YES, IT’S TRUE (ALLEGEDLY). SCORPIONS ARE REALLY BREAKING UP (SUPPOSEDLY).

So many of you e-mailed us about this over the weekend I’m not even sure why I’m bothering to write about it, but in case you somehow didn’t hear: Scorpions are breaking up. Here’s the gist of the reason given:

“While we were working on our album these past few months, we could literally feel how powerful and creative our work was — and how much fun we were still having in the process. But there was also something else: we want to end the Scorpions’ extraordinary career on a high note.”

The album in question is Sting in the Tail, which, it was conveniently announced today, will come out March 23 on Universal.

And… yeah. I’m not sure I’m buying it.

Look. Scorpions could very well mean it, or at least think they mean it, when they say they’re done. Maybe I’m just being cynical. But I’ve heard everyone from The Rolling Stones to Ozzy Osbourne to Jay-Z insist that they were retiring, only to keep going on and on and on. Couldn’t this be a well-timed publicity stunt to promote the band’s new album? And even if it isn’t, history has taught us that rock stars can’t resist staying out of the spotlight for very long.

Change in the wind? My guess is, not quite yet. And at the very least, I think it’s safe to expect a “farewell” tour. I think they should call it No More Tours. That worked out well for Ozzy.

-AR