📚 Homework Alert: Lets Dig into Assault Attack by Michael Schenker Group!
Crank it up and come prepared: What worked—and didn’t—on MSG’s most divisive album
Class is back in session, and this week’s rock curriculum takes us straight into the shred zone. Your assignment? Give a spin to Assault Attack, the 1982 firestarter from the Michael Schenker Group—the album that torched the competition in our March '80s Metal Album Tournament, as chosen by the mighty DMO Union. (Big shoutout to
for throwing this beast into the ring!)If you’ve never crossed paths with MSG before, think of it this way: imagine the melodic precision of vintage Scorpions (yep, that’s where Schenker cut his teeth), fuse it with the theatrical flair of Rainbow-era hard rock, and top it off with razor-sharp guitar wizardry that practically shoots sparks. That’s Assault Attack—a lean, mean 8-track machine with enough punch to knock your Walkman into next week.
This isn’t just another hair metal detour. Assault Attack stands out for a few reasons:
Graham Bonnet (formerly of Rainbow) steps in on vocals, bringing his full-throttle, blues-soaked intensity to the mix.
Schenker’s riffs? Immaculate. Tasteful. Ferocious. Like a flamethrower with a sense of melody.
And that album cover? Pure 1982 chaos—half fantasy novel, half fever dream.
So here’s your three-part homework:
📀 1. Listen to the Album: Fire up Assault Attack wherever you stream (or break out that vinyl copy if you’ve got one). Pay attention to how it balances flash and finesse. Bonus points if you head-bang along to “Desert Song.”
🔄 2. Refresh Your Context:
Catch up on our conversation with Robin McAuley for some MSG history and modern perspective.
Dig into MSG’s full backstory on Wikipedia. (Trust us, it's a saga.)
🧠 3. Come Ready to Debate: Think about what worked on this record—vocals? songcraft? that insane lead tone? And what maybe didn’t hit the mark. We’ll be breaking it all down in the episode, so bring your hot takes and warm nostalgia.
We’ll be dropping the full episode soon, so get those headphones ready.
