Scorpions

Pure Instinct (Atlantic)
by Rich Romaine

The Scorpions may be losing their hair, but… okay, I’ll say it, they still rock you like a hurricane. Years ago, the Scorpions patented formulas for melodic hard rock songs, both pounding hard and silky smooth, and Pure Instinct continues in that tradition. Offering up a 50/50 balance between driving beats and scorching riffs and impassioned ballads, the Scorpions have produced yet another release of their signature sound. From the bagpipes-and-guitar intro of “Wild Child,” a tasty blend that hasn’t been pulled off properly since, ahem, Big Country, to the first it’ll-cut-through-glass vocal of Klaus Meine, it’s obvious who you’re listening to. The melodies are as catchy as ever, the guitarwork as crisply produced and impressive as ever, and the typically anthemic lyrics are as quotably inane as ever. Whether it’s a fist-pumping rocker about a burning woman (“She’s on fire/She’s on fire/She’s on fire/…and the love she makes rocks the mind off my brain”), or a lighter-waving ballad about how Klaus is still lovin’ you (When you came into my life/it took my breath away/Cause your love has it’s way/To my heart/Into my heart”), The Scorpions stack the harmonies to the ceiling, and alternate accordingly between screaming solos and subtle strumming. With Pure Instinct, their first album for Atlantic and thirteenth studio recording overall, the Scorpions prove they’ve lost none of their sting.