You can trust Louder
Incredibly, guitarist Michael Schenker believes he can resurrect his career by using four singers. On tour it was a novelty, but on 12 new studio tracks the plan faces a stiffer test – with decidely mixed results. Robin McAuley and Doogie White deliver the lion’s share and easily outshine the limited input by Graham Bonnet and Gary Barden, both of whom sound past their peak.
The best track is opener Heart And Soul (sung by McAuley) with a Judas Priest-like tempo and two fabulous guitar breaks where Schenker spars with Kirk Hammett. Also good are Warrior and closer The Last Supper, the two on which all four singers share the mic.
Elsewhere, though, the quality dips markedly and the ‘oldschool’ model soon becomes naively old-fashioned and formulaic. Guitar solos shine through sporadically, but the sad fact is that this album sounds like a great player in need of several songs – not several singers.
Freelance contributor to Classic Rock and several of its offshoots since 2006. In the 1980s he began a 15-year spell working for Kerrang! intially as a cub reviewer and later as Geoff Barton’s deputy and then pouring precious metal into test tubes as editor of its Special Projects division. Has spent quality time with Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Ritchie Blackmore, Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore – and also spent time in a maximum security prison alongside Love/Hate. Loves Rush, Aerosmith and beer. Will work for food.