“Steamrock fever, screaming rock believers.” – Klaus Meine, 1977
“Scream for me screamers, I’m a rock believer.” – Klaus Meine, 2022
SCORPIONS – Rock Believer (2022 Universal 2 CD edition)
The album of the year could be from a 57 year old band!
Although they’ve been trying hard, off and on, to recreate the past for the last 20 years or so, Scorpions never convinced us it was the 1980s again. Until now.
Whatever happened (be it the intense focus granted by a worldwide pandemic, or just the magic of interpersonal chemistry), Scorpions have issued their best record since Love At First Sting. Even the cover art recalls an earlier time in Scorpions history. With Rock Believer, the band have proven that time is no obstacle.
There are a lot of songs here and almost all of them are highlights. Opener “Gas in the Tank” feels like vintage, top-notch Scorpions. While Matthias Jabs emulates the sound of a car chase on his guitar, Rudolph Schenker lays down the first of many fully-leaded riffs. Though vocalist Klaus Meine no longer screams all the time, neither does Ian Gillan or very many other singers his age. The singer is still recognizable as nobody else, hanging onto his power and range. Nowhere on the album do you miss the screaming. Never do you say “all this song needed was a scream.” With the title “Gas in the Tank”, Klaus Meine may have unknowingly come up with a new anthem for 2022.
The only track that comes off as substandard by comparison is the second one, “Roots In My Boots”. On any past album from Crazy World on, it would be a high-speed highlight. On Rock Believer, we headbang along knowing that something better is coming. The chorus fails to land and neither do the lyrics. We are redeemed on third track “Knock ‘Em Dead”, which has the patented mid-80s Scorpions chug. Throw some candy-coated Matthias fills on top and it’s the classic sound. Klaus mentions “The Zoo” in the lyrics but it’s not all Judas Priest-like self-referencing (though there’s plenty of it on this album).
The gem of the album is “Rock Believer“, a truly remarkable ballad/rocker that strikes all the boxes. Klaus’ vocal performance is truly remarkable, going from forceful to tender in a single line. I am a rock believer like you too, Klaus. “Rock Believer” is an example of hard rock songwriting perfection. Every ingredient and aspect of the performance is flawless. Nothing extraneous, although drummer Mikkey Dee gets to go a little nuts at the end, which is a brilliant touch. It is rare to hear a song as immediately catchy as “Rock Believer” these days, but here you go, rock believers! This chorus is the kind that can stick in your head for the whole of a long weekend. (Trust me.)
A loud gothic riff on “Shining Of Your Soul” gives way to a familiar lighter reggae vibe similar to Scorpions classic “In Trance”. It’s a brilliant melding of two styles, and one that reaches back to the glorious 1970s era of the band. Certainly not a re-write of “In Trance”, but possibly a sequel. Jabs’ solo is absolutely brilliant, but don’t ignore underappreciated bassist Paweł Mąciwoda who brings a schooled melodic approach.
“Seventh Sun” stomps like the Scorps of old, recalling “The Zoo”. The bass leads the way while a sharp, sparse riff punctuates the song. It sounds like a huge mammoth of a beast, prowling heavily through the steppe. Scorpions don’t lose sight of melody and so “Seventh Sun” is strong in this regard as well. At 5:30, it is longest song on the album and closest to an epic.
Back to high-octane rockers, “Hot and Cold” really kicks. The riff is heavy and Paweł really goes for those low bass notes. While the chorus on this song is fine and dandy, it could be an example of a tune where the verses are superior. At least in terms of interesting and mind-grabbing guitar work, they are. Soon there’s another stinging riff, on the thrash-paced “When I Lay My Bones to Rest”. If you like your hard rock blasting fast and loud, then you will love “When I Lay My Bones to Rest”. Another heavy tune, “Peacemaker”, has been well received by fans. Scorpions have a long history as a band with a consistent anti-war stance. “Peacemaker” is the latest and possibly heaviest of these tunes. From the guitars to the chorus, “Peacemaker” rocks massive with melody and catchy stabs of guitar.
“Call of the Wild” is a different kind of song for this album. Klaus mentions a “Lovedrive”, but this song is one of their heavy and slow sex romps. It is somewhat unremarkable next to other tunes on the album, but it is different and picks up towards the end. Dig the slight “Sympathy for the Devil” homage. But have you noticed it’s been 10 songs, and not a real ballad among them? Ballads used to be a scourge of Scorpions albums, becoming too numerous especially on 1996’s Pure Instinct. This time there is only one, and it’s a classy one left for the end. “When You Know (Where You Come From)” is a thoughtful song, but it is the rare Scorpions ballad that stands as strong as the classics. It has a late 70s, early 80s construction and an absolutely epic guitar solo section.
11 songs with no instrumentals, interludes or fillers already makes for a hearty album. Scorpions had enough material written to make it a double, and so there’s a bonus CD with six bonus tracks. Seven in Japan, including their exclusive bonus track “Out Go the Lights”, an Accept-like heavy metal warehouse stomp. While “Out Go the Lights” is clearly bonus track material, the other six songs are not. Some of them are among the heaviest songs.
“Shoot For Your Heart” is album-worthy, with a cool unique lick in the riff that leaves you crying for more. This is a high-speed driving tune, the Scorpions bread and butter. “When Tomorrow Comes” has spoken word choruses with a forceful heavy metal riff and more “ahh, ahh, ahhs” than you can shake a scorpion’s stinger at. Good banger, but perhaps a bit too different for the proper album? It would not have weakened the record, but could possibly alienate listeners with weaker stomachs. “Unleash the Beast” is another bangin’ track, and check out Paweł’s deft bassline. “Unleash the Beast” doesn’t have the same kind of melodic might that most of the album has, but its strengths lie elsewhere, such as the creative guitars or Klaus’ talk-sing stylings. The vibe changes on “Crossing Borders”, a laid back rocker with charm and hooks. The guitars have a sleazy rock vibe and the lyrics follow suit. The final bonus track is an acoustic version of the closing ballad “When You Know (Where You Come From)”. The acoustic guitar solo perfectly augments Klaus’ flawless vocals. It’s a lovely coda and an appropriate way to end the extended version of Scorpions’ best album in decades.
Even with the wealth of of material on the deluxe edition of Rock Believer, missing is the ballad “Sign of Hope“, their 2020 standalone download-only lockdown single. Hopefully we’ll get a physical release of that eventually, though with the world now emerging it seems less relevant.
Though there are a couple songs that strive to be as good as the others, there’s nothing here worthy of the skip button. Even with the bonus tracks, Rock Believer is a solid listen from front to back. You cannot go wrong with either version, so just get one. Lockdown sucked and it was good to know Scorpions were using the time to create new music. Let’s support them in their efforts and celebrate their success.
5/5 stars
That good,eh? Now I cannot wait to hear it.
Cool review thanks.
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Bought it but haven’t heard it yet (though have heard a couple of songs on the radio or online). My wife and I have tickets for a concert in June. A couple of days Kansas, which had been postponed two or three times, was cancelled. Bummer. But hopefully the rest will go through. Also this summer Iron Maiden, and the excellent cover band The Iron Maidens, just a few days apart. And UFO. And to give them a chance Greta Van Fleet. And Nick Mason. Rock on!
Meine is amazing: still has that 70s voice.
Interestingly, Jethro Tull have also released their best album since 1982.
And ABBA have released their first album at all since the 1980s. I’m sure that the Scorps and Maiden are ABBA fans.
I’m not a fan of mashups, but this is good:
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Great review and no argument from me on any of it. It will be a long while before I have to review it, so for now, I’m just enjoying it.
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I said this on Deke’s review: It is great to see Mikkey Dee still working!
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Mikkey was never going to be out of work. I’m sure Don Dokken would have taken him back in a heartbeat. What’s great to see is Klaus and Rudy still working, 57 years later!
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I’m still happy for Mikkey, lol
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Nothing wrong with that. You sure can tell which kid was Mikkey in the music video.
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Cliched response warning! They made a rock believer out of me.
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I haven’t listened to this one yet, but I still want to check it out!
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Totally awesome Lana! As was your list last Friday night. I admit it was an emotional list for me and inspiring too.
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Aww, thanks so much Mike! I was worried my picks were a bit odd, so I’m glad you enjoyed the list! Thank you again for letting me submit a list for the show! I hope it went well!
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It went awesome! And you inspired me to keep writing about certain topics.
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Awww, I’m glad my list inspired you in a good way. Yesss!!! I love it when you open up and talk about mental health! What we need in this world is people we can look up to and turn to for guidance during difficult times.
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Love Roots In My Boots. Totally reminds me of Blackout. Flashbacks man flashbacks
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Well there ya go. Proof that I don’t always get it right, and proof that this album has a broad appeal.
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That’s encouraging – to see that 57 years in, they can still put out quality stuff!
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57 years? Holy hell. That’s gotta be longer than the Stones, eh?
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No Stones are at 60 now I believe. At least they’re calling their tour Stones 60 or something like that.
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I think it gets murky, with them. Was it really 1962? Hm. Wiki says yes, anyway.
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It’s a cool album and good to still have em writing and recording new music.
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The Stones did indeed start in ’62, their first single was in June ’63 I think. But in ’62 you had Mick, Keith, Brian, Ian Stewart, gigging and recording first demos in November. Wyman joined that November and Charlie formally joined January ’63. They were a working band and in ’63 had the first few singles, and their first UK national tour (supporting Little Richard, Everly Brothers and I think Bo Diddley).
The Scorpions album I agree is their best in a long while. Starts slow but really picks up steam from the title track onwards.
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Thanks for the comment Gearoid! Hard to believe they have such a long history isn’t it?
I cannot wait to give Rock Believer a run on the highway this weekend. I’m planning on rocking this one and the new Ghost on a road trip.
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I’ve been a Stones nutter for almost 30 years, love their full catalogue. Yes, even most of Micks solo albums! Met Ronnie and Bill. Saw them 14 times from ’95 to most recently 2018. My 8 year old is a big music fan, mostly pop but a good portion of rock also, and the Stones are in there too. Particularly Paint it Black
The Scorps I’ve been listening to for as long. Deep catalogue with gems aplenty. Particularly the 70s Uli John Roth era.
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I think I have all the Scorps albums up to Pure Instinct. I started getting pickier about what I was buying after that. I didn’t want Eye II Eye at all and I still don’t have it. I don’t have most of their albums since then, with Unbreakable and Humanity being exceptions.
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