Tag: accept (Page 1 of 2)

I guess there are similarities between Saxon and Accept. Both bands recorded their debut albums in ’78 before NWOBHM had taken a hold, and thus both come across as more of hard rock bands than metal ones, but both would change their sound considerably.

If you’re a fan of Restless & Wild or Balls To The Wall then there is very little here that you may recognize. It’s quite strange to hear UDO’s voice on this album as it’s almost unrecognizable because the songs are sung with a very clean tone. In fact, Pete Baltes actually sings the ballad Seawinds and Sounds Of War.

One of the only songs that puts the pedal firmly to the floor is Free Me Now, which comes across a bit like Motorhead crossed with Queen. Yeah I know, weird eh!? My favourite tune is Helldriver. It reminds me of early period Scorpions with some really wild guitar.

This album is for completists only.

6.5/10 from The Grooveman.

I remember buying this album when it first came out and feeling a tad disappointed. Following Restless & Wild and Balls To The Wall, which were both great records, this album felt as though it was just plodding along. Were they trying to be too commercial? I think so.

Tracks like Midnight Mover and Up To The Limit just come across as trying to be a Judas Priest-lite. Too High To Get It Right even sounds like AC/DC, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that the intro to Living For Tonite was the Scorpions (well, the album was produced by Dieter Dierks). There are a couple of old school speedy tracks like Wrong Is Right and my favourite Teach Us To Survive, which is at least pushing the envelope and being a little different.

It’s not that it’s a bad album, it’s just that you can tell the record company was squeezing the band for hits.

7/10 from The Grooveman.

This is the German metal masters thirteenth studio album, released in 2012 and the second to feature vocalist Mark Tornillo, or new Udo has some fans have labelled him. I have to mention the huge production and sound from Andy Sneap, this is a super clear recording.

The album is a loosely based concept album on the German army around Stalingrad in WW2. Metal music has moved on much from its heyday in the mid to late eighties and sometimes not for the good. A lot of bands just try to be to different and they lose the ability make the music groove, so I’m glad that bands like Accept are still around and realise that a great big fat riff and matching groove are essential to make that toe tap and head bang; this album does just that.

Plenty of fat huge riffs and pounding grooves to keep the most ardent metal fan happy. Pretty hard to choose a favourite as this is a freakin’ awesome record but I will go for Flash To Bang Time. It’s a pounding monster with double kicks driving hard, a ripping riff, and wailing guitars a plenty.

Long live Accept!!!

10/10 from The Grooveman.