MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST is a Hard Rock/Classic Metal band formed in 1979 by former SCORPIONS and U.F.O guitarist Michael Schenker. The new 13-track long album is titled "Revelation" and was released on September 20th, 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The album, uncharacteristically, features 2 different drummers, as tribute to drummer Ted Mckenna who, sadly, passed away on January 2019. Although it is difficult to differentiate between the 2 drummers, Simon Phillips and Bodo Schopf, it must be said that the loss of the great drummer Ted Mckenna had caused a deep and prolonged effect on the rest of the band members, and provides the reasoning to write "Revelation".

One of the best exemplary tracks on "Revelation" is "Silent Again", which features Douglas "Doogie" White as a guest vocalist. With its powerful lyrics and captivating music and vocals which pulsate with compassion and empathy, it is definitely one of the best tracks on the album. Another great example is "Behind The Smile", which is a song that grasps the listener in lyrics which are catchy and easy to recall, and will, by no doubt, have you singing along in no time! "Crazy Date" is another track that grips you in its lyrical splendor. The third notable track to feast on is "Still In The Fight", which, at 3 minutes 59 seconds in, is a passionate, high-paced song.

Before writing "Revelation", Schenker felt he had to close himself off from the outside world to focus on composing the album. He was quoted saying: "When I was a teenager, I got rid of my record player so that I would never copy anything. I knew intuitively that creating from within was the only way and as a result it created a unique style. And this is how I keep that pure creativity. I don't practice. I call it play and discover. It's a bit like treasure hunting. You look for gold and any moment you can find something. And lead guitar is always the focus – making sure that each note has meaning". This shows that he knows what he likes musically, and is happy to produce his music in his own place of mind with little to none external influence.

In my opinion, the album "Revelation" which is approximately 45 minutes long, is worthy of being played at a loud volume perhaps when you are feeling sentimental.  Definitely a great album musically as well as lyrically and I would say if you're a fan of Classic Metal and Hard Rock, you won't be disappointed, and ultimately, is an album that should be added to the repertoire of Classic Metal fans everywhere.

Songwriting - 10
Originality - 10
Memorability - 9
Production - 10