This was a do or die era for the SCORPIONS perched to ascend to greater stardom or totally fall as lead singer Klaus Meine had to undergo surgery on his vocal cords and the uncertainty of the outcome haunted the band’s very existence however Don Dokken was picked as a replacement singer if for any reason Meine was unable to continue his duties as vox box in chief. The addictive hooks of “No One Like You,” one of the band’s most famous singles coupled with the bad boy bravado antics at Alcatraz in the San Francisco Bay on the video which was enough to drive a metal crazed public bonkers! Part of this sudden ascent to international stardom resulted from MTV shuffling videos 24 / 7. While albums like “Lovedrive” and “Animal Magnetism” got this particular lineup warmed up and even became the band’s first gold records, it was the 1982 release of the band’s eighth album BLACKOUT that coincided with the mainstream success of heavy metal that SCORPIONS became one of the biggest bands in the entire genre. Hannover, Germany based SCORPIONS has had a few distinct phases in its multi-decade career beginning with its rather uncertain Krautrock meets hard rock beginnings on the debut “Lonesome Crow.” The Uli Roth years developed the band’s distinct mix of catchy pop hooks infused with heavy bluesy rock and early heavy metal but the crystalline lineup didn’t come to fruition until guitarist Matthias Jabs joined the band thus cementing the distinct brash bravado that would propel SCORPIONS to the top of the heavy metal heap where they experienced international success all throughout the 80s. I find it hard to pick favorites from the Uli era but "In Trance" was my first love and I think I like the songs a touch more, but the heaviness, sharpness and shred attack by Uli on this album make it another favorite and one I would highly recommend. But unlike many bands who change direction as much as these guys do here it never feels forced or jarring, on the contrary it's seamless and just makes the album all the more interesting and fantastic. Then you get the funny rocker "He's a woman - She's a Man" with the lyrics provided by Herman. An Epic and beautiful track that Uli still plays regularly in his live sets. Songs like "Steamrock Fever" and "Sails of Charon" are just all out rockers but then you also get the more reflective track of We'll Burn The Sky, written about Jimi Hendrix with Uli's girlfriend who also happened to be Hendrix's girlfriend at the time of his death. The guy is one of the great singers of his time.Įach song on this album has its own special character. The Band is super tight too, playing with laser precision but also unending feel and groove. Uli's guitar playing is nothing short of explosive and add's the depth, darkness, edge and magic to everything. That cheering crowd sound in the background of "Steamrock Fever" sums up how I feel when I hear that kickin' opening track and actually it's how I feel when I hear any of the Uli Jon Roth era albums. The Riffs are rock solid, Herman's drumming is great and of course scorpions unmatched sense of melody is on display throughout as well.
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The moment you hear that jackhammer you know Scorpions are back with another killer metal attack.