SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs spoke to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about the band's upcoming studio album. Tentatively due before the end of the year, the disc will mark the German hard rock legends' first release since 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", which was an anthology of SCORPIONS' new and classic material. "We're working on a new record now," Matthias said. "We have to go to Australia, New Zealand and some places in Asia in February, but as soon as we come back, we concentrate on the recordings. We're rehearsing here in Hannover, Germany, and then we're going over to Los Angeles to record with Greg Fidelman, who is a producer who produced METALLICA and SLIPKNOT lately — something with a bit of a harder edge to it. And then we record the album in L.A. And then we go to [Las] Vegas [for the SCORPIONS residency in July]. And if we are not done [recording] by then, we have a studio on hold in Vegas where we could do some overdubs on the days off." Asked if Fidelman's involvement in the new SCORPIONS album means that the music on the record will follow a slightly "heavier" direction than some of the group's recent efforts, Jabs said: "I think so. Because we want it, and everybody says, 'Do something like in the old 'Blackout' days, [and] 'Love At First Sting'.' So, that is the idea. We're just a little bit older than we were back then, but that doesn't really matter." He added: "We know we got older, but inside, we still feel young, and we are very energetic. The shows are great. And writing songs and playing the songs, it feels like it always has — very energetic, powerful. And we have still great ideas. Good songwriting going on at the moment. And this album should be very powerful." SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was 2015's "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD. Earlier this month, SCORPIONS announced that they will be taking over the Las Vegas Strip later this year with their exclusive headlining residency show. Promoted by Live Nation and Caesars Entertainment, SCORPIONS "Sin City Nights" kicks off Saturday, July 4 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. SCORPIONS will be joined by special guests QUEENSRŸCHE. SCORPIONS previously played a Las Vegas mini-residency in May 2016, consisting of five shows at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Support on those dates also came from QUEENSRŸCHE.
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