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Been a fan since 1980, been disappointed with much since 1993, didn’t expect much with Rock Believer and it blew my mind. Never thought they had it in them, they still rule the stage but the studio stuff has suffered greatly over the last three decades. Definitely some nuggets here and there and Unbreakable was solid but otherwise most studio stuff has been lacking and far inferior to the early days. To have a release like this, 50 YEARS after their first album, is simply unbelievable. Not a single bad track, the first three are decent enough but what comes after is simply an amazing array of hard, heavy melodic songs that unleash the power of the guitars and the incredible vocals that once propelled this band to fame many years ago. I never conceived that they’d make an album rivaling their best but incredibly I think this is one of their best. To say I’m shocked is an understatement, I don’t know if the addition of Mikkey Dee influenced this take-no-prisoners album or if they just decided to let loose but whatever the cause the result is what I consider their best album since LAFS . A very guitar centric album featuring a return of Matthias Jabs' leads and fills that have been largely absent since Crazy World, incredibly strong lead/rhythm guitar duos reminiscent of the old days, and perhaps Klaus Meine's best ever. Haunting vocals, his voice is not only still golden but still amongst the best ever. With Klaus & Rudy over 70 and Matthias not far behind this is likely their last album and if so damn, did they go out in style! How many bands release an album after 50 years and how many of those release anything of substance? Not many but Scorpions have done it and Rock Believer is the crowning jewel on an incredible career. It’s pure melodic power, pure rock excellence. Buy the 2 CD version, the extra 5 tracks are not bonus filler but solid songs consistent with and an extension of CD 1 and well worth the money. The songs also offer a wide range of style with various tracks sounding like a perfect fit from a previous album: Knock 'Em Dead (Crazy World) Rock Believer (Sting In The Tail) Shining Of Your Soul (Lovedrive) Seventh Sun (Animal Magnetism) Hot And Cold (Taken By Force) Peacemaker (Unbreakable) Call Of The Wild (Taken By Force) When You Know (Humanity Hour 1) Shoot For Your Heart (Blackout) When Tomorrow Comes (Face The Heat) Crossing Borders (Unbreakable) In all I consider 11 of the 16 songs as excellent which would exceed the number of excellent songs from any previous album and also the total number of songs on most previous albums. Among those 11 I consider 4 truly great and among the best in the band's entire discography: Shining Of Your Soul Seventh Sun Call Of The Wild This is not an album that takes getting used to or one that grows on you, on first listen I knew this was special and that it would go down as one of my all-time favorites. I've had four listens so far and each time I end up getting choked up at certain points at what I'm hearing, sounds I've hoped to hear for many years and that have now come to life on Rock Believer. This is truly a rock masterpiece, a solid album that starts out with promise and progresses to a higher level with a wide diversity of powerful melodic songs. Congrats to Scorpions, I hope this gets the recognition (and sales) it deserves.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
GREAT CD GREAT LISTEN TO SONGS TO
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
One of my favourite bands - so chuffed with purchase
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Great release
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Awesome
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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