Rock Believer

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Rock Believer
Studio album by
Scorpions
Released22 February 2022 (22 February 2022) (UK)
25 February 2022 (25 February 2022) (elsewhere)
Recorded2020–2021
StudioPeppermint Park, Hannover, Germany
Genre
Length44:29
LabelVertigo
Producer
  • Scorpions
  • Hans-Martin Buff
Scorpions chronology
Return to Forever
(2015) 		Rock Believer
(2022)
Singles from Rock Believer
  1. "Peacemaker"
    Released: 4 November 2021[1]
  2. "Rock Believer"
    Released: 13 January 2022
  3. "Seventh Sun"
    Released: 11 February 2022
  4. "Shining of Your Soul"
    Released: 18 February 2022

Rock Believer is the nineteenth studio album by German rock band Scorpions, released on 22 February 2022 in the United Kingdom and 25 February elsewhere.[2][3][4] This is the band's first studio album with drummer Mikkey Dee, who replaced James Kottak in 2016, and their first studio album in seven years since Return to Forever (2015), making it their longest gap between studio albums.

Background and production[edit]

Scorpions toured for over a year in support of Return to Forever, where the band celebrated its 50th anniversary, and about three months before the album's tour cycle ended in December 2016, drummer James Kottak was fired from the band and Mikkey Dee was officially announced as his replacement.[5] Scorpions toured for another three years, and a follow-up album from the band was uncertain, until August 2018 when guitarist Rudolf Schenker expressed interest in recording another album, telling the Digital Journal: "We are still waiting for a moment for inspiration to do another album, like Judas Priest and Metallica did. You have to wait until the time is right."[6] In May 2019, frontman Klaus Meine hinted that "there might be a new album out in 2020."[7]

Progress on Rock Believer had slowly been taking shape for nearly three years, with the writing sessions commencing as early as early-to-mid 2019,[7] and the recording sessions beginning in July 2020 at Peppermint Park Studios in Hanover and wrapping up around the following summer/fall.[1][8] The sessions were supposed to take place in Los Angeles, but the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the band would record the album remotely in Germany, with producer Greg Fidelman participating via Zoom.[9][10] In a March 2021 interview with Robb Flynn of Machine Head, however, Dee revealed that Scorpions were forced to scrap plans to work with Fidelman because of the pandemic.[11] Five months later, Scorpions posted a video on Facebook from the studio where they rehearsed an as-yet-untitled song for an upcoming tour.[12]

On 29 September 2021, the band announced the release of Rock Believer with the first single "Peacemaker", which was released on 4 November, as well as a world tour, scheduled to begin with nine consecutive concerts in March 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Blabbermouth.net8/10[14]
Classic Rock[15]
Sputnikmusic3.5/5[16]

Rock Believer has received mostly positive reviews. Jason Roche of Blabbermouth.net wrote that, with this album, "The rock icons revisit many of the sounds that fueled their superstardom's peak. The level of energy and songcraft present though keep those tracks from feeling tired, and perhaps for the first time in several records, there are even a few anthems that hold up next to the classics we've been re-purchasing on multiple formats over the decades." Roche also referred to it as a "testament to the band's self-confidence that on the fiftieth anniversary of their 1972 debut album, Lonesome Crow, the band's course of action was to simply do the things that they have always done best throughout their existence", and concluded that "Rock Believer serves as a comforting reminder that Scorpions are still capable of generating catchy rock anthems in their later years."[14]

About Rock Believer, John Aizlewood of Classic Rock wrote, "The days of unashamed ballads such as 'Wind of Change', pop-metal ('Is There Anybody There?') and bold experiments ('The Zoo') are long gone. Instead, bar two versions of the majestic, lighters-aloft 'When You Know (Where You Come From)', they've gone full throttle with an intensity that would wind their grandchildren."[15]

Track listing[edit]

All lyrics are written by Klaus Meine, except "Crossing Borders" by Meine and Matthias Jabs

Rock Believer track listing
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Gas in the Tank"Rudolf Schenker3:40
2."Roots in My Boots"Schenker3:17
3."Knock 'em Dead"Schenker4:11
4."Rock Believer"Meine, Schenker3:57
5."Shining of Your Soul"Schenker, Greg Fidelman3:57
6."Seventh Sun"Schenker, Hans-Martin Buff, Ingo Powitzer, Fidelman5:30
7."Hot and Cold"Jabs4:12
8."When I Lay My Bones to Rest"Schenker3:07
9."Peacemaker"Schenker, Paweł Mąciwoda2:56
10."Call of the Wild"Schenker5:20
11."When You Know (Where You Come From)"Schenker4:22
Total length:44:29
Deluxe edition
No.TitleMusicLength
12."Shoot for Your Heart"Meine4:01
13."When Tomorrow Comes"Schenker3:47
14."Unleash the Beast"Schenker4:17
15."Crossing Borders"Jabs3:38
16."When You Know (Where You Come From)" (acoustic version)Schenker3:44
Total length:63:56
Japanese edition bonus track[17]
No.TitleMusicLength
17."Out Go the Lights"Schenker3:39
Total length:67:47
French edition bonus track
No.TitleMusicLength
17."The Language of My Heart"Meine3:54
UK edition bonus track
No.TitleMusicLength
17."Hammersmith"Schenker, Mikkey Dee, Magnus Ax3:44

Personnel[edit]

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Scorpions Announce 'Rock Believer' Album, European Tour With Mammoth WVH". Blabbermouth.net. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  2. ^ Hobson, Rich (4 November 2021). "Listen to Scorpions' hard-rocking new single Peacemaker". Classic Rock. Louder/Future plc. Retrieved 4 November 2021. Rock Believer is out February 22nd 2022 via Vertigo.
  3. ^ "Listen To New Scorpions Single "Peacemaker"". Blabbermouth.net. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  4. ^ Erickson, Anne (5 November 2021). "Scorpions Release Hard-Hitting New Song, 'Peacemaker". 93.3 WMMR. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Former MOTÖRHEAD Drummer MIKKEY DEE Joins SCORPIONS As Permanent Member". Blabbermouth.net. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  6. ^ "SCORPIONS Guitarist: 'We Are Still Waiting For A Moment For Inspiration To Do Another Album'". Blabbermouth.net. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  7. ^ a b "KLAUS MEINE Says There Is Good Chance New SCORPIONS Album Will Arrive in 2020". Blabbermouth.net. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  8. ^ "SCORPIONS Reunite At Hannover Studio To Resume Work On New Album". Blabbermouth.net. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  9. ^ "SCORPIONS Are 'Making Progress' On New Album". Blabbermouth.net. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  10. ^ "SCORPIONS Complete 'First Leg' Of Pre-Production Sessions For Upcoming Album". Blabbermouth.net. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  11. ^ "SCORPIONS Were Forced To Abandon Plan To Work With Producer GREG FIDELMAN On New Album". Blabbermouth.net. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  12. ^ "SCORPIONS Rehearse New Song For Upcoming Tour; Video". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  13. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Rock Believer - Scorpions". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  14. ^ a b Roche, Jason (21 February 2022). "CD Reviews - Rock Believer Scorpions". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  15. ^ a b Aizlewood, John (25 February 2022). "Scorpions: Rock Believer album review". Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  16. ^ Dewinged (25 February 2022). "Review: Scorpions - Rock Believer". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  17. ^ "ロック・ビリーヴァ― [SHM-CD] – スコーピオズ" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
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  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Scorpions – Rock Believer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – Scorpions – Rock Believer" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Scorpions Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Top Stranih [Top Foreign]" (in Croatian). Top Foreign Albums. Hrvatska diskografska udruga. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  23. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 09.Týden 2022 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  24. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Scorpions – Rock Believer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  25. ^ "Scorpions: Rock Believer" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
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  30. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Scorpions – Rock Believer". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  31. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-03-07/p/3" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  32. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/03/02 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 January 2023.
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  41. ^ "Scorpions Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
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  46. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2022". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 27 December 2022.
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