Scorpions' 'Rock Believer' - Album Review

I think that sometimes it is easy to take a band like Germany's Scorpions for granted. Bands that feel like they have been around forever, and who have generally released strong albums, can sometimes just feel like a part of the furniture - and it is easy to forget just how important a band has been in the history of hard rock and metal. The Scorpions, especially here in the UK, seem to often fall into that category. I think that it is fair to say that the band are significantly more popular in the rest of Europe and America than they are over here - but any metal fan worth their salt recognises what a great legacy the band have amassed over the years. It is also easy to forget that they will be 60 in 2025, having formed back in 1965, especially as big mainstream success did not really come for the band until the 1980s. This success was huge, however, which culminated in Wind of Change becoming one of the biggest selling singles of all time when it was released in 1991. Since then, however, the band have not achieved anything like the album sales that they previously did - but they remain a popular live act. In truth, some of the band's 1990s and early 2000s work probably did not deserve to sell in big numbers, but the last decade or so has seen the band bounce back. Both 2010's Sting in the Tail and 2015's Return to Forever (which I reviewed here) are very solid entries into the band's canon in my opinion. This showed on those albums' respective tours, which saw material from them sitting seamlessly alongside the band's classic songs. One thing that did rub me up the wrong way about those albums however, as well as 2007's Humanity: Hour I (with which I am much less familiar), was the huge reliance on outside songwriters. The songwriting partnership of frontman Klaus Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker was what much of the band's success was built on, but the amount of co-writers that were involved with their recent albums made me wonder if they were struggling a bit to come up with quality material on their own. I still enjoyed the albums, but they were certainly Scorpions by committee. This is not the case, however, with the band's newly released nineteenth studio album Rock Believer - which came out at the end of February. Following seven years after Return to Forever, Rock Believer feels like an old-school Scorpions album. It contains 11 songs and lasts for just under 45 minutes - and there are very few co-writers in sight. The Meine/Schenker writing partnership seems to have found its mojo again, and the lead work from long-time guitarist Matthias Jabs is particularly potent. It is also the band's first full-length studio album to feature new drummer Mikkey Dee (King Diamond; Motörhead), who joins bassist Paweł Mąciwoda in the rhythm section. The album is self-produced alongside Hans-Martin Buff, and it has something of a 'live' feel to it - without too many studio tricks and enhancements.

One thing that is worth mentioning about this album early on is that, with the exception of the last song, there are no ballads here. The Scorpions have always written great ballads, but some of the their recent albums have seen them dominate somewhat. Rock Believer is very much an up-tempo, hard rocking album, however, and this allows the album's sole ballad to have much more of an impact as it closes things out. As such, then, the album starts as it means to go on with Gas in the Tank - a memorable hard rock anthem that kicks things off with a bang. The song's opening chugging riff could have come from any of the band's classic 1980s albums, and the use of a police siren during the intro also recalls many songs of the era - as similar sounds were used by lots of bands. This simple riffing style is perfect for the song, however, as it really allows Meine's vocals to shine. He still sounds great, and he barely sounds like he has aged at all. He can be a little bit hit and miss live these days, but throughout Rock Believer he sounds like his old self. The song's melodic chorus really benefits from his anthemic, melodic style - while the verses are a little more gritty to suit the crunchy riffing. The solo from Jabs is another great moment too, as it is packed with chaotic shredded leads that up the energy levels further. For me, Gas in the Tank is one of the strongest songs here - and the album really benefits from it roaring out of the gate from the off. Roots in My Boots is slightly less furious, but it still rocks hard. The riffing style is a little bluesier at times, but the choppy style of Jabs is very much evident throughout. Schenker and Jabs have always made for a great team, and that is evident throughout this album. There are plenty of bluesy leads from the latter throughout this song, while Schenker's riffs and rhythms are as tight as ever. The song's chorus has something of a darker tone this time, but it is still memorable - and each time I hear the song I like it more than I did previously. Knock 'em Dead slows things down somewhat, and takes more of a mid-paced approach - which again recalls the classic era of the band. The song's main riff is quite simple, again, but it is so obviously one from Schenker's canon. His rhythm guitar style is very clearly identifiable - and Knock 'em Dead is very much a quintessential Schenker composition. Meine's voice is a little grittier here too, particularly during the verses which see him almost talking some of the lyrics - before the chorus explodes with AC/DC-esque hooks and a pounding Dee beat. The album's title track follows, and it slows things down further. Whilst the song is a not a ballad, it does take a more mellow path during the verses. It opens with a great stomping, Queen-esque rhythm, with some screaming guitar leads, before everything drops out to leave a simple acoustic guitar to back Meine during the first part of the verse. The verses do build up gradually as they move along, however, but the song truly explodes with its chorus - which is anthemic in the band's trademark style. It is a song that is sure to go down well live thanks to its big hooks - and it is the latest addition to the band's collection of true stadium rockers.

The next two songs take a slightly darker, heavier path - and at times remind me of the band's 1970s output. They are not as neo-classical as the Uli John Roth era, but they are less overly commercial sounding - and allow the band's natural heaviness to shine throughout. Shining of Your Soul is the first of these numbers, and it is built around a hypnotic guitar hook that sits on top of a heavy riff. This melody resurfaces regularly throughout the song, with even the verses' clean guitar rhythms aping it somewhat - although a prominent bass groove from Mąciwoda helps to create some additional life. The chorus is very simple, and is largely built around the same guitar hook - which further entrenches the hypnotic nature of the melody. This melody, or a similar variation of it, is never too far away - and that gives the song a strange, but unique, identity which mixes heaviness and mystery nicely. Seventh Sun is somewhat similar, but more overtly heavy. There is less focus on guitar leads this time, with the riffing of Jabs and Schenker instead driving everything - while Mąciwoda pulses away slowly in the background. The song is one of the slowest cuts here, but this only allows the heaviness to really shine. There is certainly a slight doom vibe throughout, especially during the parts when slow-paced guitar chords are really pouring out of the speakers. The song's chorus is a little more melodic, but it never reaches the anthemic levels of the album's early efforts. The song does not need poppy melodies however, and it is great to hear the band operating as a true metal act - as it is a sound that they have not really toyed with much of late. Hot and Cold, which was written by Jabs rather than Schenker, retains the heaviness of the previous two tracks - but moves the band closer in sound to their 1980s heyday. The verses are much hookier, with something of a call-and-response style employed - with Meine responding to the guitar riffs nicely. It also features a chorus that is more like the album's opening examples, with poppier melodies that instantly stick in the brain and a much bouncier rhythm. As such, the song is a good mix of the band's heavier side and their more stadium-friendly one. It is another song that is likely to go down well live, and Jabs' trademark choppiness is very much pushed to the fore. When I Lay My Bones to Rest ups the pace again, and returns to the pacier approach of the album's opening cuts. The heaviness of the album's mid-section is retained however, and there is real muscle to the track - which clashes nicely against the old-school rock 'n' roll vibes throughout. Some of the riffs here have something of a Chuck Berry feel, and there is a bluesiness throughout. This gives the song an accessibility despite its heaviness, and it is a bit of a feel-good track as a result. There are better songs here, but the song's bounce and good-time vibes help it to stand out, and it is fun hearing the band pay tribute musically to some of their heroes of the 1960s.

The album's lead single Peacemaker, which is the first Scorpions track to be co-written by Mąciwoda, slows the pace down again somewhat - but returns to the band's more anthemic sound in a big way. Jabs' opening guitar melody is really hooky, and recalls some of his best efforts of the 1980s, while the chorus is simple to allow Meine's voice to really shine. Again, his melodies are simple - but they perfectly capture the classic Scorpions sound. It is a song that is easy sing along to, and it worked well as a lead single for that reason. The chorus is very hooky too, but it goes for a surprisingly heavy sound considering how anthemic the song is. This is not the band's usual pop metal, but the song instead has a chorus packed with hard-hitting riffs, screaming guitar leads, and some excellent heroic Meine vocals. Despite it being a short song it is one of the best cuts here, and it is largely due to this snarling chorus and the excellent guitar firepower of Jabs. Call of the Wild is another more blues-based track. It slows things down again further, and uses a mix of snaking, groove-based riffs and clean guitar melodies throughout - with the latter adding depth to the dirty blues of the rest of the song. Funnily enough, the song's main riff to me sounds more like a Michael Schenker riff than a Rudolf Schenker one - with the bluesy groove sounding different to the band's usual approach. The focus on the blues here works well, however, and it is another song that allows Meine to really showcase his vocal talents. The slower pace gives him more room to breathe, and there is a lot of emotion and grit in his delivery here. Jabs' guitar solo is full of aching phrases too. It is less shreddy than the rest of the solos here, and slows things down to allow for some more typical blues phrases - which stand out nicely despite the song's remaining overall crunch. As mentioned near the start of this piece, the album comes to a close with a ballad. The lack of ballads up to this point allows When You Know (Where You Come From) to hit harder, and the smoothness of the piece allows the album to end on a real high. The Scorpions' ballads tend to all take a similar road, and this one is no different, but as it is the only one here the formula still feels fresh. Meine's voice has always really suited the band's ballads, and the chorus is one of the album's best thanks to his emotional delivery. Schenker handles the guitar leads this time too, as he often does during the ballads, and his smoother playing allows for the song to pack more of an emotional punch. Schenker's leads and Meine's vocals are the perfect ballad combination, and as the song's rousing final chorus plays out this could not be clearer. The ballad helps the album to end on a real high, too, although there are no real weak links here. There are a couple of songs here that do less for me than the others, but most of the tracks have already become earworms. Rock Believer may just be the Scorpions doing what they do best but, considering it is an album released exactly 50 years after their 1972 debut Lonesome Crow, hearing the band sounding so vital and passionate all these years on is good enough for me.

The album was released on 25th February 2022 via Vertigo/Universal Music GmbH. Below is the band's promotional video for Peacemaker.