Unbreakable Scorpions Sanctuary Records, 2004   Buy it online Reviewed by Lucas Aykroyd	If you tap into the wisdom of your Microsoft Word thesaurus, you'll discover that synonyms for "unbreakable" include "permanent," "rugged" and "unchangeable." And all of those adjectives apply when it comes to the latest offering from this German hard rock quintet, their first studio album since 1999's Eye II Eye. Since forming in 1972, the Scorpions have outlived and outsold all of their Teutonic contemporaries, whether fellow metal screamers like Accept or one-hit pop wonders like Nena. While critics praised the band's experimentalism in the 1970s, the 1980s brought them mega-platinum success in North America with hits like "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and "Still Loving You." But after the 1990 ballad that commemorated the end of the Cold War, "Wind of Change," the Scorps struggled to maintain a consistent level of critical and popular appeal. They were still selling out arenas across Eastern Europe, Asia and South America, but 1993's Face the Heat and 1996's Pure Instinct didn't contain the killer singles of yore. Unlike the Germans who fumbled their way out of contention in the Euro 2004 soccer tournament, Unbreakable doesn't drop the ball -- it puts the power back into Central Europe. The stuttering, heavy guitar riff of "New Generation" is vintage Rudolf Schenker, and Klaus Meine's clean, accented vocals advocate the themes of peace and hope he's been tirelessly touting since "Wind Of Change." The twisty lick that jumpstarts "Deep And Dark" is, as Meine says in the CD's video message, a Matthias Jabs classic, recalling the flavor of 1990's "Tease Me Please Me." Arguably the most enjoyable track on the album is "Borderline," a euphoric 80s-style stomp-along with an instantly accessible melody, and (best of all for retro fans) a repeated fade-out chorus ending, something you probably haven't heard in a while. "Maybe I Maybe You," a reflective piano-based ballad with tinges of Queen, showcases Meine's clean, emotional vocals. It's remarkable the 56-year-old's pipes are still in such good shape, more than 20 years after he underwent an operation for nodes on his vocal chords and had to completely retrain himself. Is this record a nostalgia trip in many respects? Sure. The presence of new bass player Pawel Maciwoda does nothing to alter the basic harmonic flavor that's run through the Scorps' songwriting since the early 1980s and has survived the departure of such longtime members as Francis Buchholz (bass), Ralph Rieckermann (bass) and Hermann Rarebell (drums). Unbreakable could have come out right after 1988's Savage Amusement and still been embraced by most fans. With the sonically dynamic production of veteran Erwin Musper, this is unabashed Big Arena Rock. But it's all about the zeitgeist, and the time is right for an album like this. As recently as 2000, you just couldn't have delivered a line "If your blood is too hot, rock with me." But that's exactly what the Scorpions have done here, and they have every reason to feel sanguine with another world tour in the works. | August 2004   Lucas Aykroyd has written for such magazines as Rock Sound, Metal Hammer, Powerplay Rock and Metal Magazine, and Classic Rock. He is the author of 1984: The Ultimate Van Halen Trivia Book.