So today I have the great privilege of reviewing the latest album by German Metal legends, the SCORPIONS. Taking a moment to say what an honor it is to be given the chance to review an album by a band that has inspired so many musicians and artists over the years, that this is just incredible and truly one of my high points of being in Metal-Temple. From when the band announced their retirement with their last release, "Sting In The Tail", we see the band return even stronger with the new release "Return To Forever"!!

So lets get this started, shall we? I wanted to start this one off with the first track, "Going Out with a Bang". So as the song starts off, we start with this smooth and gentle blues beat that quickly kicks in with vocalist Klaus Meine's unique voice kicking it in to a different gear, as the song starts to pick up, along with guitarists Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs bringing in the double heat of their twin guitar attack with a bang!!. From the start and to the finish, this track holds the elements of what the Scorpions are best known for, and that is being a heavy band that can bring it every time, without fail. But what I really love about this track mainly is the fact that it is by far one of their most bluesy tracks to date, bringing in all sorts of elements to treat this song the way it should.

The next track I chose to add to this review, is by far, one of the most beautiful ballads you will hear all year, ladies and gentlemen, "House of Cards". As many old school SCORPIONS fans will know, the band are very well known for creating some of the most beautiful and catchiest ballads in Hard Rock and Metal; this song, ladies and gentlemen, is no exception at all. From the very start, we have the signature sound that the band have been able to keep going since the very beginning, adding different emotions to each song with a familiar touch added each time. What makes this song special though, compared to the others, is that it holds something new for new listeners who may not be as familiar with the band as others; so in a way, this track allows for the newer generations of SCORPIONS fans to take the time and take in the emotions that the band have placed inside this track. I think what this track brings for me as a fan, is a sense of familiarity, as it does resonate with some chords inside. I guess what it makes me feel is that, as a kid, I started listening to this band singing to each of their songs, from "Winds of Change" down to "Rock you like a Hurricane", and now here I am reviewing their latest record; it is very surreal.

So now we come to the conclusion. I'm not going to lie when I say I have taken my time with this review, as I wanted to make sure that everything this review had in it was from a fans point of view, besides, this I can say for certain that the SCORPIONS are here to stay. This record shows us all that the original class of greats is still around to show that they still have what it takes to keep up with the twenty first century, and this record shows just that, ladies and gentlemen.<