It was a bit of a long slog for one of Germany’s greatest musical exports to achieve chart dominance in the states back in the day. Yet ever since frontman Klaus Meine shrieked out “Are you ready, baby???” on the anthemic “Rock You Like a Hurricane” back in ’84, the Scorpions have rarely ever had to prove since how crucial and vital they are to the worlds of heavy metal and hard rock.
While we were led to believe that the group was calling it a career a few years back following their Return To Forever album, it turns out they put the brakes on that course, whipped right around, and drove headfirst back into their creative wall to release Rock Believer — their 19th studio release and easily one of their best overall, right up there with Blackout and Love At First Sting. For anyone who fears the group is running on empty, chuck those fears out the window.
Not since hearing AC/DC’s glorious Power Up album in 2021 have I been so pleased to hear a legacy band (50 years since their debut release!) sound so fresh; so revitalized; so keen on not riding out their catalog until the very end (at this rate, let’s hope THAT never happens!). There isn’t a throwaway track on Rock Believer — when Meine sings “Let’s play it louder, a little hard” on opener “Gas In The Tank,” you realize that not only is the Scorpions’ musical gas tank filled-to-the-brim; they traded in the whole vehicle for a major upgrade. Brevity wins out here — tracks are tight and to the point, with no frivolous build-up or over-the-top production needed to bolster sound and sensibility.
Perhaps it’s the inclusion of new Scorpions drummer Mikkey Dee (formerly of Mötorhead) who is an expert at speed but still knows when to infuse groove into the beat. As always, the stalwart guitarist duo of Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs prove they can easily go toe-to-toe with classic Judas Priest Tipton-Downing (check out “Shoot For Your Heart” on the album’s deluxe version and try not smiling when Meine exclaims: “I can sleep when I’m dead!”). Yet there’s no need for the pair to rely on flashy solos to stake their claim here; simply tuning strings down and turning volumes up does the trick (key examples being “Peacemaker,” “Seventh Sun,” and “Call Of The Wild”).
The same mindset carries over to Meine who doesn’t shriek or wail or worry about hitting the right vibrato. He cares most about complementing the edge of his bandmates. In doing so, he sounds remarkably pristine. On the (ironically titled?) “When I Lay My Bones To Rest,” Meine spews out lyrics at rapid force, recalling the recently departed Meat Loaf from his “Dead Ringer For Love” days. All that’s missing from “Roots In My Boots” is a cameo appearance from Ronnie James Dio as this track has Black Sabbath’s “Neon Knights” plastered all over it. “Knock ‘em Dead” harkens back to the band’s Lovedrive era when their rise to the top begins with “Loving You Sunday Morning.” Meanwhile, the album’s title track has the drive of “Rhythm Of Love” from Savage Amusement.
Closer “When You Know (Where You Come From)” proves to be the only quote unquote ballad on the album’s single version but it ends on a poignant note. Meine sings the lyric “Just be true to yourself — it’s your life” and you realize the band is reflecting its own musical philosophy, one that took them from Mercury Records, to MTV, to multiplatinum mega-stardom. The hope now is there’s enough material left in the musical tank for at least another album of this caliber.
~ Ira Kantor
