Immortal

Immortal is a monumental work under the MSG name, made by inviting varied, gorgeous guest vocals as if to celebrate Michael Schenker’s long, brilliant career. Yet its lead consistently lies in the soaringly singing guitar melody and the accurate, waste-free placement of riffs. Though each participating singer’s character greatly changes the songs’ faces, a Schenker-like lyricism and sharp bite are deeply inscribed in every scene. From the aggressive drive of the opener “Drilled to Kill” to the dashing “Night of the Dead” and “Devil’s Daughter,” every song is full of the appeal of Schenker’s guitar, while the lyricism of “After the Rain” and a cut like “Sail the Darkness” heighten the work’s appeal alongside the gorgeous guests. Even as a veteran, his creative drive has not dimmed at all. A record on which, beyond enjoying the collaboration of a gorgeous cast, you can fully savor Schenker’s fundamental appeal — a guitar that “speaks through melody,” unchanged over long years. Again powerfully proving his immortal talent, it is a powerful, fulfilling melodic-metal work where a guitar hero’s presence fills the whole.