Music review: Scorpions 鈥� 鈥楻eturn to Forever鈥�
The 18th studio album by the Scorpions was never meant to be.
After a noteworthy career of delivering some of heavy metal鈥檚 more memorable songs, 2010鈥檚 鈥淪ting in the Tail鈥� was supposed to be the German heavy metal band鈥檚 swan song.
I guess I should have been suspicious when the final track of the album was titled 鈥淭he Best Is Yet to Come.鈥�
While contemplating life without a stage, the veteran rockers became inspired and returned to the studio to muscle out one more album.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going out with a bang,鈥� sings Klaus Meine on the latest album鈥檚 opening track.
Meine continues to sound forever youthful and endlessly energetic on a collection of rousing rockers and soaring ballads ushering in another spirited Auf Wiedersehen.
The Scorpions first captured my attention with 1979鈥檚 鈥淟ovedrive鈥� with its provocative album cover and explosive three-guitar assault provided by Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs and the returning Michael Schenker on killer cuts like 鈥淎nother Piece of Meat,鈥� 鈥淟oving You Sunday Morning鈥� and the scorching title track.
The band is at its best delivering straightforward rockers like 鈥淲e Built This House,鈥� 鈥淩ock My Car,鈥� 鈥淎ll for One鈥� and 鈥淗ard Rockin鈥� the Place.鈥� Catchy power ballads such as 鈥淗ouse of Cards,鈥� 鈥淕ypsy Life鈥� and 鈥淓ye of the Storm鈥� are reminiscent of the earlier classics 鈥淪till Loving You鈥� and 鈥淲ind of Change.鈥�
The quality of the arrangements offered on 鈥淩eturn to Forever鈥� solidifies it as one of the band鈥檚 best releases.
It also provides plenty of support to convince the rockers that retirement isn鈥檛 an option just yet.
鈥淚t鈥檚 better to burn out than to fade away,鈥� sings Neil Young on 1979鈥檚 鈥淢y My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue).鈥�
At the moment, the Scorpions don鈥檛 appear to be in any rush to choose either one of these options.