UFO - Sharks
SPV
Hard Rock
11 songs (49'42)
Release year: 2002
UFO, SPV
Reviewed by Marty
Major event
This album sure was a surprise. It seemed like the band had finally self-destructed a couple of years ago onstage in Manchester, England when a drunken Michael Schenker stumbled around and made a fool of himself. He was barely able to play and eventually stormed offstage leaving the other members of the band dumbfounded. The rest of the tour was cancelled and it seemed that it was finally over. I had no idea that they were recording a new album until just a few months ago. They have always been one of my all-time favorite bands ever since I picked up their No Heavy Petting album back in 1976 just because I thought the cover was cool. That album and their subsequent classics, Lights Out, Obsession and one of the best live albums ever, Strangers In The Night, changed my attitude towards hard rock and heavy music and changed my life. Music could be rich and heavy with lots of guitar power chords but still be melodic, bluesy and have lots of feeling at the same time.

There's a certain chemistry between the three remaining members of the classic line-up, Phil Mogg, Michael Schenker and Pete Way. Original drummer, Andy Parker, is no longer with the band and their current drummer is the veteran. Aynsley Dunbar. MSG (Michael Schenker Group) and even the Mogg-Way collaboration between Phil and Pete have never been able to quite capture the magic that happens when all three get together.

This new album, Sharks, continues the legacy of U.F.O. very effectively with it's Michael Schenker trademark of chunky, riff driven songs and the classic, almost soulful singing style of Phil Mogg. No-one sounds like this band and they have a very unique, clever way of turning a somewhat simple rhythmic structure into a great song. Like every other U.F.O. album, every track on this album has a very distinct character and feel to it. The opening track, Outlaw Man features some slide guitar by Michael and then turns into a full blown U.F.O. rocker. Phil belts out vocal lines which are defiant in character and draws parallels between the aging outlaws of the wild west and the aging rock stars that they themselves are becoming. A typical, very charismatic and classic vocal delivery as only Phil Mogg can. Serenity features a slower trudging pace again with big fat power chord riffs and another classic U.F.O. chorus. Michael provides some great lead fills over the chorus which adds lots of warmth and melody. Shadow Dancer and Sea Of Faith are both uptempo songs with good catchy melodies and choruses.

The track Someone's Gonna Have To Pay is certainly a highlight of this album. It has a slow pounding heavy beat that really reminds me of The Zoo by Michael's brother Rudolph's band, The Scorpions. It features a blusey style with lots of thick, hypnotic power chording to drive the song. Phil sings about the world's infatuation with nostalgia, especially the 60's, but only in the styles and fashions, not of the rebellious attitudes and even states that "The revolution's gone, there's no revolution song". Michael adds to the theme with some cool Wah-Wah soloing.

I wish these guys would use Ron Nevison again to produce their albums. His touch of adding a little polish and energy to their sound is really missing. I'm not too thrilled with Michael's lead playing on this release either. On most tracks, he uses mainly the front pick-up on his guitar, giving a much weaker sound and his solos sound like he was just winging it. It's like he just went in and played something off the top of his head with very little thought or rehearsal. His playing is also very sloppy and more abstract with little of the preciseness and technical flair he usually known for. There's very little of the emotional and thematic lead style that has made this band's sound so unique.

Other than a few minor complaints about production and some of the lead playing, this album has a classic U.F.O. sound to it and really takes me back to the No Heavy Petting and Force It albums. It's great to hear from these guys again and I hope another tour will follow. I saw them in 1985 when it was only Phil and Pete left from the original band. I'm still anxiously awaiting the chance to see them with Michael Schenker. We'll see what happens on the road this time!!!

Killing Songs :
Outlaw Man, Serenity, Shadow Dancer, Someone's Gonna Have To Pay and Sea Of Faith
Marty quoted 79 / 100
Other albums by UFO that we have reviewed:
UFO - You Are Here reviewed by Marty and quoted 84 / 100
UFO - Covenant reviewed by Danny and quoted 93 / 100
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