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Scorpions Band Commercial success - 1993 to present Scorpions Band Commercial success -1993 to present In 1993 Scorpions released Face the Heat. For the recording process, Scorpions brought in legendary producer Bruce Fairbairn. The album's sound was more metallic than melodic and divided the band's fan base somewhat. Many "headbangers" responded positively to the album while many long time fans were put off. Neither the hard-rock single "Alien Nation" nor the ballad "Under The Same Sun" came close to matching the success of "Wind Of Change". Face the Heat was a moderate success, but was the last Scorpions album to chart highly. Around 1995, a new live album, Live Bites, was produced. The disc documented live performances from their Rhythm of Love Tour in 1988, all the way through the Face the Heat Tour in 1995. While the album had a much cleaner sound in comparison to their best-selling live album, World Wide Live, it was not as successful. Prior to recording their 13th studio album, Pure Instinct, drummer Herman Rarebell left the band to set up a recording company. Curt Cress took charge of the drumsticks for the album before James Kottak took over permanently. Many feel Pure Instinct is a response to the complaints levied against Face the Heat. The album had many ballads but was criticized by some fans for being too soft as there were only two rockers in the album. Still, the album's singles "Wild " and the soothing ballad "You and I" both enjoyed moderate success. Following the release of Pure Instinct, Scorpions did some touring before finally returning to the studio in 1999 to record their 14th album, Eye II Eye. In what appeared to be a decidedly misguided attempt to remain relevant in the changing soundscape of late '90s rock, the band changed their style significantly, mixing in elements of pop and techno. While the album was slickly produced, fans were unsure what to make of the band, responding negatively to almost everything from pop-soul backup singers to the electronic drums present on several songs. The video to the album's first European single, "To Be No. 1", featured a Monica Lewinski lookalike which did little to improve it's popularity. Generally regarded as the low point for Scorpions, the band claims that it was important for their development. In 2000, Scorpions had a fairly successful collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic. The result was a 10-song album that went a long way in rebuilding the band's reputation after the harsh criticism of Eye II Eye. Still, critics accused them of following on the coattails of Metallica, as the latter had done a similar collaboration the previous year. Scorpions can't be completely accused of being copycats as the orchestra had first approached Scorpions with the idea back in 1995. In 2001, Scorpions released Acoustica, a live unplugged album featuring acoustic reworkings of the band's biggest hits, plus new tracks. While appreciated by fans, the lack of a new studio album was frustrating to some, and Acoustica did little to return the band to the spotlight. In 2004, the band released Unbreakable, an album that was hailed by critics as a long awaited return to form. The album was the heaviest the band had released since Face the Heat, and fans responded well to tracks such as "New Generation", "Love 'em or Leave 'em" and "Borderline". Whether a result of poor promotion by the band's label or the long time between studio releases, Unleashed received little airplay and did not chart. Scorpions toured extensively behind the album, and played as special guests with Judas Priest during the British tour. 
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