Former SCORPIONS drummer Herman Rarebell is featured in a new interview with Greece-based Rockpages. In the excerpt below Rarebell talks about the band's former record label, EMI, and what he thinks of the albums the band released after his departure:

Rockpages.gr: Did you ever expect that you would achieve such a commercial success in USA? I mean, you were a rock band from Germany and it was really difficult to break that market...

Herman Rarebell: "When we went to EMI, our label in Germany, and told them that we want to play in America, they laughed at us and told us: 'They are waiting for you there, right?' All the big bands in America were either from the States or from England. But we were committed and I remember telling them: 'When we will play in big stadiums in America, I will have your name on the guest list so you will come and see us.' Many years later he said to us - the president of EMI in Germany - that 'I should have listened to you' (laughs)."

Rockpages.gr: You left in the mid-90s from Scorpions. What do you think about the albums that the band has released since your departure?

Herman Rarebell: "I hate them. The last one (Sting In The Tail) is really good; Unbreakable was at the right direction. I kept saying to Matthias (Jabs) and Rudolf (Schenker) to stop experimenting with music and write songs that the Scorpions fans would expect from them… nice melodies and nice hard rock. One of the reasons that I left band was the album Pure Instinct. I think that was a really bad album that was followed by an even worse record, Eye II Eye. I remember telling to Klaus (Meine) during the pre-production of Pure Instinct that I wouldn’t play on this one because I didn’t like any song. I was pushed out from the writing team since Face The Heat, a record which I think is very strong…I like it a lot."

Go to this location for the complete interview.