Various

As much as tribute albums have really got out of control over the past couple years, there are still bands that deserve a tip of the chapeau from their fellow musicians and the Scorpions are one of them. This collection is fitting for the legacy of rock that baldy and the boys have created over the years. It's put together by a German label, so it's no surprise that the tribute goes beyond a simple gathering of cover versions: the packaging is excellent, the variety (and obscurity) of covers is comprehensive and there are a few Kraut bands here that you probably have never heard of rearing their heads (Paradox, Sonata Arctica, Prolopower, Rough Silk and the return of Tankard!). Also, the versions are consistently above par and spiced up enough to make this more than a misty eyed nostalgia trip through your old crackley copies of Animal Magnetism, Blackout and Love at First Sting. Sonata Arctica's sped up version of "Still Loving You," Tankard's thrashing of "Coming Home," Disbelief's Neurosisising of "Coast to Coast," Helloween's kicking "He's a Woman, She's a Man," Therion's orchestrated version of "Polar Nights" and S.O.D.'s "Ballad of Klaus Meine" are all highlights that are worth the price of admission.