Although he apparently shot himself in the foot several times throughout his career, guitarist
Michael Schenker always seems to manage to land back on his feet. And the latest "personal victory" came in the form of 2003's
Arachnophobiac. After exiting
UFO after a several album-long "reunions," rumors spread about
Schenker's health and well-being. But the longtime guitar hero silenced his doubters with an extensive tour, as well as an all-new solo release.
Schenker has hooked up once more with quite possibly the best vocalist he's worked with since
Phil Mogg, a chap named
Chris Logan, and also enlists the help of a rhythm section that is certainly not light on technique -- bassist
Stu Hamm (best known for his work with
Joe Satriani) and drummer
Jeremy Colson (
Marty Friedman,
Steve Vai). Although there is plenty of exceptional guitar work here (after all, it's on the Shrapnel label -- known for its shred-heavy releases),
Schenker puts songwriting first, resulting in such standouts as "Evermore" and "Illusion." Although the lyrics become a bit predictable at times,
Arachnophobiac (which means one who is scared of spiders, by the way) proves that
Schenker is still alive and well. ~ Greg Prato