Posted on: September 3, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Scorpions – Humanity Hour 1 / 12 Tracks / http://www.the-scorpions.com / http://www.ilovethatsong.com /

I was always into hair metal when I was in high school. Needless to say, I was really worried when I thought I was “playing” the new Scorpions album and heard music that resembled Oasis. Luckily, I just had the wrong disc in the player. Anyways, I really got into hair metal after picking up a greatest hits from the Scorpions. This album helped me considerably, especially when I heard a track like “Winds of Change”. If this album came out before Rush’s latest one, I would have a large amount of doubt in my mind whether the Scorps would be able to cut it. However, since Rush were able to make such a damn catchy album their last time out, I feel as if “Humanity Hour 1” could be good. The band shows that they are not necessarily stuck in the past, as “The Cross” is a track that brings the Smashing Pumpkin headmaster eirself, Billy Corgan, in.
“Hour 1” is the first track on the disc and while it still has the same general rock sound present that individuals would expect from the Scorpions, it really brings the band into a more current type of style. “Hour 1” still has the distinctive vocals that are present in all Scorpions albums, but there is an edge to the guitars and their arrangements that is much more current and up to date. Keeping old fans interested and brining in newer fans to the flock is the best step that the Scorpions can do, and that is exactly what they do with this track.
The way I see it, “Humanity Hour 1” is an “re-invention” of the band’s style, in much the same way as “Psycho Circus” did for Kiss a few years back. Where there was a current approach taken to “Hour 1”, “The Game of Life” is a track that could easily be [played alongside “The Winds of Change” and “Rock You Like A Hurricane”. There is a softness present to the vocals that was present in the former sound, with a set of guitars that could be mistaken for the second. However, there is again a tie to the present, in that there is a wall of sound that brings commonality between the Scorpions and the emo/hardcore bands of today. The Scorpions have been around for almost 35 years, and I have little doubt in my mind they could tack on 15 more easily. Pick this up if you like hard rock.
Top Tracks: The Game of Life, Love Is War
Rating: 7.2/10

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