Good old MSG – or Michael Schenker Group, if you will. I had not expected them to return with such a gem of an album in 2021. I’m not sure I expected them to return at all. Immortal is the first MSG studio album since In the Midst of Beauty (2008). It looked like Schenker had moved on.
The new album might be the first MSG album in 13 years, but Schenker has kept himself busy with side projects Schenker’s Temple of Rock (2011-2016) and Michael Schenker Fest (2017-2020).
MSF may have been MSG in all but name, as it saw Schenker reunite with former MSG vocalists Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, Robin McAuley and Doogie White for a celebration of all eras of Schenker’s main band. Ronnie Romero also guested on a track on the previous MSF album, which gives a continuity as he is now the main vocalist on the new album.
Immortal establishes MSG as a band with a core line-up again, consisting of Romero (vocals), Barry Sparks (bass) Bodo Schopf (drums), Steve Mann (keyboards), but just like in the MSF project, there’s room for friends and guests to appear. The album features additional lead vocal contributions from Joe Lynn Turner, Ralf Scheepers, and Michael Voss, who all gets two songs each. Robin McAuley and Gary Barden appear with Romero on the final song of the album. Musical guests are Simon Philips (drums), Derek Sherenian (keys), and Brian Tichy (drums).
There is a very good reason for making Immortal into a special occasion by bringing in guests, as it marks the 50th Anniversary of Schenker as an artist. It seems incredible, but he first joined Scorpions in 1971 as a talented teen, contributing to their debut album Lonesome Crow (released in 1972) before moving on to UFO for their peak years in the 1970s. He had a brief return to Scorpions for the Lovedrive album (1979), and finally formed MSG in 1980.
MSG was always primarily a vehicle for its lead guitarist, although there is a definite classic line-up and several noteworthy collaborations (such as getting Robin McAuley on board and making MSG stand for McAuley Schenker Group between 1986-1995).
What has always made Schenker stand out as a guitarist and songwriter is his ability to infuse cool guitar riffs with melody. In other words: hooks! His licks are memorable from a technical perspective, but they have a melodic sensibility that lodged them into your brain. His guitar parts has often been what people end up humming after hearing one of his songs.
With Immortal, he has one foot in MSG’s past, while the other one brings in updated references, at times touching on power metal. There is a range, though, with room for ballads and classic Schenker-style hard rock. Most importantly, given the style changes, the album still has a cohesive style from start to finish. This was a bit lacking on the ‘Fest’ albums, maybe by necessity as he worked with so many different people. Those albums were good, but represented something different. This release feels like a proper album again rather than a collection of very different and randomly put together songs. No doubt having a regular band in place will give that continuity.
The title of the album describes the music on it well. This feels larger than life, majestic, and – dare we say it – immortal in every sense. It is also high quality, with Schenker managing to achieve a level of songwriting that touches on that of the three first MSG albums. It’s been hard to keep it out of my CD player at times, even with a pile of other new and interesting albums waiting to be explored.
It starts in a thunderous manner with Drilled To Kill. Starting with what sounds like a machine gun firing, the drums pick up on that rhythm and keeps firing that quick attack throughout the song. It’s a more aggressive song than Schenker is known for, and much more so than the rest of the album. It definitely gets things starting with a bang, tapping into power metal with its highly charged double bass drum pattern and heavy riffage. Ralf Scheepers is the perfect man to sing this, channelling his inner Rob Halford and setting the bar high for the other vocalists. There is also a very fun section where Schenker gets to trade solos with guesting keyboardist Derek Sherenian.
We get a much more traditional Schenker song in Don’t Die On Me Now, which launches into a style of riffing that fans will recognise instantly. This is a style Schenker is much more comfortable with, or at the very least much better at. His playing is the best part of this song, which gets better the longer you listen as it builds nicely. Joe Lynn Turner provides a more melodic vocal on this track.
We have to wait until the third track Knight of the Dead to get the first one sung by main man Ronnie Romero. He is possibly my favourite new vocalist on the metal scene since he was picked by Ritchie Blackmore to sing on the Rainbow reunion shows in 2016. He is effortlessly able to channel the grandiose style of Ronnie James Dio and similar vocalists of that generation. This is a fast track which gallops along, Romero soaring especially in the choruses. So far, each of the songs on the album has been better than the previous one, which is a good sign – and that trend does not end here.
The fourth song brings in the final vocalist of the four who have their own songs on the album, giving the album a slew of different vocal styles upfront. Michael Voss delivers a fine and very melodic vocal on After the Rain, the album’s first ballad. Schenker can be an amazing balladeer, and certainly proves his mettle here. This is a melodic gem with an engaging, melancholy melody. This is a style of songwriting that I feel has fallen a bit out of fashion, these days mainly delivered by artists of a certain generation. This track could just as easily have come out of the 1980s, as it feels very timeless (unlike a lot of things that actually was put out in the 1980s).
Ralf Scheepers returns to the mike for Devil’s Daughter, and once again he delivers a turbo-charged vocal primarily in the verses, while his chorus vocals are pleasantly layered. The track is a great slice of more modern Schenker metal, with a very comfortable double bass drum attack and several lovely sections – the dual guitars in the solo have been missed. Despite the song having the appearance of a fast track, it is restrained which gives the melodies that are found in abundance a chance to shine. This track really is excellently put together, and the track has grown to be my near-favourite on the album. The album still keeps getting better song by song, which is getting more and more impressive the more we get in. And it keeps getting better…
This brings us to my personal album highlight. Sail the Darkness is probably one of the most classic-sounding MSG songs on the album, and could have come straight out of the classic albums of the early 1980s. What sets it apart is primarily Ronnie Romero, who sings the track with a conviction and dedication, and an incredible feel, that by itself gives me goosebumps.
There’s also no denying that the song has a tempo and feel very similar to Dio’s classic Holy Diver, and with someone like Romero singing, the comparisons to Dio’s song only get stronger. The track certainly harkens back to a time when the classic metal style was more commonplace, and hearing a new song like that come along now is undeniably a big part of why I get so excited.
Sail the Darkness is also a good showcase of the qualities that set the classic MSG-style material apart. Schenker contributing several riffs and melodic guitar parts, but the noteworthy thing is how wonderfully understated they are (so unlike other metal guitarists of the era). Instead of pushing lead parts and riffs to the top of the mix, the main focus is on adding texture to the track itself, which gives it a powerful inner drive. This gets even stronger with the infusion of incredible melody parts. Ronnie Romero easily adds as much vocally as Schenker does musically, the result is a powerful yet catchy track.
The combination of tasty hard rock licks with the mentioned innate sense of melody is where Schenker is at his best. While this track is an incredible example of that, they all support the song rather than the guitar player. Rather than going for a virtuoso Schenker special solo, he plays a very basic part that befits the track. Every choice is done to put the spotlight on the song itself, and it pays off. The song is very basic, nothing getting in the way of the core of the track itself. It fits in perfectly with the credo of early MSG, and would have been a classic on the most classic MSG albums. The song stands firmly on its two legs (wide apart!), fist held high, full of panache and with a strong inner drive. It should come with an earworm warning. Sail the Darkness has the potential to stay with you way after it is over.
It’s almost not fair to The Queen of Thorns and Roses to place it after such an incredible track. The stylistic change after the previous song is very noteworthy and not to this song’s benefit – at least not if you (like me) like your Schenker to be a bit more melodic and pompous. Romero is also a significantly better vocalist than Michael Voss, although it should be said that Voss once again delivers a good (not great) performance that fits the basic style of the track well. It’s just hard to defend his continued use when you have amazing capacities such as Romero and Scheepers at your disposal.
Primarily, though, this is a different track to any other on the album. It is far less ambitious in many ways, perhaps almost serving as a palette cleanser, bringing things a bit down to earth again. It’s not a bad track by any means, with a more direct feel, almost being an example of Schenker playing power pop with a touch of in-your-face rock’n’roll flair. I can see a lot of people really appreciating such a track at this point. In isolation it works well, but I would have taken another look at its placement on the album.
Romero returns on Come On Over, another melodic hard rocker which reminds me of Save Yourself-era (i.e. late 1980s) McAuley Schenker Group, when they played AOR-inspired hard rock with a bit of an metal edge, which also sums up this track well. Romero even seems to channel McAuley on the track, delivering a great vocal yet again. The band delivers an energetic performance, with Schenker in particular firing off one riff after another throughout.
Sengria Morte has a spaghetti western flair in the intro, and with lyrics depicting similar settings this is an interesting track. “Riding through the desert sand / Bet you got a crime in mind” Joe Lynn Turner sings in the opening, with the choruses going “Sangria Morte / You’ll go down with a band / Sangria Morte / That’s the place where you’ll hang.” Schenker has written atmospheric songs conjuring up moods of specific settings before – Desert Song from the Assault Attack album (1982) being a favourite – and I can hear a feel similar to that one lingering in the background, although this one has les of the slow build-up, staying within a reasonably energetic mid-tempo. The guitar solo on this song is one of the most tasteful on the entire album, totally fitting of the song and with a sinister melody. The song contains a lovely atmosphere through it all, and it ends as it begins – with a spaghetti western outro.
Wanting to do something special for his 50th Anniversary, Schenker looked to his past for the album’s grand finale. In Search of the Peace of Mind was the first piece of music he ever wrote when he was 15. It was recorded with Scorpions for their debut album Lonesome Crow in 1972. It has now been re-recorded to commemorate his 50th anniversary as an artist, and it has been turned into quite the epic. Not in the sense of insane builds into the heavens, reaching for intense plateaus of climactic proportions. It is more of an emotional journey, going through a range of emotions and self-realization, if that makes sense. It’s intense in a different way.
The song was always carrying with it a dream – a hope for a simpler and more idealistic world where peace of mind is achievable. It’s intriguing that something you carry with you at 15 still resonates when you’re 65, but people rarely outgrow their very basic needs and pleas. They are still there – sometimes fulfilled and more in the back of our minds, other times unrealized and a more aching need.
It is very fitting to have vocalists from Schenker’s past appear on the track, adding to the sense of occasion and emotional weight of the track. If this approach hadn’t already been taken for the very recent Schenker Fest albums and tours it would have been especially poignant, but that should not take away from this. It’s still a first under the MSG banner, and given the type of song, perhaps adds a different spin on things than the party atmosphere of the ‘Fest.
When I’m alone and I am feeling blue
Dreaming a dream of a world that’s lovely and true
Faintly the dream of a true and wonderful world
And no one will care as long as the world will turn
Faintly the dream of a true and wonderful world
And no one will care as long as the world will turn
And I know a place to go to find my peace of mind
And I know a place to find my peace of mind
And I try
The first verse is more quiet and reflective, sung by Gary Barden (MSG’s first vocalist). Romero sings lead on the remainder of the track, which takes off a bit and requires more range. Alumni MSG’ers Robin McAuley and Doogie White adds backing vocals and parts towards the end, screaming their heads off as the song really takes off.
It would have been very cool – and fitting! – to have Klaus Meine (who sang on the Scorpions first recording of the track) contribute a part, but suffice to say, things are complicated between Schenker and his former bandmates.
The song has several different movements, keeps changing and building and taking it back down again. Whether the part is of a more emotive nature or more straightforward rock, it all points the song onward in a specific direction.
An instrumental extension was added to the track, giving it several minutes with more of a musical coda. At one point the song is getting ready to take off, with some great soloing and intensity building in the background, with Simon Phillips in particular adding an amazing touch to the drum tracks here. In sum the track has gotten a significant upgrade, and provides the red thread one likes to look for in anniversary events/releases of this type.
And that, as they say, is a wrap!
First and foremost, it is a pleasure and a delight to have a new MSG album again. Schenker benefits from having a more regular band set-up, and adding a few guests to the set-up does not diminish that. Focusing on a definite direction is also beneficial to the end result, and the players and material he is surrounding himself with on Immortal is everything I could hope for.
My inner teenager might lust for an album of classic MSG material done in an early 1980s style, but my current and somewhat more aged self is more than happy with what has been done here. I did not particularly wait for the album to arrive, but took to it like a storm when I heard the result. Getting reacquainted with Schenker’s old band in its new guise has been one of the unexpected but genuinely nicer treats of 2021.
The limited first edition of this album includes a Blu-ray with Michael Schenker Fest’s headlining show in Balingen, Germany in 2019, which is a great performance with a great feel, adding good value for money.
Best tracks: Sail the Darkness and Devil’s Daughter.
Svein Børge Hjorthaug
Norway, December 2021
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