The Scorpions - Pure Instinct (Warner Bros) It is hard to imagine a band that can still sound the same after 24 years. But just when you thought the Scorpions were about to release their umpteenth identical album the band have taken their Euro-rock on a more acoustic path.
Their obligatory air-guitar sing-a-longs remain but listeners will be pleasantly surprised to hear this acoustic-heavy side of the band.
About half of the 11 tracks on Pure Instinct are acoustic-based - such as Does Anyone Know, Soul Behind the Face and Time Will Call Your Name. The latter highlights the band's new unplugged direction with a solid acoustic guitar groove forming a fine pop song - very reminiscent of the band's biggest hit, Winds of Change.
But the German quintet show their pure instinct on Stone in My Shoe and the album's opener Wild Child which are chock-full of the Euro-rock cliches the band helped make famous - heavy production with loads of loud guitars and vocal harmonies.
The songs reek of familiarity to the band's big 1980s hits, such as Rock You Like a Hurricane and Still Loving You.
Vocalist Klaus Meine is in fine form, particularly on the Zeppelin-esque long form rock ballad When You Came Into My Life.