General Information

Original Author: Stevie-Ray-Vaughn

Artist: ScorpionsLink title

Album: Humanity: Hour 1

Genre: Heavy Metal

Tracklist

01. Hour 1
02. The Game of Life
03. We Were Born To Fly
04. The Future Never Dies
05. You're Loving Me To Death
06. 321
07. Love Will Keep Us Alive
08. We Will Rise Again
09. Your Last Song
10. Love Is War
11. The Cross
12. Humanity

Sound

9
What happened to the powerballad Scorpions of the 80s? Where did they go? This album is 10 times heavier than anything Scorpions had ever previously put out, with tracks like "Hour 1" and "321", but it's still got the softer, ballad Scorpions we all knew and loved, on tracks like "Love Will Keep Us Alive" and "The Future Never Dies." This album can definately compete with albums like Blackout and Love At First Sting. A must-have for any Scorpions fan.

Guitar

9
Rudolf Schenker continues to please on this album with his incredible songwriting, but adds a new twist, with heavier guitars that could almost pass for death metal. Father Time hasn't taken his toll on Matias Jabs' either, his solos are still just as good as they were in the 80s. From the heavy distorted solo in "Hour 1" to the classical-like solo in "Humanity", he's still got everything in his bag of tricks

Bass

6
The bass on this album, although nice to bop your head to, could have been a little more unique in my oppinion. Instead of just following what the rhythm guitar is doing, Pawel could have come up with a different bassline that fit, sounded cool, but didnt just play what the guitars did. However, I feel the overall album makes up for the simplicity of the bass

Drums

9
On this album, James Kottak uses more double kick than ever used on a Scorpions album, and, imo, it sounds terrific! I do, however, feel that he used a lot of repitition on this album, something I'm usually not particularily fond of, but he pulled it off, and did an amazing job doing so!

Vocals

10
This is probably one of the only albums I will give a 10 to on vocals. Klause' voice is just incredible on this album! If you liked his voice in the 80s, you are going to LOVE his voice on their new album. His dynamics have improved drastically, and he can still hit the high notes like in the 80s. I am yet to find a person who can imitate Klause Meine's voice, and it's not studio touch-up, because he can do it live too!

Lyrics

8
Many of the songs on this album are about love, but they are incredible lyrics.

From "The Future Never Dies"

I'm lost in your eyes
Reaching out to cross the great divide
You are drifting away
Mind and soul and body day by day

Nothing's stopping you and I
It's do or die tonight

So tell me why I'm alone
When we're lying here together
On a night that's so cold
And you're just a touch away
Baby try to hold on
Till we make it to forever
We're alive
And the future never dies

From "We Will Rise Again"

Holding on to you like broken glass
Every touch cuts deeper than the last
I know I should leave
But it feels so good to bleed

Poison kisses lock us in this cage
Our lives got twisted in this masquerade
I can't seem to shake this incurable need
This endless addiction I feed

Angels on fire
They fall from the sky
Heaven and hell will be burning tonight
Covered in ashes I cry out your name
And out of the flames
We will rise again

Overall Impression

9
I haven't been able to stop listening to this album since I picked it up in 2007. It has such a twist on the Scorpions sound, yet it resembles it so much, you're not going to be able to take this album out of your CD player!