Scorpions – Return To Forever

When the Scorpions announced their retirement way back in 2010, the band let alone their fans would never have dreamed they would still be here in 2015 celebrating their fiftieth anniversary! Better still was the news of a new Scorpions album, Return To Forever to be released. It all started with the band planning on re-recording eight songs for a fan only release but new material was written in the studio so eight songs turned into a whopping nineteen! Twelve songs have made the cut to the standard format and sixteen to the deluxe edition.

Return To Forever is certainly not the sound of the Scorpions treading water in their twilight years. In fact these songs are so vibrant it makes it my favourite Scorpions album since the 1982 release of Blackout. Yes it really is this good. Klaus Meine’s vocal delivery is as powerful as ever on the rockers and sublime on the ballads. When it comes to rock ballads the Scorpions always deliver and the three here are as gripping as ‘Holiday’, ‘Still Loving You’, ‘Always Somewhere’, ‘When The Smoke Is Going Down’ etc.  As the teasing blue grass intro leads into the seismic riffs for the chorus and even some Rolling Stones like guitar lines midway to the aptly titled opener ‘Going Out With A Bang’ proves that this is no nostalgia trip but the sound of a band chomping at the bit. They continue with ‘We Built This House’, It’s ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’ like intro, use of “whoa oh oh oh’s” and a chorus that gets straight in your head make it my track of the album.

Other highlights are ‘Rock My Car’, full of  hefty ‘The Zoo’ like riffs and an over the top guitar solo from Matthias Jabs as Klaus bellows “Rock, rock, rock my car, lets put some pedal down to the metal”. The first of the three ballads is next. ‘House Of Cards’ has a spine tingling vocal over acoustic guitars with minimal stabs of electric. ‘All For One’, an on the road song brings the heaviness back with a gonzoid abrasive main riff and a huge chorus of “All for one, standing tall through high and low”.

The almost Sweet like intro to ‘Catch Some Luck And Play’ gives way to a thick, almost grunge like main riff with yet another razor sharp Matthias solo midway. The Rolling Stones vibe raises it’s head once more with the main riff of ‘Rolling Home’ akin to ‘Honky Tonk Woman’ as James Kottak’s thumping drum patterns lead to a monstrous chorus. ‘Eye Of The Storm’ strays into power ballad territory with the wistful vocal of ” Another year running is through my veins, some moments wasted, some will remain”. The languid opening verses are given a shot in the arm when the power chords kick in.

Return To Forever ends on the third and final ballad ‘Gypsy Life’. Another on the road number with Klaus’ lyrics reflecting on relationships whilst on tour with the touching “True love is hard to find when your on the road”. A haunting way to end the album due for release via Sony Music on February 20th 2015 in Europe and February 23rd in North America.

Scorpions band line up :-

Klaus Meine – Vocals.

Rudolf Schenker – Guitars.

Matthias Jabs – Guitars.

James Kottak – Drums.

Pawel Maciwoda – Bass guitar.

Album track listing :-

Going Out With A Bang.

We Built This House.

Rock My Car.

House Of Cards.

All For One.

Rock N Roll Band.

Catch Some Luck And Play.

Rolling Home.

Hard Rockin’ The Place.

Eye Of The Storm.

The Scratch.

Gypsy Life.

Bonus tracks on the deluxe edition :-

The World We Used To Know.

Dancing With The Moonlight.

When The Truth Is A Lie.

Who We Are.