Universal Michael Schenker Group

• 1Emergency (feat. Barry Sparks & Simon Phillips)03:49
• 2Under Attack04:37
• 3Calling Baal (feat. Tony Carey)00:39
• 4A King Has Gone (feat. Michael Kiske, Bobby Rondinelli, Bob Daisley & Tony Carey)04:53
• 5The Universe (feat. Gary Barden & Barry Sparks)04:20
• 6Long Long Road (feat. Michael Voss)04:17
• 7Wrecking Ball (feat. Ralf Scheepers)04:08
• 8Yesterday Is Dead (feat. Brian Tichy & Barry Sparks)04:01
• 9London Calling (feat. Michael Voss)04:30
• 10Sad Is The Song (feat. Barry Sparks & Simon Phillips)04:37
• 11Au Revoir (feat. Barry Sparks & Simon Phillips)03:30
• 12Turn Off The World (feat. Brian Tichy)04:45
• 13Fighter (feat. Brian Tichy & Barry Sparks)04:11
• Total Runtime52:17

Info for Universal

There are few rock guitarists on this planet who have had such a lasting influence on so many renowned musicians as Michael Schenker. With his outstandingly fluid style, inexhaustible wealth of ideas and instinctive feel for hooks and melodies, Michael Schenker is a living legend who, despite his longstanding and distinguished history, still impresses with his unflagging energy and drive. The blond axeman from Sarstedt began his international career in the early 1970s with the Scorpions, achieved worldwide fame after joining British rock group U.F.O. and then seamlessly continued his exceptional global success story under his own name, as well as with acts such as Michael Schenker Group (MSG for short), Temple Of Rock and Michael Schenker Fest.

His newest album Universal will feature all the strengths of this exceptional musician: first-rate songs with anthemic melodies, catchy guitar riffs and inspiring solos. Like its predecessor Immortal (2019), Universal was produced by Michael Schenker and Michael Voss (Lessmann/Voss, Mad Max) at Voss’s Kidroom Studio. As we have come to expect from him, Schenker has once again enlisted a number of prestigious fellow musicians for the recording of his new studio production, among them, as main vocalist, Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, Vandenberg), who will also be MSG’s frontman on their upcoming tour, Michael Kiske (Helloween), Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear) and Graham Bonnet (ex-Rainbow), drummers Simon Phillips (Toto, The Who), Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Foreigner), Bobby Rondinelli (Rainbow, Blue Öyster Cult) and Bodo Schopf (Eloy), as well as legendary bassists Bob Daisley (Black Sabbath), Barry Sparks (Malmsteen, Dokken) and Barend Courbois (Blind Guardian, Zakk Wylde), with Tony Carey as a very special guest. Compositional highlights abound on Universal, from the haunting opener ‘Emergency’ and the subsequent ‘Under Attack’ with its casually driving groove to ‘The Universe’, featuring an atmospheric duet by Ronnie Romero and Gary Barden, ‘Wrecking Ball’, performed as brilliantly as ever by Ralf Scheepers, and ‘London Calling’ with its homage to the British capital’s musical spirit. The rock anthem ‘A King Has Gone’ and its intro ‘Calling Baal’ both have a special significance: The track, sung by Helloween frontman Michael Kiske, is a tribute to the immortal Ronnie James Dio, already considered to be one of the most important and successful songs in Schenker’s career to date, both musically and lyrically. No doubt about it: The title, artwork and new songs from Universal suit MSG as perfectly as his characteristic Flying V suits Michael Schenker!

Michael Schenker, guitar
Ronnie Romero, vocals
Bodo Schopf, drums
Steve Mann, keyboards, guitar
Barend Courbois, bass

Michael Schenker Group
At the age of 15, Michael Schenker recorded his first album with the Scorpions, with which he caused an international sensation. Two years later, Michael joined the British hard rock band UFO, with whom he also enjoyed great success. Strangers in the Night became one of the most successful live rock albums of all time. In 1979, Michael began his solo career and formed the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP.

The MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (M.S.G.) is a guitar-orientated hard rock band whose debut album, Michael Schenker Group, reached the Top 5 of the British album and single charts. Their melodic hard rock with progressive undertones is characterised above all by Schenker's extremely skilful guitar playing.

Later, M.S.G. became the McAuley Schenker Group, as Robin McAuley replaced former singer Gary Barden and a very close partnership was formed between McAuley and Schenker. Their debut in the new formation was called Perfect Timing and was released in 1987. Their biggest hit was the power ballad Anytime.

Schenker and McAuley then parted ways when Schenker decided to focus on experimenting with music and only occasionally record with UFO and M.S.G. He built his own recording studio. He set up his own recording studio and founded a company.

A reunion album with Gary Barden was finally released in 2008 and Schenker gradually returned to rock ‘n’ roll. In 2021, the album ‘Immortal’ was released with the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP to mark Schenker's 50th anniversary on stage. A European tour will follow in 2022 to celebrate the anniversary.

This album contains no booklet.