MSG’s Latest LP Will Appeal To Michael Schenker’s Established Audiences, 80s Rock Fans

By: Philip Sayblack

It is hard to believe but 2025 is almost over.  As of Monday, there will only be one month left in this year.  So much music has been released this year, especially in the rock and hard rock communities. So much that it has been easy for some of it to slip through the cracks for any outlet, including Phil’s Picks.  That being that case, before the year lets out, there are still some recent releases to touch on, one of which being Don’t Sell Your Soul, the latest album from guitarist Michael Schenker’s band, the Michael Schenker Group.  Released in early October through earMusic, the 11-song record proves an engaging and entertaining new offering from this Schenker project.  The group’s follow-up to 2022’s Universal, this latest offering from the collective is a presentation that Schenker’s established audiences and those of his many projects will find enjoyable.  That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly.  The lyrical themes that accompany said content makes for its own interest, adding another layer of interest to the presentation.  The production that went into the 43-minute record rounds out its most important elements.  The aesthetic impact that it creates puts the finishing touch to the whole.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the record.  All things considered they make Don’t Sell Your Soul a work that is certain to appeal to established fans of Michael Schenker and his many music projects.  It proves a record that said audiences will agree is a welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock albums.
Don’t Sell Your Soul, the latest studio recording from the Michael Schenker Group, is a work that the legendary guitarist’s established audiences and his various projects will agree is a positive new offering from the collective.  That is due in large part through its featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements in question are of note because of their clear 80s hair metal influence.  From the beginning to the end of this nearly 45-minute presentation, the arrangements largely throw back to the sounds and styles that were so commonplace during Schenker’s formative years.  At the same time, those sounds and styles are not the only ones featured herein.  There are some variances, such as in the late entry, ‘Sign of the Times.’  This bluesy, high-energy composition, which clocks in at just under four minutes, could fit easily into any modern rock radio station’s playlist.  Interestingly enough, even with that in mind, audiences can still hear that 80s rock influence still infused into the arrangement but thankfully does not overpower the more modern lean.  To that end, it makes the whole one of the most notable of the album’s entries.  ‘It’s You,’ which comes a little later after ‘Sign of the Times,’ is even purer in its presentation and heavy.  There is still a touch of vintage lean, but it is far less prominent here than in the aforementioned song, making for its own interest.  ‘Surrender,’ the album’s closer, is another notable entry to the record.  That is because it stands so starkly against the rest of the album’s entries in its clear power metal leaning.  It is a completely unexpected addition to the album, considering everything else exhibited throughout the album, and in the best way possible.  To that end, this group of songs overall makes for an interesting starting point for Don’t Sell Your Soul.
Expanding on the record’s examination a bit, the lyrical themes that accompany the album’s body are of their own interest.  There is plenty of content regarding the all too familiar topic of relationships here (IE ‘You’re The One,’ ‘Janey The Fox,’ ‘I Can’t Stand Waiting,’ etc.).  Thankfully the album offers more than that.  Case in point is the record’s opener and title track.  In the case of this song, it comes across as a statement of standing up for what it important in one’s life.  The seeming message is delivered in an interestingly unique allegorical style as it tells a tale of a man who “came alight/he started young/He had all it takes/To become a star/He had a vision/He followed through/On a mission/He knew what to do/All he wanted was to be/And stay away from misery/To enjoy his art and life.”  This was a man who just wanted to live life and to be.  As the song progresses, vocalist Erik Gronwall continues the story, telling listeners that the man “Walked tall throughout his life/Protecting his heart and soul/But sometimes tempted by surprise/Protected by the light/He did not fall/All he wanted was to be/And stay away from misery/Protected by the light/He did not fall.”  In the choruses, Gronwall tells listeners that the man “saw them fall” while also telling audiences “Don’t sell your soul/Can’t have it all.”  This entire presentation serves as a reminder that it is better to just be happy with what we have and with our place in life, to not sell our souls for something that we cannot attain.  It is a statement that rings so true for everyone to this day.
‘Eye of the Storm,’ another early in this record, is another notable example of what makes the album’s lyrical content important to its whole.  In regard to this song, the lyrical theme is another thoughtful presentation.  It seems to address humans being caught in between good and evil.  This is inferred in its clearest as Gronwall sings late in the song, “Somewhere between hell and the sky/Into the eye of the storm/It’s here that we stand for all that we own/Finally standing as one/Somewhere between hell and the sky/Into the eye of the storm/Those that will live and those that will die/Fighting ‘til all hope is gone.”  This message is bookended by the tale of good and evil being at battle all the way back to “creation of time…a battle to take all our souls.”  This brings the overall discussion to being summarized in that we are caught in that proverbial “eye of the storm” that middle of all of the strife in that battle between good and evil.  It is really an interesting topic coming from a band that is not a Christian act.  It reminds audiences along the way that things will get better.  This as Gronwall sings, “All of the pain/Of the trust you lost/Suffer no more/My dear friend.”  The whole song is so unique, lyrically speaking.  It makes the whole of the song yet another example of how much the album’s lyrical content helps the record’s presentation.
‘Sign of the Times’ is yet one more example of the interest generated through the album’s lyrical themes.  This one leaves itself wide open for interpretation what with its mentions of Valhalla and the “journey north to the island way/Shaped by the hands/Guided by their God’s command.”  The discussions that this song’s lyrical content is proof in itself of the importance of the record’s lyrical content.  When it is considered alongside the rest of the album’s lyrical content, the whole adds its own layer of interest to the presentation.  When the overall lyrical content is considered alongside the album’s musical arrangements that whole makes for that much more engagement.
Putting the final touch to the album’s presentation is its production.  Over the course of the album’s 43-minute run time, the production brings out the best of each performer’s work.  While Schenker’s name takes top billing in the group’s name, at no point does his performance overpower his band mates’ own work.  Gronwall’s powerhouse vocal delivery is on full display in each song while in a song, such as ‘Janey The Fox,’ bassist Barend Courbois and keyboardist Steve Mann get plenty of time in the limelight thanks to the production.  Schenker’s work is there but does just as well here in its supporting role as anywhere else.  Again, this is thanks to the attention to detail behind the boards.  In a song, such as ‘The Chosen,’ the whole group’s performance works expertly together, each musician’s work complimenting that of his band mates.  It is yet one more example of the positive impact of the production.  The overall result of the production is a positive aesthetic that is sure to keep listeners entertained from the record’s opening to its end.  Keeping that in mind, the positive impact of the production works with the record’s overall content to make the whole a presentation that is certain to appeal to all of Schenker’s established audiences.
Don’t Sell Your Soul, the latest full-length studio recording from the Michael Schenker Group, is a work that Schenker’s established audiences are sure to appreciate.  That is proven in part through its musical arrangements.  The arrangements feature plenty of 80s rock influences, considering Schenker’s background.  At the same time there are also works that fit just as well into the modern rock category and even the blues rock realm.  The album’s lyrical content is interesting in its own right.  That is because of the clear thoughtfulness that went into each song’s lyrical content.  That thoughtfulness is certain to result in plenty of discussions among listeners.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the presentation, ensuring a positive aesthetic impact for listeners.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the record.  All things considered they make Don’t Sell Your Soul a work that all of Michael Schenker’s established audiences will appreciate.
Don’t Sell Your Soul is available now.  More information on the album is available along with all of Michael Schenker’s latest news at:
Website: https://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelschenkerrocks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MW_Schenker