28. October 2026
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Media Review

Michael Schinkel’s Eternal Flame – Man Or God

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Michael Schinkel's Eternal Flame - Man Or God

Michael Schinkel's Eternal Flame - Man Or God
4.9

Rating

 4.9/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Great metal and classic rock album
  • Very versatile and fluent listen
  • Very nice instrumental and vocal performance

Michael Schinkel has quite a long history in the German metal scene. With his band Michael Schinkel’s Eternal Flame, he his adding a new album on 30th October 2026. Here is my review of Man Or God.

 

Michael Schinkel’s Eternal Flame – About The Artists

Michael Schinkel’s Eternal Flame is a heavy metal band from Munich in Germany. In fact, it is the third era of that project. Before, there were similar acts around Schinkel named Firefox (1986 to 1992) and Eternal Flame (1992 to 2004). The current name is used since 2012. The key musician of the band is Michael Schinkel, obviously. However, he is the guitarist and songwriter and rarely appears in the lead vocals. This role is taken by Mark Boals. The other band members are Helmut Kohlpaintner (keys), Fabian Pleiner (bass) and Tommy Wagner (drums). In that era, the band already released two albums, Smoke on the Mountain (2018) and Gravitation (2021). Man Or God is the fifth album over all eras.

 

Michael Schinkel’s Eternal Flame – Man Or God – Track by Track

The twelve track album lasts 55 minutes.

1. Run

Run feels like a perfect opening (or wake up call) for the album. Starting with a brief choir and organ intro, the guitars slowly take control of the song. Schinkel illustrates his expertise on the six string, while Wagner is driving the song with fast beats. The chorus does have a certain simplicity, which additionally leads to that you get into the song easily. However, Run especially strikes on the instrumental side to me.

2. Lord Of Flies

It’s getting heavier – already the first chords of Lord of Flies lead to a slower, but darker vibes. This also gives a stronger focus on Mark Boals, whose vocals are in the center of this song. On the instrumental side the heavier passages have a nice touch by Fabian Pleineron the bass. You just have to bang your head here – the vibes of the song even make it a comparably gentle experience for your neck.

3. So Strong So Wrong

So Strong So Wrong is a straight classic rock track. If you liked the major bands of the 1980’s, Michael Schinkel and his bandmates warm your heart with this. That signature also leads to a certain focus on Helmut Kohlpaintner on the keyboards. However, Boals’ vocals stay in your head the most.

4. Lost And Alone

If your 1980’s rock heart is pre-heated by So Strong So Wrong, this feeling might even increase with the next song. The ballad Lost And Alone even has a nice touch of a folk song. It’s like in the good, old time: rockers are simply at their best when they get a bit of romantic.

5. Right Back To You

The sound stays rather traditional with the fifth track. However, Right Back To You is more rocking and thus leans towards traditional metal. The core part of this song is definitely the chorus. Do you really wanna say you love me, do you really wanna say you care – the lyrics and the melodies nicely underline the doubt and trouble reflected in this song.

6. There Was A Time

The beginning of There Was A Time has a dramatic, epic touch. Kohlpaintner’s keyboard is in focus again. More and more, the band adds energy to this song, in which Boals is having one of his most enjoyable performances. The song describes how love is fading, but a relation still stays, based on the existing affinity.

7. Bleeding Colors

After many strong messages, Bleeding Colors feels a bit weaker. Nonetheless, it is not a bad song. It simply does not manage to leave an as strong mark as the tracks before. The chorus is a nice one, though.

8. Man Or God

There is not too much time to lean back a bit, as the title track is next. Michael Schinkel’s Eternal Flame put a lot of cool stuff into Man Or God. References to Egyptian mythology, complex melodies and a great, hymnic chorus, just to name a few. There are plenty of reasons for smiling while listening to this one. You also have plenty of time to enjoy this one – with 5:45 minutes, it is the album’s longest song.

9. Into Eternity

Into Eternity is less than four minutes, but already its first moments catch you again. The song is thoughtful with a touch of melancholy. The choir-alike part of the chorus is a really nice element, which finally also leads to an uplifting element.

10. No Return

A radio-alike announcement, synth-style melodies and guitar chorus – No Return feels appealing from the very first moment. The song has this fine touch which makes you move your head to the rather slow pace of the song. There is no return, there’s only destiny, there is a brand new world, that’s waiting there for me – the chorus is absolutely epic.

11. In Trance

With Lady Of The Lake being a bonus track, In Trance is something like the finale of Man Or God. This time, Mark Boals is having an easy day – the track is entirely instrumental. The more, the focus is on the band leader Michael Schinkel. He is making use of this focus with an amazing guitar play, beautifully supported by his bandmates. Definitely a fun listen.

12. Lady Of The Lake (bonus track)

The bonus track takes you to 1978 – and gives you Michael Schinkel’s version of the Rainbow classic. The song is definitely a nice add-on and reminds of good, old rock times.

 

Michael Schinkel’s Eternal Flame – Man Or God – Spotify

I will add the Spotify widget once the album has been published. 

 

Michael Schinkel’s Eternal Flame – Man Or God – My View

If you like metal or classic rock, Michael Schinkel’s Eternal Flame gave you an almost mandatory listen. Man Or God is a fluent listen with a lot of instrumental expertise and lovely songwriting. The album has a lot of nice elements in stock, while Mark Boals feels like the perfect choice for this sound on the microphone. This album definitely deserves the Top Pick! rating.

Favorite Song: Man Or God

 

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