2004. One of the weakest, stinger-less album covers they’ve ever done. Not even worth blowing it up full size.

Yeah, that’s it. But here’s the real question, what exactly does this say about the music inside the unceremonial packaging?

1. “New Generation” - 4/5 - a hard, punchy scorps rocker with a slightly mellow chorus. A young chorus/choir (Jody’s Kid Choir) is employed towards the end with some impact. Normally i’m not a big fan of putting kids singing but it sort of works here.

2. “Love ‘em or leave ‘em” - 4/5 - strong, catchy chorus with strong fretwork support.

3. “Deep and dark” - 3.5 / 5 - some effective Klaus wails.

4. “Borderline” - 2 / 5 - punchy guitar riff, but vocals and chorus seem cliched. Scorpions worst enemy as far as originality is themselves; songs like this personify 2004 Scorpions.

5. “Blood Too Hot” - 2 / 5 - faster riff and backbeat, but where is the blazing solo? Solo is weak and uninspired. What’s up with the lyrics in this song? “To join the family of spiders” … is this a football game and it’s a cheer on the team song, or what?

6. “Maybe I Maybe You” - 0 / 5 - totally forgetable piano, keyboard and Klaus vocal mellow song. Odd considering the scorps are known for some great mellow rock songs like “Still Lovin’ You” that they would have an awful song like this, though their last album was an unplugged collection of songs and it is only available as an import. Reviews I’ve read have not been favorable.

7. “Someday is Now” - 3 / 5 - thundering bass line with good chorus. The music suggests a flashy solo and when one comes it is competent but too short.

8. “My City My Town” - 2 / 5 - a me too song with nothing that really stands out except the music stopping briefly and then a familiar drum fill that is used in other songs on the album. Guitar solo sounds like something off a Foreigner album.

9. “Through My Eyes” - 4.5 / 5 - best song on the CD. It has a mellow feel with hard rock chorus. This is one to crank up. It sort of reminds me of mixing Lady Starlight with The Zoo. Again the solo is just too short though. Some great Klaus screams: Through my eyyyyyees! A unique and clever song ending with an audio slowdown..

10. “Can You Feel It” - 3 / 5 - nothing sticks out here except the effects pedal for the guitar solo. Not a bad song, it is just an average Scorpions song.

11. “This Time” - 1 / 5 - this song is typical B-side rock album filler. Move along.

12. “She Said” - 4 / 5 - This is the other ballad and is better than Maybe I Maybe You but it isn’t as good as too many other scorps ballads. It sounds like something Bon Jovi wrote. The best part is the melancholy last 30 seconds: No,no,no,no,no don’t walk awayyyyyyyy.

13. “Remember The Good Times” - 3/5 - Listed as a retro garage mix, but not explained anywhere where the original mix is sort of closes the album on a confused note. The song itself has a tinty sound and it is obvious mixed from the rest.I really want to like this CD but it pales in comparison of what made the Scorps popular through the late 70s and 80s. In the video segment it says they are trying to go back to the roots but the album cover art isn’t even paying homage to those roots.

Average score = 2.76 rounded up to 3 stars. In grade terms a mere C+.

Just an average and ironically breakable effort form a band that is capable of so much more. With the recent Florida hurricane (and perhaps in poor taste), a local news station was playing the Scorpions “Rock You Like A Hurricane” which reminds folks of 80’s Scorpions arena style rock and roll. It’s too bad because some of the riffs on Unbreakable are really catchy, the guitar sounds are punchy and well produced, but the botched ballad, some weak lyrics and the overall musical de je vus just add up to exactly what is displayed on the cover art: a lack of originality.

There are a few goodies/extras on the CD for those who go that far like a video with some commentary about how they wanted to go back to their roots and how this is the best album they’ve done in “five years” but considering their last release, Acoustica, was an import-only of prior unplugged-type songs and before that they knocked off Metallica with the whole let’s get a well known symphony and record some of our popular songs with a full orchestra backing. Something just isn’t right about listening to some tuba player spazzing over the great lick he just played on “Bad Boys Running Wild.”