Scorpions have been working on their first album of new material since Return to Forever for almost a year. The band had recruited producer Greg Fidelman , who has worked with Slipknot and Metallica , to bring a heavier sound to the project, but he dropped out of the partnership.
Mikkey Dee , former Motörhead drummer and current drummer for the German band, explained in an interview on Robb Flynn that the impossibility of having an in-person meeting with the producer led to the band's decision to cancel the project. The band was recording the material in Germany, while Fidelman attempted to collaborate remotely via Zoom sessions, but the format proved unproductive and the partnership fell through.
“We tried for a whole month to work on the songs via Zoom, (…) but it was almost impossible for him to grasp our vibe and for us to understand his ideas,” Dee said (via Blabbermouth ). “So we decided it would probably be better to try and do it ourselves, and that’s what we’re doing. But I’m sure Greg would have put his magic ear to this album, and it would have been fantastic too.”
The band hasn't ruled out a future collaboration with the producer. “It’s very difficult to communicate [online]. But maybe on the next album, who knows? We decided to move forward and do the best we can,” Dee continued. “And we have Hans-Martin as our sound engineer. He’s brilliant.”
Scorpions album is still untitled and without a release date, but the drummer has indicated that recording should be finished in the next two weeks. After that, the work will go to Michael Ilbert for mixing.
