Voss, comes pretty close thus far to capturing the swagger of the early MSG material. But it's Robin McAuley's performance that stands out the most throughout this album, with his vocals on the DEEP PURPLE-sounding "Eye Of The Storm" displaying his dramatically powerful delivery. His familiar delivery also reappears on the standout melodic-sounding banger "Six String Shotgun", which is easily the top track throughout the entire album thanks to its bombastic anthemic-sounding chorus - a chemistry which alone gave the MCAULEY/SCHENKER GROUP its greatest and most energetic performance, and ultimately helped produce some of Schenker's strongest-sounding performances outside of the 70's UFO years.

With a career spanning several decades longer than most of his own current bandmates have been alive, Michael Schenker continues to be as active as ever in the music scene and continuing to inspire further generations of well-known musicians - he even was once considered to be Mick Taylor's replacement in the STONES during the height of UFO's popularity - and his catalogue continues to speak volumes. And maybe that could be a part of the problem as to why Don't Sell Your Soul doesn't entirely click in some parts, as it almost seems a bit rushed on occasion. He did just come off from last year's My Years With UFO which appeared to rejuvenate both his passion and his playing before entering the studio to record Don't Sell Your Soul; at the very least, "The Chosen" and "Janey The Fox" would have had more time to flourish in the studio. Otherwise, at the very best, Don't Sell Your Soul is, in parts, the best - and closest - MCAULEY/SCHENKER GROUP comeback album ready to be written, or at least capitalized upon.

4.0 Out Of 5.0

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