Animal Magnetism

Led by the twin singles “Make It Real” and “The Zoo,” 1980’s Animal Magnetism showed that Scorpions were one of the few new metal bands that could be both heavy and tuneful without going too far toward either extreme. At this time they were easily one of the most accomplished and versatile metal bands, and it seemed they could undertake a large range of sounds without forcing their creativity. “Don’t Make No Promises (Your Body Can’t Keep)” is so quick and vicious that it almost becomes a punk song, while “Hold Me Right” is a harbinger of the stadium metal songs that would dominate the latter half of the decade. Like many early-'80s metal bands, Scorpions had one foot in '70s classic rock; something in “Only a Man” is reminiscent of Boston's catchy, good-time rock 'n' roll. The album’s least tuneful song was also its most innovative: the closing title track is an image of demonic grinding and groaning that could well be the earliest blueprint for black metal.