When I was 16, Scorpions released the album ‘Lovedrive’ and I immediately fell in love with their music, and not only sought out both ‘Animal Magnetism’ and ‘Blackout’ when they were released but went back to some of their earlier material and was especially a fan of the ‘Tokyo Tapes’ live release. However, “Winds of Change” left me decidedly cold and I have missed all their studio albums since ‘Love At First Sting’ until this one turned up in my in box. I must admit, I nearly filed the email but instead decided I owed it to myself to see what they were doing now, even though it wasn’t going to be any good. How wrong I was.
Guitarist Rudolf Schenker must be one of the longest-running members of any hard rock band, having been there since he formed the group in 1965 while singer Klaus Meine has performed on every album even though he joined four years later. Lead guitarist Matthias Jabs has been there since 1978, filling the shoes of the legends Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth, while bassist Paweł Mąciwoda has been there since 2003 and even drummer Mikkey Dee has been there since 2016 (joining after the end of Motörhead). This is not what I expected Scorpions to sound like whatsoever, as while there are some slower numbers, such as “When You Know” they still have plenty of balls and power, while there are also quicker songs such as the belting “When I Lay My Bones To Rest” which has something about it which reminds me of “Speedy’s Coming” which they released all the way back in 1976. Both Klaus and Rudolf were born in 1948, so at the time of release they were both 74, but this does not sound like the work of septuagenarians but instead of a group of guys who are hungry for life. That song stands up against anything they have ever recorded, and the album as a whole is causing me to have a rethink of the band and their legacy.
Forget you ever heard them whistling, and instead discover a hard rock band who are being true to their roots and combining that with polish and experience to produce something which is very special indeed.
