Germany’s biggest rock band, and one of the biggest of all time in general, are back with new material. It’s their first album since 2015’s ‘Return to Forever.’ And their fifth since the turn of the century. Originally, it wasn’t even going to happen. But a friend and mega fan convinced the band to go into the studio to give it one last crack. And the results are mixed.
The two previous albums: ‘Sting the Tail’ and ‘Return to Forever’ are fairly average. Kind of uninspired, rehashed riffs with thoughtless lyrics and cheesy tropes. And while the new album, ‘Rock Believer,’ is certainly a step in the right direction, it still falls a little short of capturing the excellence of ‘Lovedrive’ through ‘Unbreakable.’ Minus ‘Eye to Eye’ of course. However, it does have some great moments. ‘Seventh Sun’ does recapture the glory days. It’s mid tempo crawl, combined with spacey elements and textures is part of what made the Scorpions stand out in their heyday. The first single, ‘Peacemaker’ is a straight ahead rocker that’s also the Scorps’ strongest in over a decade. Catchy cut time riff and a driving verse rhythm. Hits all the right spots in under three minutes.
Another element of what made the Scorpions in a class of their own was their knack for excellent balladry. And ‘Shining of Your Soul,’ along with ‘Call of The Wild’ fit the bill entirely. The latter is a real hard rocking ballad. With a creative, heavy riff filling in the verses. That combined with the ballad melody of the chorus give the song a lot of strength. The album also closes with a solid ballad. Something the Scorpions have been known to do. Entitled ‘When You Know (Where You Come From),’ it’s reminiscent of the glory days. Which was the goal of the entire album in the first place.
I would say the downside of the album is how it opens. The first three tracks: ‘Gas In the Tank,’ ‘Roots In My Boots,’ and ‘Knock ‘Em Dead’ are just kind of there. Not really inspired. Just taking up space. And it sets a tone. You listen to the opening tracks and think, ‘hey, they’re just going through the motions again. Like with the last two records.’ ‘Roots In My Boots’ is almost a direct knock off of ‘Blackout.’ I understand being inspired by your heyday. But copying it is just cheap. It’s unfortunate, because the rest of the album actually has a lot to offer. ‘Hot and Cold’ also runs into this category of songs. Along with the title track. They’re just so cheesy. And I know the Scorpions are capable of giving more creative energy into a track that the five mentioned songs. So that’s where the ‘mixed’ comes from. There’s strong and weak moments peppered throughout.
Perhaps the band went wrong in trying to recapture something that can’t be recaptured. In the late 80’s Scorpions really matured on ‘Savage Amusement’ through ‘Face the Heat.’ And I think the smart idea would be to try and extend that maturity into what they’re doing today. They’re never going to make another ‘Blackout’ or ‘Love At First Sting.’ It’s just not going to happen. So any attempt is just going to fall short. And that’s what happens here. However, sonically, musically, they sound incredible. Klaus Meine’s voice still sounds unreal. Even at 73 years of age. Really, truly unbelievable. Mikey Dee brings in a newfound energy to the drums. And of course, Rudolph Schenker and Matthias Jabs remain one of the great guitar duos. If you’re a big Scorpions fan, there’s enough material on the album to make it worth a listen. 2.5 out of 5 stars.
