Built to Destroy

Built to Destroy is the fourth album on which, around Michael Schenker’s flowing guitar phrases, rich lyricism and the power of straight-ahead hard rock are deftly bound. After Graham Bonnet left following the previous album, Gary Barden returned to vocals again, and it shows a more arena-rock, catchy side conscious of the American market. The songs, while technical, never turn cold, and the vocal melody and riffs powerfully push one another. From the momentum of the dashing “Rock My Nights Away” to the instrumental “Captain Nemo,” where his guitar expression shines, the album shows the faces of Schenker’s guitar in a truly varied way, while cuts like “The Dogs of War,” “Red Sky” and “Time Waits (For No One)” heighten the work’s appeal. Its great appeal is that a beautiful balance of melody and playing is kept throughout. You can fully savor Schenker’s refined melodic sense and sure guitar technique in this period. A record that can be called a break for early MSG, it is important and fulfilling — Barden’s singing also giving the work warmth.