Customer Reviews

Assault Attack

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I often call this album Michael Schenker's Rainbow because I think this might have been close to what Rainbow's Down to Earth would have sounded like if Martin Birch had been in the producer's seat. Birch's production here is fantastic: Bonnet and Schenker sound better than ever before. Bassist Chris Glenn's highly contrapuntal playing is mixed perfectly, and even the relatively obscure drummer Ted McKenna comes across CRUSHING on a Cozy/Bonham level.

Opener "Assault Attack" is a perfectly paced Rocket-launcher of a track; the Beethoven-esque beginning gives way to a fast but spine tingling verse riff. Graham Bonnet propels the track with a personality and power the likes of which hadn't been seen since Dio or a classic Ian Gillan. The solo is a lesson in Heavy Metal Chamber Music, restrained yet contrapuntally outstanding for the genre. Listen to the bass guitar during the harmonised leads, it's more "neo-classical" from a counterpoint and harmonic perspective than Yngwie Malmsteen ever dreamed of being. Schenker's sparse lead melody here shows an astounding amount of maturity, poise, and taste that puts the final cast of cement on his statue in the Metal Guitar God Pantheon.

The next track, "Rock You To the Ground", is very much blues-based, but we're talking more like a defining, Blues-Metal style. The outrageous, belting vocals of Bonnet, as well as the perfectly fitting rhythm parts, launch this track into an instant, unforgettable Classic. During Schenker's parting lead, the various changes in the backing track drive him toward a jaw-dropping performance. Each change in the backing makes the sections play out like a chapter in a book: driving home various, highly memorable perspectives. This different-chapters-in-a-book approach to lead guitar has appeared in previously classic solos by other people (Jimi Hendrix's leads on "All Along the Watchtower"are a good example). But the solo on Rock You To the Ground is even more tasty and melodic. Overall, this song, and solo, have to be heard to be believed.

"Dancer" is the single/"All Night Long" of the album, and not without its charm. Though a bit long and awkward at times, it's hard to fault Bonnet and Schenker at this point in their careers, as they are truly firing on all cylinders.Great vocals and classic Graham Bonnet vocalising.

"Samurai" is considered by many people to be the song of the album. Again we have involved harmonies, this time in Bonnet's verse delivery. The chorus is extremely aggressive, and the ending where Bonnet holds the last note over the word "Samurai" whilst Schenker melodies on is absolutely spine-chilling.

For most others, "Desert Song" is the best song on the album, and there is good reason. "Desert Song" is easily up there with best "slow songs" of Classic Heavy Metal: "Stargazer", "We'll Burn the Sky", "Heaven and Hell", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "Beyond the Realms of Death", "Fade to Black", "Love to Love", etc. The main riff, in thirds, is a classic of classics, impossible to forget. Bonnet hits a note right before the solo ("cooling the man") that is quite literally beautiful and moving. And again we have taste, restraint, and class during the middle lead break, whilst the passion springs forth after the last, emotionally delivered verse.

After this we have a couple of more meat-and-potatoes tracks, "Broken Promises" and "Searching For A Reason". The former is notable not only for the powerful high notes of Bonnet, but a musically very interesting bass guitar-to-drum syncopated beat, and an overall quirky atmosphere.

The last song is by far one of the greatest solo showcases in Rock/Metal history (and the foundation of Joe Satriani's entire career), "Ulcer". Although Schenker admitted later that this song was heavily overdubbed, there's no denying the exhiliration experienced when listening to this track. The middle, super fast lead break is both awe-inspiring and strangely catchy. Due to the latter aspect, it's difficult even referring to the solos on this track as "shred", there's too much personality and memorability to them.

In my humble opinion, this album is even better than the magnificent, Resoundingly Classic MSG albums that preceeded it. For me, that's saying alot, as I find the second MSG studio album in particular to be completely outstanding, despite the not-quite-so-great production.

For guitar players I assert that, in terms of overall guitar performance, there was never, and I mean NEVER a Shrapnel album that even comes close to this. Get this before you buy ANYthing produced by that massively overrated label. And if you've never heard Yngwie or his followers, get this before you buy ANYthing by him or his ilk, this way you'll learn more about how to play with feeling and melodicism, rather than masturbate the Harmonic Minor, Phrygian, and Aeolian scales ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

If there is a fault to this album (besides the doesn't-seem-quite-finished "Searching For A Reason") it's that a few of the songs repeat the chorus twice at the end. This might seem a bit lacking in imagination to some, but once you listen to the album you'll find yourself not caring. The overall sound, songwriting, guitar playing...shoot, overall playing by everyone, is incredibly inspiring and not something to be missed. This album inspired me greatly in writing my own music for my heavy metal opera Lyraka. I even got Graham Bonnet to sing my songs, which as you can imagine has been thrilling for me!

My favorite ever cds are this one and Rainbow Rising. I first heard both albums in 1986, after I'd been playing guitar for a couple of years. At the time, I was dropped out of college and homeless. Times were really horrible for me. I'll never forget hearing Assault Attack and being completely awed. I was already quite familiar with both Bonnet and Schenker, but for some reason this release had fallen through the cracks for me. Every time I thought about giving up the guitar back then(usually due to pressures resulting from my homelessness), I'd look at that cover and get renewed determination and strength. It looked to me like Michael was holding up that guitar out of rebellious determination in the face of terrible opposition.

But more, it looked like he held that guitar up in TRIUMPH, as though Assault Attack signified his sweet revenge against those who tried to keep him down. This album would help anyone to stay on track, to persevere against even the worse exploding warheads.

Andy DiGelsomina

michael schenker group,s third cd -assault attack is in my opinion one of his finest albums ever.by the time michael schenker was about to record what would become assault attack he was in a difficult position of having almost all of the line up that recorded the second msg album and one night at budokan fall apart.chris glen stayed with michael then came, graham bonnet who was in blackmore,s rainbow in 1979 and had left rainbow supposedly very dissatisfied with ritchie blackmore.however blackmore,s loss was schenker,s gain for a short time, soon after this great cd was made bonnet was kicked out of msg...any how for me the standout cuts are;rock you to the ground,desert song,samurai,assault attack and searching for a reason!michael as usual sounds red hot especially on the end solo of rock you to the ground,the band with the new drummer ted mckenna sounds really solid too.get this cd if you are a michael schenker fan!!

Truly one of my favorite albums. Schenker COOKS on this one . . . tasty guitar, great melodies, awesome rhythm section. Schenker plays a lot on this album, but he never seems to "overplay." Unlike so many other guitar players, every lead is fresh and different. Truly tasteful. Lyrically, Assault Attack is a little silly at times . . . but the singing is so cool, I honestly don't pay much attention to what Graham Bonnet says (!!). I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM . . . .

THIS IS A GREAT MSG CLASSIC. I LOVE GRAHAM BONNET ON LEAD VOCAL. THE SONG WRITING AND PRODUCTION ON THIS CD IS TOP NOTCH.

SCHENKER IS THE GREATEST GUITARIST OF ALL TIME TO ME AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST TWO CD'S THAT I WAS EXPOSED TO WHEN

I GOT INTO HIS PLAYING. HIS TONE WAS VERY INFLUENTIAL ON MY OWN GUITAR PLAYING AND HIS PHRASING IS ALWAYS EXPANDING.

HIS LATER VERSIONS OF MSG WERE EVER CHANGING, AND ANY MSG OR UFO CD IS WORTH THE PRICE.

I purchased this after reading the reviews and figured Bonnet could only make MSG sound better; I was right. With Bonnet in the fold, the whole dynamic of the band's sound changed. It seemed less gritty and more serious about it's approach to song/riff writing. Every band that Bonnet's been in seems to feed off of his theatrical voice and make statements, not mere songs; as if they can take each title to another level. Schenker's playing is in very fine form...furious in spots and restrained where it needs to be. Just hearing some of the chordal voicings and phrases he used on this album impressed me...it adds textures that are missing on previous albums. A couple of outro solos should have been extended, as Schenker really gets into his groove but I guess the engineer figured 'that's enough'. Martin Birch produced and engineered this effort (Iron Maiden, BOC...etc) and you can hear the difference. Highly polished without being overproduced. I gave it 4 Stars, only becuase it could have rocked a bit more in spots, but overall a must-have for Schenker fans, and definitely woth having.

Michael was definitely running on all cylinders when this session was recorded. The MSG project was in turmoil, but the change in members, brought new life into MSG for this era of MSG. Graham Bonnet, such a dynamic vocalist brought a new edge to Michael's music. The changing from Paul Raymond & Cozy Powell (RIP), also proved to be a fresh change, adding Ted Mckenna (drums) & Tommy Eyre (keyboards)...

The styling here is like a more raw Lovedrive, with a ballsy blues feel/groove to it...

Not a bad song on the album. Dancer is kind of pop sounding tune, but fits in none the less...

Classic Schenker @ it's finest. I wish he'd come back to his roots again & put out some gutsy music like this...

Other recommendations are:

Scorpions Lovedrive

UFO Walk On Water

MSG Written In The Sand

If you fancy yourself a guitarist or just a plain old enthusiast of hard rock/heavy metal music, you simply must listen to this album! I own over 2000 albums in my music collection, most of which are in the aforementioned "hard rock/heavy metal" category, and I have never heard a more cleanly produced hard rock album. This one is an absolute gem.

Aside from Martin Birch's fantastic production, Michael Schenker's extraordinary musicianship has never been more in evidence than on "Assault Attack." His phrasings are melodious yet not sappy, torrid yet not overbearing, substantial yet not in contrast to the flow of each song.

I was an admirer of Schenker's before receiving "Assault Attack" as a Christmas gift way back in 1982; however, this album made me a lifelong devoted fan. Perhaps the only true down-side to this recording for fans of the "Mad Axeman" is that it left us with a longing for the next "Assault Attack"-type album from Michael Schenker; an event which to this date has never happened. While Schenker has had many fantastic albums in his storied and influential career, nothing compares to this one.

There's something truly different with Schenker's tone on this album. While Schenker is noted for being a master of tone and feel across the spectrum of his career, the guitar sounds on this recording are unlike anything I've heard on a hard rock album before. I'm not sure how much is attributeable to Birch's influence and how much is Schenker experimenting a bit. Whatever the reason, wow does it work! While most guitarists in this genre push the volume envelope for attack, Schenker seems to go with a "less is more" approach on this recording. Schenker's rhythm guitar sounds pack more punch than ever before yet the tones in the lead breaks display an otherworldly softness that, stangely enough, in no way diminish the heaviness of the music. In fact, quite the contrary is true; the subtler tones in the lead breaks, in my opinion, add to the intensity of the rhythm section (bass, drums and rhythm guitar combined). Schenker's practice of layering multiple harmonized guitars in his solos is more prominent (and better used) than ever behind Martin Birch's superior helmsmanship. In some ways, "Assault Attack" reminds one of a more cleanly produced early Iron Maiden recording; not coincidental given the fact that Birch was Maiden's producer AND that Schenker was one of their influences. I have no doubt that having worked with Maiden for some time prior to this recording, Birch saw an opportunity with "Assault Attack" to use Schenker's readily familiar stylizations and superior talent level to produce his very own hard rock "magnum opus."

Another tremendous feature on this work is that each musician turned in an epic performance: Chris Glen on bass, Ted McKenna on drums, Graham Bonnett on vocals and of course Michael Schenker on guitar, seem to reach a pinnacle as individuals and as a unit of musicians performing together. Oddly enough, "Assault Attack" was barely in the racks of the local music stores when Bonnett and Schenker had a huge falling out and parted ways shortly thereafter. I even recall a video for the "pop" song of the album, "Dancer," in which the newly rehired singer, Gary Barden, voiced over Graham Bonnett's vocals. Ah yes, what could have been if only this incarnation of MSG had remained intact for a few more albums.

Do yourself a great favor and get "Assault Attack." I believe you will be sincerely satisfied with your purchase. It stands as one of the great unheralded hard rock albums of all time.

Every since Michael Schenker went out on his own and formed MSG after leaving UFO and the small stint back in the Scorpions for Lovedrive,the Man just pours the greatness of his playing into all of his music and he is always coming up with some of the greatest riffs and solos on a consistent basis.

While this album may have Graham Bonnet on vocals and not Gary Barden,I think Graham does a great job on the songs.Some don't like his vocals and I can agree with that with some of the bands he has worked with.This album is one of those where I think his vocals work excellent with the songs.

From the opening tune of Assualt Attack through the extra added B-Side track of Girl From Uptown the album just flows from tune to tune.Then you also get another classic Instrumental from Michael titled Ulcer.

Michael has been and always will be one of the greatest guitar players out there,period.

Love this disc, been a long time since i heard this and man it doesnt disappoint. The combination of gary barden vocals and schenker guitar is classic