SCORPIONS

Before BLACK SABBATH, before man landed on the moon (or not, depending on how gullible you are),before the Summer Of Love, and since 1965, before most of us were even born, SCORPIONS have been chipping away at rock's constantly evolving core. That, my friends, is longevity.

Recorded on July 5th at the clumsily named Hanover Stadium Arena / Heinz von Heiden Arena in their native Germany, "Coming Home Live" does exactly what it promises to do: celebrate the indestructible legends' 60 years of hard rock and heavy metal excellence. Ignoring the fact that SCORPIONS really have no right to be on this kind of form at this point, this is a live album that needs little explanation. With the 77-year-old Rudy Schenker still serving up riffs like a man possessed, and Klaus Meine hitting high notes as if it is the easiest thing in the world, these revered veterans have managed to completely avoid the law of diminishing returns. The improbably great "Rock Believer" was released in 2022 and was widely hailed as the band's strongest album in decades. The live shows that have followed have reinforced the same point: that SCORPIONS have survived for 60 years without losing their magic, or their enthusiasm for rocking the socks off big crowds in big venues. This is simply what they do, and they have yet to think of a good reason to stop. Congratulations and tributes can be delivered to the stage door. Meanwhile, Schenker's crew have the not inconsiderable business of rocking out to attend to.

For those who have never fallen under SCORPIONS' spell, "Coming Home Live" will seem as inessential as any late career live album one might mention. But for the fans, this performance represents a special moment in time, when the Germans' retreated into the welcoming arms of their most faithful supporters and paid back the love in overwhelming quantities. Not just a greatest hits set, but an almost comprehensive trawl through six decades of great songs and even greater times, this is a powerful snapshot of certified legends at work. It sounds great, which always helps, but it is the relentless stream of anthems that pins you to the wall. Everything from a medley of songs from their much-loved but often unsung '70s albums, to classics from their '80s heyday (including a glut of tunes from 1984's "Love At First Sting"),and on to the fiery "Gas In The Tank" (from "Rock Believer") is given the ageless, SCORPIONS treatment, and to absolutely no one's surprise, the crowd in Hanover goes completely apeshit. Even "Wind Of Change" — a song that remains forever associated with a specific moment in time — has a certain freshness and amiable charm to it. You will sing along, because failure to do so just seems rude. Picking highlights is arguably a pointless exercise because "Coming Home Live" is a party from beginning to end. But just for the record, "The Zoo" is still their best song. For now, at least. SCORPIONS have not hung up their rocking boots yet, and when they are still sounding this good, why the hell would they?