Who wouldn’t be excited at the notion of Michael Schenker Fest, an all-star group centered around the blonde bombshell and offering up some of the most explosive rock ‘n’ roll you’ll hear all year? Bringing together the celebrated vocalists with whom Michael has worked over the years, Michael Schenker Fest is an album of all-new material, the genesis of which lies in the remarkably successful tour of the same name from 2016-17. Featuring vocal contributions from Robin McAuley, Gary Bardon, Graham Bonnet and Doogie White, as well as a guest turn from Metallica axeman Kirk Hammett, Michael Schenker Fest’s ‘Resurrection’ is everything you’d hoped it would be – a pulse-pounding, hard hitting beast of a record that offers a tip of the hat to the past whilst boldly striding forward to new pastures.
Kicking off in fine style with Robin McAuley at the helm, ‘Heart and soul’ is also notable for featuring a rare outing from Kirk Hammett. It says much of the esteem with which Michael Schenker is held that he was able to coax Hammett away from the mothership, and it’s a delight to hear these two guitarists shred away on a full-tilt track that is delivered with such explosive energy you wonder how the rest of the album can possibly compare. Compare it does, however, and next up is one of two absolute highlights on the album – the mighty ‘Warrior’, a track which features all four singers going head to head. Remarkably, egos take a back seat here and it’s great to hear these four talented vocalists sharing out the roles with such obvious and mutual respect. A track that sits somewhere between Deep Purple and Iron Maiden stylistically, it moves from a folk-infused opening to heavy metal epic with confidence, and the multi-vocalist approach gives each singer the opportunity to play to their considerable strengths over the course of its five-minute runtime. Taking its title somewhat literally, ‘Take me to the church’ (featuring Doogie White) opens to the sound of a gothic church organ before heading down the sort of pulse-pounding, classic rock path that Doogie can navigate in his sleep. With its pop-infused chorus and heroic solo, ‘take me to the church’ would make a great single, buth then that could also be true of all the tracks on this varied album. With a harder edge, the organ-soaked ‘Night Moods’ sees Graham Bonnet deliver a ferocious vocal performance that brings to mind Stephen Stills weathered approach with The Rides whilst Doogie White returns for the taut hard rock of ‘The girl with the starts in her eyes’. The first half of the album reaches its peak with the nimble-fingered ‘Everest’, a hard-riffing track which offers another opportunity for Graham Bonnet to display his versatility with a close harmony vocal.
Gary Barden is next to appear with the bluesy ‘Messing Around’. A taut boogie complete with tinkling ivories and an early AC/DC vibe, ‘Messing Around’ is good-time rock ‘n’ roll writ large and Gary fits the role perfectly. The album heads back to heavier pastures for the thunderous ‘Time knows when it’s time’, a track that sees Robin McAuley take the reins, his Dio-esque tones the perfect fit for Michael’s hard ‘n’ heavy riffing, whilst the chorus is pure pop-rock heaven. Doogie returns for the sea-bound ‘Anchors Away’, another track which captures that mid-period maiden vibe with its subtle, progressive vibe and galloping rhythms. Michael Schenker takes centre stage next with the instrumental ‘Salvation’, a short yet powerful showcase for his ever-expanding arsenal of guitar skills. Gary Barden returns for another classic rock cut with ‘Living a life worth living’ but the best is saved for last with ‘The last supper’, the second track to feature all four vocalists and the perfect conclusion to this very special album. Another track that plays to the various strengths of the singers, ‘the last supper’ goes through the gears before emerging with a chorus to die for, the vocalists clearly revelling in the opportunity to go head to head one last time.
Michael Schenker neither knows, nor cares, what the rest of the musical world is doing. Over the years, he has remained entirely dedicated to the cause of making great music, and he is never swayed by the fripperies of fame or fashion. As a result, Michael Schenker Fest plays like a greatest hits album, each track custom built to showcase the strengths of the given singer, the whole tethered by Michael’s always-astonishing playing. What carries across the most, however, is the joy with which all the participants so clearly approached the recording. This is hard rock delivered by veterans whose sole reason for recording together is the thrill of the journey. It’s a labour of love for all those involved and it cannot fail to raise a smile. Michael Schenker Fest pays a wonderful compliment to the guitarist’s past whilst boldly stepping forward into the future and it is a record to treasure. 9
