Michael Schenker, "Temple of Rock," Guitar Shred in the Spotlight

Michael Schenker? The Scorpions, UFO, his own bands, he's been around for years, establishing street cred as a premier hard-rock guitarman. So here's his new album, Temple of Rock (INAK 9103). It's hard edged with plenty of good guitar moments. Singer Michael Voss is onboard throughout. I have not gotten used to his style. Sorry.

As for the rest, the songs and the shred, it's good. Very good. A high point is the final track, with a "Three Generations Guitar Battle" between Schenker, Leslie West and Michael Amott.

Hard rock/metal guitar-shred fans will dig what Michael is doing here.

GNO Scores A Ringing Metal Success with "Cannibal Tango"

The French power trio GNO are all about metal that has push but also musically progressive melodic band pyrotechnics, something like Green Day meets Frank Zappa, or perhaps Dwezil. Their second album Cannibal Tango (Sensory) has a brutal lyricism about it with three-part vocal harmonies, the blazing guitar of Christophe Godin, and the complementary kick of Peter Puke (great name!) on drums and Gaby Vegh at the bass.

Listen to the title cut and you'll get it right away. Those who live in this realm of music will appreciate Cannibal Tango, but I think it will also appeal to those not ordinarily indulgent about the genre, people looking for metal that has the musical sensibility and ambition of the best of its fusion counterparts out there.

The songs are very solid with plenty of musical elements to grab your ears. And Christophe Godin will make air guitarists out of even the most inhibited listeners.