Scorpions - Humanity-Hour I
After thirty five years, one would think that and grizzled old veteran band like the Scorpions wouldn’t be able to put out an album that is still relevant. Old bands sometimes suffer from losing the intensity and integrity of their original sound, or, even worse, attempt to change their sound drastically to keep up with the times.
With their twenty first studio release, Humanity - Hour I, the Scorpions have managed to do neither, and narrowly slip in between these two perils to come out with an album that tastefully blends their old sound with several new elements that they have yet to explore.
There’s quite a range too, from the dark and heavy opening track, Hour I, to the solid 80’s pop-ballad sentimentality of Love Will Keep us Alive, they show that they have been growing as musicians. The second song, The Game of Life, proves that they can still sting with the same testosterone as Rock You Like A Hurricane.
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There are, however, a few poor attempts to reconcile with the modern music scene that would have been better left out. Billy Corgan makes an appearance on the song, The Cross, and sort of ruins it with his unmistakable voice. One cant help but ask, what did Smashing Pumpkins ever have to do with Scorpions? There is another song that feels like an attempt to reach the youth, We Will Rise Again; it has a modern metal feel and is a tad bit self glorifying.
Its great to see the Scorpions back in the game though. Sort of how ironic how a band can stick to their guns, disappear from the limelight for twenty years, and resurface when the sound they originally started out with has become retro.
Bands like the Darkness and other eighties throw backs have to contend with the real thing now!
Santosh Lalonde.
All album traks:
1 321 3:54
2 You’re lovin’ me to death 3:16
3 The future never dies 4:04
4 We were born to fly 4:00
5 The game of life 4:04
6 Hour I 3:26
7 Love will keep us alive 4:32
8 We will rise again 3:50
9 Your last song 3:44
10 Love is war 4:20
11 The cross 4:30
12 Humanity 5:27