MANSLAUGHTER THUG LIFE: SCORPIONS - "RETURN TO FOREVER" (2015; limited CD release)

Freitag, 18. August 2017

SCORPIONS - "RETURN TO FOREVER" (2015; limited CD release)

SCORPIONS - "RETURN TO FOREVER"
(Running time: 66:43 minutes; 17 songs)
("Sony Music"; 2015; CD/limited edition, feat. 4 bonussongs)

Hey folks, I managed more or less succesfully to get myself up again, at least a little bit, and so now it's time to kick things "off'n'loose" here again. Today I'm returning with a record-review on a 2015 release and it's no other than the so far still current SCORPIONS' album "RETURN TO FOREVER" released in, of course, 2015 via "SONY MUSIC". Yes, yes, yes, I know, back then five, six, if not already seven years ago with "STING IN THE TAIL" the SCORPIONS announced their final good-bye-album and since then several different live and compilation releases and then in 2015 with "RETURN TO FOREVER" even another full-length-album saw the light of day, I know... but you know what: Who the hell cares?!? If you don't like it, well that's fine, just don't take notice, just don't care. And if you like? Well, then all is even more "finer". I grew up with the SCORPIONS and they were one of the first Hard Rock/Heavy Metal bands I've ever listened to and I managed more or less to stick with them through "ups'n'downs" over now 25 years and I love to see and hear them being finally again/back as strong now in their (late) autumn of their career like back in their glory days and so I was incredible curious about this album back then... and how the SCORPIONS conquered me with "RETURN TO FOREVER", just outstanding amazing, and they conquer me all the time again and again with it. This is heavy rockin' and energetic rollin', yet very catchy and especially hymnal/anthemic Hard Rock of the greatest and strongest kind, filled with killer guitar work that shines in the fantastic rhythm work and rhythmic arrangements and that so nimbly work larger than life symphonic melodies, exciting solos, and grapping leads into it all, sometimes with a "bluesy" and sometimes with a "jazzy" tone, sometimes toned strongly Rockabilly-like, all very fresh, strong, highest skilled, and just totally stand alone; and that here are the SCORPIONS and no one else at work you get right from the get-go and all the time. Amazingly unique. And yes, the guitars really are the strongest marking element of the songs and the music, together with the absolutely stunning and charismatic lead vocals. The rhythm section then is going very diverse, versatile, tight, beefy'n'bulky, and elated, all at the same time, at/to work. What I really love is the fantastic fresh and alive/lively, very diversified outstanding highly exciting songwriting that's in some parts maybe even one of the strongest ever in the anyhow outstandingly strong SCORPIONS histo-/discography. A lot of fresh and grapping surprises, attention arousing twists'n'turns, highly energetic dynamics, greatly done variations of rhythms and pace(s), yes, "RETURN TO FOREVER" is an incredible rich filled treasure box that holds a lot of just sheer fantastic gems for us to discover in store. And it's also a highly emotional album filled with strong, honest emotions and that delivers a rich palette of different and wide ranged moods and tonings/tones. Something that's also nothing but great and even "greater-than-just-great" is the fact that this album is incredible relaxed and smooth in the sense that you really get right from the start and without any break up through to the final that here's a band delivering the goods that's completly doing solely what the fine gentlemen in the band want to do, you really get that there's nothing like the need to convince anyone anymore or so and that's just so refreshing and makes me "only" love "RETURN TO FOREVER" even more. And that the four bonussongs are songs that also shine as bright as the regular album songs just showcase how strong the SCORPIONS (again) really are these days. My personal favorites are "GOING OUT WITH A BANG", "WE BUILT THIS HOUSE", "ROCK MY CAR", "HOUSE OF CARDS", "ROCK'N'ROLL BAND", "HARD ROCKIN' THE PLACE", "EYE OF THE STORM", "THE SCRATCH", and "GYPSY LIFE", and from the bonussongs especially "THE WORLD WE USED TO KNOW", "DANCING WITH THE MOONLIGHT", and "WHEN THE TRUTH IS A LIE" are purest gold, ah, damn it, and for "ONE AND ONE IS THREE" that counts as well. And yes, I have to admit, I simply love this unique and stand-alone album, and I just love the SCORPIONS, period. The lyrics are also just first-class and the artwork is a pure beauty and the production sound is "in-just-one-word" perfect. One of the very best Rock/Hard Rock albums I've listened to in years and probably also one of the very best we'll listen to for years to come; and also probably one of the very best ever. I can only recommend this larger than life album, and so, yes, if you are into supreme Rock/Hard Rock music and you (why-the-hell-ever?) really shouldn't know/have "RETURN TO FOREVER" already then you should change this as soon as possible. My highest recommendations.

(10 of 10 points)

https://www.the-scorpions.com/ (-the link to band's homepage)