BLACKOUT, released 1982, finally elevated the Scorpions into the top ranks of the hard rock world. While the album made it to number ten in the Billboard charts, the first single “No One Like You” did even better and went straight to number one. On BLACKOUT, the Scorpions strike a near perfect balance between raw and dynamic hard rock and their very own brand of beautiful power ballads. The album has it all, sheer aggressiveness, razor sharp guitars, powerful emotions and outstanding melodies. Thanks to heavy rocking tracks such as ‘China White’, ‘Now’ or ‘Dynamite’, the Scorpions became very popular not only with the traditional melodic hard rock crowd but also with the emerging heavy metal scene of the early 1980s. The success of BLACKOUT turned them into global superstars. The outstanding music was matched by the iconic cover-artwork created by the Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein. To celebrate their 50th band anniversary, the Scorpions are releasing a CD/DVD Deluxe Edition of BLACKOUT. The high quality Digipak not only contains the newly remastered original album tracks, but also five exciting bonus tracks. The band carefully selected the five pieces which have never been released before. Among them is a rather intriguing demo version of “Blackout”. The other four are “Sugar Man”, “All My Love”, “Searching For The Rainbow” and “Running For The Plane”. The bonus DVD comprises of the legendary performance of the Scorpions in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle on 17 December 1983. Back then, German broadcaster ZDF aired the concert live as part of their ‘Rock Pop in Concert’ series. However, the footage that features the band at their very best has never been made available on tape or any other physical medium before. The DVD also includes an exclusive forty minutes interview in which the musicians talk about the recording of BLACKOUT and the events which at times threatened the entire project. Last but not least, video clips of “No One Like You” and “Arizona” complete the DVD. An extensive 16 page booklet rounds the package off. It features liner notes written by Edgar Klüsener, a former editor of Germany’s Metal Hammer, as well as rare photos and single covers, images of backstage passes and tour posters.
