Signaling the beginning of the end, legendary German rockers the Scorpions are preparing to hit the road this summer for a three year trek around the globe in support of their final studio release Sting In The Tail. Well aware that all good things must come to an end doesn’t make the bands decision to go out on a high note any easier for fans to accept. However, the admiration we hold for their decades of dedication will leave us with a lifetime of truly great memories and music that is utterly timeless. While the core founders of the Scorpions are preparing to settle into retirement or semi-retirement as may be the case for some members, drummer James Kottak who has served with the band for more than a decade has definitive plans to continue beyond the Scorps although as James lets on, after the Scorpions nothing seems quite as big. I recently had the great pleasure of speaking with James about his favorite times with the Scorps, his feelings on the close of this legacy, his own project Kottak in which he handles guitar and vocals with his wife Athena Lee (sister of Tommy Lee) sitting behind the drums and what options await him in the future. As suspected there are a number of artists hoping to utilize his services and we are bound to hear more from certain members in the post Scorpions era that is to come. Check it out.