Eye II Eye

Eye II Eye is the fourteenth album on which Scorpions widen the frame of their usual hard rock and actively take in programming and a pop texture. While the outline of the guitar and Klaus Meine’s voice keep the band’s character, the songwriting heads in a more compact, modern direction. From the floating feel of “Mysterious” and the pop lift of “To Be No. 1” to the shading of “Obsession” and the experimentation of “Eye to Eye” and “Aleyah,” the songs carry a texture unlike the usual Scorpions. It is not a record only for those seeking heavy riffs, but its power to grasp melody is consistent, and the band’s songcraft breathes even within the electronic tones. Taking in the musical currents of the late 1990s and deliberately changing its own style greatly, it is an unusual work discussed with mixed views. There was bewilderment among longtime fans, yet there is value in the very stance of trying a new face without fearing change — a record remembered as a particularly experimental one across Scorpions’ long career.