Unbreakable

Unbreakable is the fifteenth album on which Scorpions gather low-centered guitar riffs, steady beats and powerful singing to reaffirm the basic form of hard rock. With some reaction against the experimental predecessor, the songs win on short, strong hooks and the drive of the playing rather than flashy tricks. From the drive of the opener “New Generation” and the aggression of “Love ’em or Leave ’em” to the weight of “Deep and Dark” and the lyricism of “Maybe I Maybe You,” powerful rockers and melancholy melody sit naturally side by side. A construction that shows the band’s long-cultivated breadth without hesitation feels good. Its great significance is that, after the experimental period of the 1990s, Scorpions return powerfully to hard rock, their own origin. Uniting arena-suited scale with the drive of linear rock and roll, it is a reassuring record. Conveying a veteran’s maturity and an unchanging passion for rock at once, it is a fulfilling comeback record.