SCORPIONS Guitarist: 'We're Going Back To The Roots Of The Band' On Upcoming CD

Polish web site Plejada conducted an interview with guitarist Rudolf Schenker and vocalist Klaus Meine of German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS when the band performed in Zabrze, Poland on December 5, 2009. Watch the chat below.

SCORPIONS have set "Sting In The Tail" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in early 2010. The CD is being recorded at a studio in Hannover, Germany with Swedish producers Mikael "Nord" Andersson and Martin Hansen (the team behind THE RASMUS' "Dead Letters" CD).

Commented Rudolf: "After 'Humanity - Hour 1', which was more in the concept-album [vein], talking about the problems in the world, we said, 'OK, we talked about all these things which [were] happening and now we don't wanna talk again about problems, now we wanna party. We're going back to the roots of the band.

"We have great rock songs — fantastic rock songs — we have great ballads... The mixture if 10 percent ballads and the rest is up-tempo and mid-tempo [material]. And I think we have a great team of people working for us, producer team from Sweden — they're great people — and we're doing this recording in Stockholm and in Hannover, where my studio is.

"It looks great. We have a fantastic sound, because my studio is very good for guitars, and this time we're looking very much also to bring the guitars up, and, of course, with the great voice of Klaus, with the right melodies, giving the right vibe — the typical SCORPIONS sound."

Added Klaus: "We recorded the last album in the U.S. This has a more European kind of feel, I think, working in Germany and in Sweden. And we're looking very much forward to releasing this in the spring and we can't wait to play the songs live on stage.

"We tried to find this spontaneous moment — not to overproduce things and to keep things really fresh.

"There are a lot of great songs on this record. And we always had our fans in mind [when putting the material together], especially the tour next year, because we hope many [of the new] songs we can [perform live] on the road."

Although SCORPIONS' new CD is tentatively due in Europe in March, a U.S. release date has yet to be pinned down. "Azoff Management [which represents SCORPIONS] is currently working on the [record] deal," guitarist Mathias Jabs recently told Scorps News. "Simultaneous release is up to the record companies."

He added, "The weak dollar has been a reason to delay the U.S. release in order to avoid bad imports in the 'rest' of the world, for all non-American bands in recent years."

SCORPIONS recently extended their record deal with Ariola, which is part of the international media conglomerate Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

2009 was the year of the SCORPIONS: they received the German lifetime achievement ECHO, collected many other awards, and undertook a grand tour through Russia, the U.S. and Europe. However, it is 2010 that will set a milestone for the career of the most successful international rock band from Germany. The SCORPIONS will be touring the world for the next two years and performing in the largest venues and stadiums that cross their path. The mammoth tour will be launched for the first time in many years in Germany. "It was important for us to give our fans a chance to celebrate a never-to-forget party with us," said band founder/guitarist Rudolf Schenker. Vocalist Klaus Meine added, "2010 is going to be a very special year for the SCORPIONS, so it is an especially good feeling to be able to start this tour at home."

To top it all off, the SCORPIONS are planning on releasing a sensational statement this January at a press conference.

The performances in Germany will be followed by concerts in the U.S., South America, Asia, Russia and various countries in Europe.

SCORPIONS' brand new DVD, "Amazonia - Live In The Jungle" — a live recording of the SCORPIONS concerts in Manaus and Recife, Brazil — is in stores now.

The band's last CD, "Humanity - Hour 1", was produced by James Michael and co-produced by songwriter/producer Desmond Child, who has worked with such high-profile pop/rock artists as AEROSMITH, BON JOVI, ALICE COOPER, KISS, RICKY MARTIN, CHER, MICHAEL BOLTON and BONNIE TYLER.

Schenker released his official German-language autobiography, "Rock Your Life", in Germany on October 14. An English-language version is also planned. More details will be revealed soon.