OK, so let's get this out of the way: I may not be the target audience for German rookie band, Unbreakable, or their debut release, "Knockout". My teenage girlfriend, however, (meaning my girlfriend when I was a teenager. I'm a bit too old to have a teenage girlfriend now) would certainly have been smitten with their good looks and their peppy, upbeat, playful tunes. I've no doubt their pictures would have adorned her wall, right next to the giant poster of Skid Row, and she'd have worn out her Maxell tape copy of these songs. I can't believe I've made it this far into this review without mentioning Scorpions, that they have coincidentally, or purposefully, have the same name as a Scorps album? Expect to read their name many more times from here on out.

Herman Rarebell, former Scorpions drummer, has taken on the role of producer, mentor, and even dirty-old-man vocalist on the single track, ‘Rock the Nightlife’. Rarebell had apparently been unhappy with the Scorpions' recent direction, which prompted his departure from the band. I'm gonna go ahead and speculate that this has a lot to do with Unbreakable's sound. "Knockout" features the charisma, German accents, and mix of ballads and upbeat fun Scorpions were known for, but what's lacking is the hammer-of-the-gods brilliance and maturity that made Scorpions Hall of Fame worthy rock and metal legends. Scorpions. Scorpions. Scorpions.

Tracks of note are the single, the title track, ‘Bad Blood’, and ‘Crazy Cat Lady’. The latter is catchy, but it feels like a missed chance at infectious silliness, instead playing it fairly straight with an ode to a fading beauty, past her days of fun and. . . Scorpions.

I'd recommend "Knockout" for anyone looking for a poppy, fun throwback to bands like Trixter, Poison (sans makeup), Warrant, and, um, Scorpions. Personally, I'd love hear them delve into stuff more reminiscent of ‘The Zoo’ and ‘No One Like You’ on their sophomore effort.