SCORPIONS UNLEASHED THEIR HEAVIER SIDE 34 YEARS AGO

On March 29, 1982 Scorpions unleashed their heaviest album yet and also shaped the future of their commercial success.

Prior to this release, the band experienced a consistent pattern of prosperous yet incidental records during their five year stretch with guitarist Uli Jon Roth. Once Roth left the group, it allowed two major factors to transform the direction of Scorpions.

Guitarist Matthias Jabs and producer Dieter Dierks were brought in ’78 and created their first album a year later with Lovedrive. This LP also featured a reunion of the band’s classic lineup with the return of Michael Schenker, however it was short-lived after he left to form The Michael Schenker Group.

The remaining members would carry forward with a big and broader tone, stripping away from the 70’s hard rock and altered into a heavy metal-centric sound.

Blackout showed Scorpions‘ first effort at a fast-paced, more aggressive album. Although Klaus Meine’s voice is distinctively melodic, he demonstrated how to deliver a very direct singing style precisely alongside the furious rhythm section.

Side One offers the most hard-hitting tracks such as the title track and Can’t Live Without You, both embedded with devastating riffs, solos and killer screams. While there are ballads implemented on this record, No One Like You stands out as powerful wave of force instrumentally, giving it a full purpose and place on Blackout.

Other highlights like Now display the boogie rock found throughout the band’s catalog with an extra kick to it. Instead of abiding by their familiar shuffles such as Another Piece Of Meat and Don’t Make No Promises (Your Body Can’t Keep), this number had a more assertive and meaner attitude behind it. China White also shared this feeling with its audibly angry and thick riff.

Scorpions were also billed on the 1983 US Festival with other groups thriving from the early 80’s like Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen and Judas Priest. The event was aired live on MTV and gave the band plenty of publicity to keep their momentum on the rise.

The following year came Scorpions‘ commercial breakthrough, Love At First Sting which put them at the height of their glory and established the German rockers on an international scale.

But before they reached the climax in their career, the band produced a solid heavy metal milestone and presented the ultimate platform to build on for the future success ahead of them.