Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock - On A Mission: Live In Madrid DVD review

The Mad Axeman, still cutting it.

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Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock On A Mission: Live In Madrid DVD cover

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Just a few years ago, Michael Schenker was being written off as a spent force. It was even claimed, heretically, that the German guitar hero could no longer play his own solos properly. Since then his stock has risen again, for reasons evident in this new live DVD and its sister double album.

He has a killer band in Temple Of Rock, featuring two former Scorpions, bassist Francis Buchholz and drummer Herman Rarebell, plus ex-Rainbow singer Doogie White and guitarist/keyboard player Wayne Findlay. Most important of all is Schenker’s playing, as brilliant now as it ever was.

The setlist from this 2015 Madrid show combines plenty of strong new material – such as the fast and heavy Communion – with classics from Schenker’s career with UFO, Scorpions and MSG, including a crushing version of Rock Bottom and, fantastically gonzoid, his signature song, Attack Of The Mad Axeman. These days, Michael isn’t so mad. But that spark of crazy genius is still in him.

Paul Elliott
Paul Elliott

Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2005, Paul Elliott has worked for leading music titles since 1985, including Sounds, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q. He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N’ Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. He has written liner notes for classic album reissues by artists such as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Kiss, and currently works as content editor for Total Guitar. He lives in Bath - of which David Coverdale recently said: “How very Roman of you!”