Assault Attack  by Michael Schenker Group

In late 1981 - after a successful tour in Japan - and at the beginning of the following year, the band Michael Schenker Group experiences an internal crisis, which leads to many changes in the group's lineup. The biggest change was the departure of Gary Barden (vocals) and his replacement with Graham Bonnet, who came from Rainbow.

With its new lineup, the band moves to France to prepare their third album. The recording venue is Château d'Hérouville, and the album's producer is Martin Birch, who had just completed The Number Of The Beast with Iron Maiden. Schenker and Bonnet - primarily - composed the eight songs that would become the album Assault Attack and which would be released in October 1982. The album's single was Dancer. On its B-side was the non-album track Girl From Uptown.

The album has now gained legendary status regarding the British hard/heavy metal scene of the '80s and is considered by many as MSG's most complete work. Assault Attack reached No.19 in the United Kingdom, but its big success was No.9 in Japan (it was no coincidence that there was a song titled Samurai). In contrast, the American fans of hard rock music did not pay much attention to it, as the No.151 on the Billboard suggests.