 Welcome to The Metal Voice. Today on this show, we have a legendary guitarist who's got a new album out on Atomic Fire Records on May 27th called Universal. I'll say it, the one, the only, Michael Shanker. Hi Michael. Hi, how are you? Good, good, good, good, good, good. Congratulations on the new album. It's absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much. I can't stop listening to it. 2018, you know, with the release of, which was my favorite album of the year, Resurrection, releasing almost an album a year, you know? You didn't hear from me for so long. What's the big turnaround? Why so proficient these days? Yeah, no, it does every, it does in my whole career. It's just pouring out. If I would have joined Ozzy Osbourne, he would have been sorry, you know, because I mean, I did so many things. I did acoustic instruments, electric instruments and cover versions and you name it. I mean, and 50 years later I got basically everything I wanted to do out of my system. So now I can relax and focus on the stuff I love most is the rock music that I do these days. Tell us about working with, this is a surprise for me. Michael Kiske from Halloween. You know, I was pretty surprised that it was on this project. Tell us about working with him. Yeah, I was surprised too. And it was actually, it was an idea, you know, I must say, though, the only thing we know, the only thing I know when I leave my home and go to Michael Fosk, which is a studio, is I only know the music that I had written that I'm bringing over to Germany. And he hits the recording button. And that's when he starts to getting to know the songs and not before. And that's when we both start to watch how it's shaping up because we do everything in a moment. So all of these little bits and pieces, all of these surprises or guests, you know, or family members, they kind of come, they occur as we go and listen to my music. And then we check, you know, we do electric guide on the, on the drums and electronic bass and stuff like that. So everybody knows roughly what my, my idea was, because I only record at home just the guitars. So we add all of these things to it. And then we start, and then Michael Fosk, he has got, he, he, he learns the song as I put them down and he starts writing lyrics and vocals straight away. And the next morning when I come from the hotel and Michael Fosk says to me, yeah, Michael, this is what I, this is what I came up with last night. And he, and this one, say, for instance, a king has gone as a, as a, as an example, since it is with Michael Kiska, I say, yeah, I mean, he goes like, I play this song. This is a memory of Ronnie James Theo. Oh, my favorite rock singer, fantastic. And then he plays, I say like, fantastic, Michael, this is incredible. And then Michael Fosk says to me, what do you think of, you know, doing and asking the rainbow guys that were playing with the, with the Ronnie James Theo those days. And I said, well, if you can get them, would be fantastic. And he got them. And so we ended up with Tony Carey and Bob Dacely and Bobby Rondinelli. And then the nuclear blast head, head of nuclear blast in Germany, Marcus Tiger, said, hey, what do you think of Michael Kiska? Let, let him try on this song that would sound great for him. I said, okay, let's, let's, let's do it. And when I heard it, I was blown away. I went like, fantastic, you know, so just to give you an example, how things happen, you know, it's just like nobody knew that that was going to happen on that song. And neither did we know any other song that all the other songs, you know, they happen the same way, like on the on the spot, or when we find, like, for instance, what's the song, the emergency song, for instance, like, you know, it's a very, very, it's a kind of a progressive song. And the record company, they went straight away when they heard that song, that's going to be the opener. And, you know, it's very, very different. And the timing is kind of very, very, very difficult to understand. And, but it's still catchy. So it's kind of a very strange song. And so we looked at it and went like, you know, what, what are we going to do with the drums? I think we should get Simon Phillips for that because he's good at those things, you know. And so we got Simon in for that. He did a fantastic job. And, and then, you know, everything else started to shape up. And we gave it to Ronnie and he had a goal and we said, wow, that's good enough for us. And then, you know, and so, so we picked the people. But, you know, we have a main band. The main band is Ronnie Romero, Michael Schenker, Photoshop, Baron Koba and Steve Mann. And that's our main band. And then the others are guests, but they are not strangers because they are actually family, you know, because Barry Sparks, for instance, he was with MSG in the 90s. And he's also a fan. And he always emails and said, I want to play on the next album and so on. And so I always keep it in mind. And then we have Simon Phillips, of course, and then Brian Ticci, he played with us already like as long as eight, nine years ago on on a Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock song before the devil knows you're dead. And he's also a fan and fantastic drama. And so, you know, the only actually new people on this album, it's Michael Kisker. And basically that that's Michael Kisker. And of course, Bobby Rondinelli and Bob Dastley and Tony Kerry. And, you know, while she was he appeared on the album because he did such a great job on immortal. I wanted him again. And Gary Bard, he appears on it because every time there is a piece of music I write that suggests a low, low voice. I get Gary because he has got the best low voice I know of as a very bluesy and very mentally and vibrato and really warm sounding. So there you got it. You know, all these people, they showed up, but nobody had a clue what was going to happen ahead of time. If you go back to the king is gone, I know what you said it was a tribute to Ronnie James deal, but I'm listening to your solo. Is it not a nomads to Richie Blackmore at the same time? To me, it sounds like Michael Schenker because I'm, you know, I don't, I don't copy anybody and for 50 years I haven't been listening to music. So I try my best. I really make an effort. I, you know, I always tell people I'm a spirit on the mission spreading and expressing the joy of music from a place of pure self expression. So I don't have a record player. I don't have a radio. I don't have any music at home, not in the car. I have to do that for 50 years. And that's my passion. That's what I was born for to be myself, you know, to, to anybody can do it. It's just not anybody, not everybody or most people don't want to do it because they don't trust themselves. They don't think they're going to get rich or famous with it because they don't believe in themselves and that they rather stick to a trend and copy other people and get a piece of the pie. But for me, it was never important. So, but fame and everything else comes automatically anyway. But that, that what happened to me. But for me, the most important thing is to be an artist. And, you know, we are all unique people. If we go within ourselves, nobody can express what you can express. You know, Jimmy or Alan, you know, it's, it's, we are all unique people. And whatever, if we express something from within ourselves, it comes across. So that's how, you know, Kirk Hammett and Dave Mustang and all these people discovered my playing because it was coming from within. It was something they have never heard before. And that's why they were, you know, that's why they got hooked on that, you know, as they told me themselves. Wow. What about, I know Steve Harris from Iron Maiden, you know, he's a huge UFO fan, Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden. You know, he's influenced by you. At least I read about that. What are your comments on them? Yeah, it's all true. It's like Steve, Steve Harris is a complete pit-wave fan. He even dresses like him. So does K.K. Downey from Judas Priest dresses like me. You know, I went to the whiskey when I was 18 years old, when I did my Trust American tour. And I, I, I, there was Judas Priest playing and my girlfriend and I, we wanted to see because we heard about that. You know, and that was K.K. Downey, the guitarist from Judas Priest. Having my perm and playing the Flying V and almost an identical outfit. I mean, I looked at my girlfriend, she looked at me. It was like, it was like, it was me again. You know, I couldn't believe it. It was unbelievable. Everybody, everybody looks like you. Everybody's copying you, imitating your guitar playing, imitating your look. It's amazing, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Well, at least it was in the 80s. That's what happened to you. They either copied me or Eddie Van Halen, or they copied each other on the 80s scene just to be part of a trend. Let's think about the 80s, Michael. They have a song in the album called London Calling and it describes the scene in England, Britain and the 80s. Is there anything about that time that you miss? Well, you know, first of all, that the lyrics is written by Michael Frost. So he is the kind of, he feels like he was born at the wrong time because he is really an 80s fan. He's a Michael Schenker fan. He's my co-producer. And that's why we're working together. He really understands what I'm doing. His fantasy, his imagination, the only way he can go back to the 80s is writing about it. And so, you know, I don't listen to lyrics. And so, when I did an interview the other day, somebody was telling me, this song, London Calling, what was it about your time in London? I said, I didn't know it was about that. You have to ask Michael Frost because he writes all the lyrics. And then, you know, and then I kind of started to understand and realize, yeah, probably Michael Frost probably writes a lot about me or writes a lot about those days in the 80s because he became, you know, he was, he was blooming in the 90s, you know, which was too late. Everything was gone by then. And so he really feels like he missed out, but I always tell him, don't worry about the 80s, you know, something will happen. Anyway, he is the guy who does all the lyrics because I thought the reason why I don't listen to lyrics is because when I grew up, I couldn't understand English and I was just focused on the music and I'm glad that happened that way. And so that's why I'm really hooked on the music rather than, for me, the lyrics is just like a singer being able to make sounds that fit. Fantastic. You still don't listen to the lyrics. You really focus on the music aspect. Oh, yeah. But I, yeah, yeah. And here I know why also I don't listen to lyrics lately either is because I keep thinking it's all about sex anyway. So why should I be listening? I mean, it's like 50 years of sex, you know, what else is that what different lyrics can there be? So I didn't even, you know, try to analyze the lyrics. But now that somebody told me this song is about London. Oh, I said to him, maybe I should listen to the lyrics or ask Michael first what are the lyrics all about. So I have a little bit of insight, you know, and so it's a good idea. Maybe I should inform myself. What about bringing Michael Kiske on tour with you was that did you offer him sort of like, you know, to come on stage for a few songs? Yeah, yeah. So it's very, very hard to do that, you know, but of course, if we are playing where he lives or he's available, you know, he's on tour and he plays in the same city or whatever. Of course, I always make that effort. You know, if there are people there that have played on previous albums, etc, etc. But, you know, I did the Michael Schenker press. It was a very expensive undertaking. It's four singers on stage, nine people all together. It's a very, very expensive. But it was worthwhile. It was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen, Michael. That was I'm glad you did it. It was absolutely fun. I must say, you know, it was so, you know, when we started the resurrection album and we were in the studio together for the first time, it was unbelievable to see four singers, you know, grown up singers having so much fun together. I had never seen before. It was unbelievable. Michael, just describe very quickly the musical sound on this album compared to the last album, the musical direction on this album. Michael Schenker, I just make sure that, you know, I have the songs that I pick. They are always like songs that fit well together to make an album balance. Like a good written book, you know, it does not, it should not get boring. So I make sure that different elements in there to always keep coming up with some surprises of something that is exciting, etc, etc. And so it could, you know, I may end up with not the best songs, but the best, you know, put together for an album song. And that's very important. And basically, you know, Michael Schenker has written both of them musically. So the difference is that these are new songs. Not a continuation. You know, you can answer this last question or not. I mean, your brother, have you made peace with him? Last time we talked to you, it was a little rough. But is there, you don't have to answer if you don't want. I mean, it's up to you. Who does my brother is a bully and I don't trust him. And I don't hang out or don't make contact with bullies. And neither would I don't think you like to. Or neither does Alan. I don't any normal person would, you know, it's just, I don't feel very, I don't feel comfortable just simply. I don't trust him. That's it. You know, if I would make contact with him, he would, he would carry on exactly where he stopped last, you know, it's just bad. Okay. All right, Alan, you have the tour, the tour coming up a US tour starting September and the mortal kind of got lost in the pandemic shuffle here. So you're playing songs from both immortal and the new album. Well, the same with the set. I make sure that the set has always got surprises on there. It's well balanced. And it also has new old classics that we haven't played for a long time that people always wanted to hear, but we haven't gotten to it yet. I keep all my sets, most of them for the last four years, maybe, and I check them what I played on the previous tours. And then I, you know, put some stuff that I think, you know, would be great to have in a set like older songs. And then, of course, make a well balanced, you know, kind of not overplay, not play too many songs of every album, which is impossible anyway. But, you know, just kind of keep a couple of highlights from maybe the last album and a couple of the new one. And then also, you know, have enough of the old stuff, you know, some Europe stuff, some, you know, 80s MSG, etc, etc. So to make sure that, you know, that the known stuff is also present. You started off by saying, you know, it's a good thing you didn't join Ozzy Osbourne, you know, is there a part of you? Or all the others, they would have not liked it. But I mean, is there a part of you that said, you know what, maybe one album would have been cool to do with Ozzy? No, that's not how it works. Because first of all, when Ozzy's offer came up, I had to, you know, after that, because I almost fell for it, you know. But I had to, I have to always, I had from that moment on, I had to figure out how can I protect myself from being tempted and not ending up doing something. I shouldn't be doing or I would regret later. And so I came up with this thing like, Michael, why did you leave Europe? Or why did you leave the Scorpions? And for the same reason, you should not join your Ozzy Osbourne Motorhead or Ian Hunter or any of those who knows how many people have asked me, the purple, etc, etc. For the same reason, because I would have to copy all of the stuff for life shows they had done. Before I hate copying number one, it would not be Michael Schenker expressing himself. And it just would not make any sense to what my mission is. You know, it's just people never really understood. They always thought I had almost an ego trip, but people never really spend any time understanding why I was doing what I'm doing. I mean, it takes 50 years. Maybe it takes a hundred years. Maybe by the time I'm dead, people start to understand what I was doing. But it seems to be very hard to explain to people and then they still don't get the wrong end of the stick. But maybe in a couple of hundred years, maybe it kind of all comes to the foreground, to the open people's clicks, maybe. I don't know. The new album, Universal, anybody that's a Michael Schenker fan, you're going to love this. Nice, short, quick tempo songs, middle solos, outro solos, Michael Schenker playing solos throughout. It's a great album and congratulations again, Michael on a fantastic album. Thank you so much.