Post by jptheprofessor on Jan 24, 2008 15:53:06 GMT -5
SCORPIONS – HUMANITY HOUR 1 (NewDoor Records) The Scorpions returned to their hard-rocking basics on their last album, 2004’s Unbreakable, delivering their most confident-sounding set in years. On the group’s new album, Humanity Hour 1, the veteran German rockers collaborate with several writers, including producers James Michael and Desmond Child, Marti Fredericksen and Eric Bazilian (formerly of The Hooters). The apparent objectives here were to bolster the overall strength of the group’s songcraft and tailor a more contemporary, radio-accessible sound. The album’s dozen songs are focused and streamlined, and the production by Child gives the Scorpions a deeper, fuller, polished sound, plus a more modern rock sheen. Several songs display a rigid nu-metal dynamic, such as the opening track “Hour 1,” “We Will Rise Again,” and “The Cross,” the latter with Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame on backing vocals. There are several milder-flavored tracks such as the radio single “Love Will Keep Us Alive,” the orchestrated “The Future Never Dies,” “Your Last Song” and “Love Is War.” A few songs; “The Game of Life,” “You’re Lovin’ Me to Death,” “321” and the closer “Humanity” retain more of the group’s traditional sound. Singer Klaus Meine’s voice is in excellent form through it all, sounding stronger, smoother and clearer than ever. And Matthias Jabs’ and Rudolf Schenker’s guitars sound razor sharp and operate well within the context of these songs. But while it all sounds clean, concise and polished; Humanity Hour 1 ultimately comes across as too calculated and forced, and sacrifices the rawness and overall energy that made Unbreakable such a welcome return to form. The Scorpions often sound like they’re performing somebody else’s songs. While it has its moments, Humanity Hour 1 suffers from too many cooks and too much streamlining and big production, at the expense of the group’s hard-rocking identity. While not as huge a misstep as their 1999 techno experiment Eye II Eye, this album similarly finds the Scorpions and their collaborators tinkering with the group’s formula, and the results are uneven and ultimately disappointing.