On one of the album's tracks – a tribute to the late metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio – Schenker is backed by three former members of Rainbow
(Image credit: C Brandon/Redferns)
The Michael Schenker Group have announced a new studio album, called Universal.
Set for a May 27 release via Atomic Fire Records, Universal is the follow-up to the group's most recent album, 2021's Immortal. It was produced by Schenker and Michael Voss, who also worked on Immortal and the 2018 and 2019 Michael Schenker Fest albums Resurrection and Revelation.
“Michael Voss is happy to wait until I have worked out an idea and takes the time to really get to know the song, simultaneously developing ideas for the vocals,” Schenker said of his co-producer in a statement. “Then we work out the drums, bass and some keyboard parts together. He always has plenty of great ideas up his sleeve.”
Notably, Universal featuresCalling Baal/A King Has Gone, a tribute to the late metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio, and his work with Rainbow. The song features an impressive band that includes Schenker, former Rainbow/Ozzy Osbourne bass guitar player Bob Daisley, ex-Rainbow drummer Bobby Rondinelli, and former Rainbow keyboardist Tony Carey on Moog synth.
Ronnie Romero – who also sings in the current lineup of, you guessed it, Rainbow – serves as Universal's primary vocalist, with additional vocal contributions on the album coming from Helloween's Michael Kiske and Primal Fear's Ralf Scheepers.
We don't seem to have any singles from the record quite yet, but we do have its cover art, which is – we must say – fantastic.
(Image credit: Atomic Fire Records)
Universal also features keyboardist Steve Mann, bassists Barry Sparks and Barend Courbois, and drummers Simon Phillips, Brian Tichy, and Bodo Schopf.
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Keep your eyes on Schenker's website for more info on the album, and any future singles.
Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.
