Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock - Spirit on a Mission

by Lisa Torem

published: 12 / 4 / 2015

Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock - Spirit on a Mission

Label: In-Akustik
Format: CD

Intense and enthralling new album from former Scorpions and UFO guitarist, Michael Schenker’s current band Temple of Rock

Review

For their new album ‘Spirit on a Mission’, Michael Schenker rocks his heart out on twelve killer tracks with drummer Herman Rarebell, bassist Francis Buchholz, vocalist Doogie White and guitarist/keyboardist Wayne Findlay. There’s solid history here—that same rhythm section came together for the Scorpions’ ‘Lovedrive’ (1979), which was then Schenker’s band. Every song is well crafted and true to the spirit of rock/metal. Schenker and White contributed to all the tracks, and ‘Bulletproof’ and ‘Saviour Machine’ include the gifts of multi-instrumentalist Wayne Findlay, who plays 7-string guitar as ferociously as he manhandles those keyboards.The lyrics throughout are hard-hitting, graphic and, at times, gloriously poetic. Schenker compares the mindset he developed for this album to the writing he did in his “UFO days.” He also wanted this album to be distinctly different than ‘Bridge the Gap,’ which was released in 2012, and he worked diligently to achieve“album balance.” To accomplish this, he encouraged keeping the energy up, with a double bass drum “to keep the fast songs rolling like a train.” By the first few measures of the very, first song, ‘Live and Let Love’, it’s clear that the musicians are making an extraordinarily grand entrance. The lyrics are strong and direct: “I kissed the rain and felt the tear drops fall in the coldest days of winter.” On ‘Communion’, singer Doogie White delivers a fabulous, vocal-driven show, proving his flexibility and genius at nuance. ‘Vigilante Man’ is more character driven, about a man forced to make his own rules, “when the streets are a prison.”’“Rock City’ comes complete with exciting, escalating sound effects. White’s interpretation is aggressively divine. More confidence, shameless Schenker shredding, sharp, vengeful images and dramatic contortions follow. The carefully construed introduction to ‘Something of the Night’ morphs into a series of blissful riffs, followed by the more straight-ahead, pulsating ‘Rock City’. “If life is an illusion, give me more,” White begs. Guitars and this vocalist fight it out for the spotlight, inspiring a fantastic electric/acoustic style fugue. ‘Bulletproof’ is dark and caustic, yet rife with lyrical symmetry--“As you crawl into her lair/Wide awake but unaware…” ‘Let The Devil Scream’ explores a wide spectrum of emotions with explosive efficiency, and even the disparate elements are brought together with Schenker’s heart wrenching solo. ‘Good Times’ is not as eloquent, but an all-around Saturday night style rocker. ‘Restless Heart’ asks, “Where will you sleep tonight?” The beat is absorbing, intense and constantly in motion. ‘Wicked’ is, alas, the last track. It’s about power, greed and corruption. It’s intoxicating, all consuming and smoldering. Michael Schenker’s Temple of Rock is one of the great line-ups of this era. 'Spirit on a Mission' makes their dreamy sounds palpable.

Track Listing:-

1 Live and Let Live
2 Communion
3 Vigilante Man
4 Rock City
5 Saviour Machine
6 Something of the Night
7 All Our Yesterdays
8 Bulletproof
9 Let the Devil Scream
10 Good Times
11 Restless Heart
12 Wicked