"They don't make good music like they used to." Every rock band with a long career has heard some kind of joking comment like that, and it certainly wasn't different for the Scorpions after five decades on the road.
Too professional to be shaken by haters, it was a sincere question from a fan that challenged the band during the creative process of their new album, Rock Believer . One day, after a show, a dedicated admirer asked: Why not make an album with the sound of the classic Blackout (1982) once again?
The challenge is anything but simple: 40 years of history and transformations, both personal and within the group, separate these two moments in history. From that lineup, the unstoppable trio from Scorpions' most successful phase remains: Rudolf Schenker , Klaus Meine , and Matthias Jabs are still going strong, now joined by Paweł Mąciwoda on bass and Mikkey Dee on drums.
“Oh, come on! It’s been a long time, it’s easy to say that,” was the vocalist’s first reaction to the fan’s comment, as he recounted in a YouTube Premium . “But then, it was like he was throwing down a challenge to us, in a way.”
It's not as if they needed to win back their audience; on the contrary, every year younger generations jostle for space at the band's shows, reason enough to make them abandon the idea of retirement a few times. Even so, their respect for the audience and passion for their work prevailed, and the band immersed themselves in the project, despite the difficulties of the pandemic.
"We didn't record this album to get on the charts – if that happens, great, but this album was made for our fans and to do something heavier," Jabs summarized in the same interview.
With a new lineup and enviable experience, the band focused on the challenge of returning to their roots and finding the "DNA of Scorpions," seeking a heavier sound from the old days – and they managed to surprise with "Seventh Sun.".
While “Peacemaker” and “Rock Believer” were more aligned with Return to Forever (2015), the band's most recent album of original material, the new single proves that Scorpions can still make rock like they used to: with a stormy and distinctive atmosphere, in the style of “The Zoo”, the song features dense riffs, prophetic vocals and grandiose harmonies, with nocturnal and nostalgic solos that transport the listener through space and time.
The final result of the endeavor to renew the pact with rock and the love story and complicity with fans around the world can only be heard on February 25th, when Rock Believer is released in its entirety, but the almost six minutes of "Seventh Sun" already show that they weren't kidding when they promised a return to their roots.
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