Arachnophobiac

Arachnophobiac is a work on which Michael Schenker deftly builds smooth, beautiful guitar melody and thick, powerful hard-rock riffs. Rather than merely showing off high technique, singing and guitar effectively use each other’s space, creating a natural lift from song to song. Inheriting the previous album’s fullness, it pursues a more powerful, straight-ahead sound. From the lyricism of the opener “Evermore” to the aggression of the title track “Arachnophobiac,” every song is full of the appeal of Schenker’s guitar, while the catchiness of “Rock and Roll Believer” and cuts like “Sands of Time” and “Fatal Strike” convey the work’s fullness. Lyrical, beautiful phrases and straight rhythm coexist, lightly updating his long-held style. Its appeal is how Schenker’s charm as a guitarist who plays melody so richly shines out within trim, refined playing. Rather than relying on flash, it is built to win on the goodness of the phrases themselves and sure playing. On which the appeal of a guitar hero is in full bloom, it is a fulfilling hard-rock work — a steady, fine record.