This one was a surprise to me. I hadn't heard anything about Michael working on a new album or a new incarnation of MSG, but there it was in my mailbox all the same. With old UFO drummer (and Racer X vocalist) Jeff Martin, bassist Rev Jones and a new unknown singer, Schenker was at it again. Unfortunately, it's got just a terrible cover design, a bad photo with poor composition, a weak double exposure effect and really poorly done type. To make matters worse, Schenker is sporting a big Grizzly Adams style beard. To be honest, I didn't hold out much hope that it would be any good and it sort of fell to the bottom of the pile for a while. I pulled it out a few days later and popped it into my cd player and wow. The first four songs are fantastic. I was stunned. It has a great Badlands or Lynch Mob sound to it that I just wasn't ready for and I really liked it. Now, in all honesty, those four songs are the best on the cd, but still it's a hell of an eye opening beginning. It was almost five really good songs in a row, but even though the verses to track five are really good, the chorus is pretty weak. There are a few others worth mentioning in Standin' on the Road, On Your Way and Eyes of a Child, but for the most part it sort of tapers off after the initial onslaught. There is one track towards the end called Roll it Over, where Jeff Martin takes over lead vocals, not a very good song, but a point worth noting anyway. The album has thirteen tracks so there is some filler stuff on here, but I must say that the overall vibe is pretty solid. The singer has a raspy mid-ranged voice that is very reminiscent of a lot of those older rock bands like Bad Company or even early Riot and Whitesnake. So even though he is the newest member of the band, he really adds an almost classic rock edge to their sound. It's very similar to the effect that Gillen's voice had on Badlands. Hence the Badlands comparison. The band plays really well together and the production is nice. All in all, this was a pleasant surprise for me. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give Be Aware of Scorpions a 7.5 out of 10.

Review By Scott Bazzett

Reprinted Courtesy of www.rathole.com

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