{"id":48282,"date":"2015-02-16T13:11:37","date_gmt":"2015-02-16T18:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=48282"},"modified":"2015-02-16T13:11:37","modified_gmt":"2015-02-16T18:11:37","slug":"michael-schenkers-temple-of-rock-spirit-on-a-mission-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2015\/michael-schenkers-temple-of-rock-spirit-on-a-mission-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Schenker\u2019s Temple Of Rock | Spirit On A Mission<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alexandra Mrozowska<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"SchenkerTo name your band Temple Of Rock is pompous, pretentious, snooty (at least a bit)? Well, not if you\u2019re Michael Schenker. Temple Of Rock is not only the title of his 2011 solo album, but it\u2019s also an assembly he put together for the support of this release. This star-studded lineup (a literal temple of rock, indeed) comprises Schenker, Herman Rarebell (ex-Scorpions) on drums, Francis Buchholz (ex-Scorpions) on bass, Doogie White (ex-Rainbow, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, WAMI) on vocals, as well as Wayne Findlay on keyboards and 7-string guitar. And just conversely to the majority of super groups in the history of rock, this kind of ally seems to work out particularly well to the German virtuoso and his friends. Having released its first album Bridge The Gap<\/em> in 2013, it took the band less than two years to finish a follow-up to it. Due out in March, via in-akustik, the new album by Michael Schenker\u2019s Temple Of Rock is titled Spirit On A Mission<\/em> \u2013 the missionaries behind the producer\u2019s console are Schenker and the infallible Michael Voss (ex-Casanova, Mad Max, Wolfpakk etc.).<\/p>\n

The album\u2019s opener \u201cLive And Let Live\u201d starts with an indolent, Bluesy lick, but it quickly loses that slow-ish, languid vibe to it, as it morphs into a fast-paced Hard Rock piece. The rhythm section\u2019s work, as well as lead guitar parts, are sharp and feisty, all complemented by White\u2019s characteristic vocal style. The second track \u201cCommunion\u201d is no worse a counterpart to its predecessor. Based on a thick, Blues-infused and Funk-tinted guitar groove, with feisty but nonchalant vocals, it somewhat resembles the style utilized by Glenn Hughes in his later work. Next is \u201cVigilante Man,\u201d which is embroidered with some of Schenker\u2019s trademark shredding and well-crafted choruses. \u201cRock City\u201d offers its mad tempo and intensity. As \u201cSaviour Machine\u201d starts, Schenker and the pack enter the territory of Sabbath-esque-yet-updated, lumbering sound; the main guitar parts are low and heavy but densely are twined with majestic, melodic interludes. It\u2019s followed with the wicked, howling rhythm of guitar-laden \u201cSomething Of The Night,\u201d again, a very convincing performance from White. \u201cAll Our Yesterdays\u201d is a part Psychedelic, part Zeppelin-esque, part Purple-esque kind of thing, seasoned with a modern, crunchy guitar sound. <\/p>\n

Starting with Rarebell\u2019s short but classy showcase behind the drum kit, the pounding track eight \u2013 entitled \u201cBulleproof\u201d \u2013 is the classic UFO sound, transferred into the modern era and a clear homage to Schenker\u2019s early days with Phil Mogg, Pete Way and Andy Parker. The guitar is sharp but melodic, and the captivating melody of the choruses simply is second to none, making the song one of the album\u2019s best moments. During \u201cLet The Devil Scream,\u201d again, there are some tints and flavors of early Sabbath \u2013 especially the verses that are embroidered with Ozzy-esque articulation. Next up is \u201cGood Times,\u201d with its nostalgic vibe and its well-crafted melody, followed by the ardent chords and furious rhythm section, combined into a pulsating entity of \u201cRestless Heart.\u201d \u201cWicked\u201d makes a hard-hitting, gritty final to the set of 12 songs on the album. It\u2019s a fine compromise between a Classic Rock vibe and an updated sound.<\/p>\n

As long as the eponymous \u2018mission\u2019 is combining the \u201870s and \u201880s Hard Rock vibes and modern, huge sound into one, there couldn\u2019t have been a title that\u2019s more appropriate for this album\u2019s content. Tastefully seasoned with tints of Blues, almost literally drenched in fine melodies and laden with instrumental prowess, Spirit On A Mission by Michael Schenker\u2019s Temple Of Rock is a clear example of how the veterans of the Hard Rock scene can continue to compete with the new generation and, perhaps, even win in the end. Let\u2019s only hope the upcoming live performances in support of the album will result in quite a few UFO, Scorpions and MSG classics dropping from the concert set lists. As much as we adore \u201cLovedrive,\u201d \u201cDoctor Doctor\u201d and \u201cAssault Attack,\u201d there\u2019s an urgent necessity for a handful of tracks off Spirit On A Mission<\/em> to find their way into the Temple Of Rock\u2019s gig schedules. As far as their finding the way into the hearts of Hard Rock fans is concerned, there is no doubt about the titular \u2018mission\u2019 being doomed to succeed. Much recommended.<\/p>\n

Genre: Hard Rock<\/p>\n

Band:
\nMichael Schenker \u2013 lead guitar and rhythm
\nDoogie White \u2013 vocals
\nWayne Findlay \u2013 7 string guitar and keyboards
\nFrancis Buchholz\u2013 bass
\nHerman Rarebell \u2013 drums<\/p>\n

Track List:
\n1. Live And Let Live
\n2. Communion
\n3. Vigilante Man
\n4. Rock City
\n5. Saviour Machine
\n6. Something Of The Night
\n7. All Our Yesterdays
\n8. Bulletproof
\n9. Let The Devil Scream
\n10. Good Times
\n11. Restless Heart
\n12. Wicked<\/p>\n

Label: in-akustik<\/p>\n

Website: www.michaelschenkerhimself.com<\/a> – https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MichaelSchenkerRocks<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 9.5\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Alexandra Mrozowska – Senior Columnist — To name your band Temple Of Rock is pompous, pretentious, snooty (at least a bit)? Well, not if you\u2019re Michael Schenker. Temple Of Rock is not only the […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":48283,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12394],"tags":[8488,2317,8490,10794,1103,9391,10792,625,3509,10538,8487,10793],"class_list":{"0":"post-48282","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcrvws2015","8":"tag-bridge-the-gap","9":"tag-cd-review","10":"tag-doogie-white","11":"tag-francis-buchholz","12":"tag-hard-rock","13":"tag-herman-rarebell","14":"tag-in-akustik","15":"tag-michael-schenker","16":"tag-michael-voss","17":"tag-spirit-on-a-mission","18":"tag-temple-of-rock","19":"tag-wayne-findlay"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}