Kev Rowland It doesn’t really seem to matter who is in Accept, everyone knows what they need to do, and off we go with another album. Towards the end of 2018, bassist Peter Baltes announced his decision to leave the band he helped move professional in 1976, leaving guitarist Wolf Hoffmann as the only original still there. Although singer Mark Tornillo only joined in 2009, he now has the second longest tenure as everyone else is more recent, so although there is only one person who has been there for all the classics, Accept appear to be rejuvenated and with Andy Sneap at the desk have produced an album which shows them not slowing down at all, and possibly even heading off in new directions. It is interesting to see that they have also followed Helloween in that they now have three guitarists, but neither band has the complexity of arrangements beloved by the masters of the triple attack, and instead Accept use it to provide more crunch.

In the UK, Accept got widespread attention with their fifth album, ‘Balls To The Wall’, and while only Hoffmann is still there, there is no doubt that their sixteenth studio album is in direct lineage. If someone had asked me what the new Accept album was like before hearing it I would have said, crunching riffs, simple but effective solos, hard hitting Teutonic metal with hints of AC/DC, with rough and raw vocals over the top, and that is exactly what we have here. This album got to #2 in the German charts, and Top 10 in four other European countries to boot. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

If you like Accept, then here is another album showing them what they do very well indeed, but if you haven’t enjoyed their straightforward approach in the past then it is unlikely that this is for you.

Kingcrimsonprog If someone asked me to define pure classic heavy metal, the first thing that comes to my mind is the German band, Accept. Their classic run of 1980s albums is still fresh and entertaining to this day, and their reunion era with the new singer Mark Tornillo is somehow just as good, or even better (very few heritage bands can say that, maybe only Kreator are making better albums nowadays than in the 80s). For example; Their 2012 album Stalingrad was one of my albums of the whole decade, and the follow up to that Blind Rage is just as good.

In 2021 the long running band have put out their sixteenth full-length studio album, and the fifth of their modern Tornillo-era. Like the other albums from this era it is released on Nuclear Blast, and boasts an absolutely banging production job from Andy Sneap (who has done some great work with the best Saxon, ‘Priest and Testament albums of the modern era).

There has been some line-up shifts in recent years, as essential members Herman Frank and Stefan Schwarzmann left before the previous album, The Rise Of Chaos, and now iconic bassist Peter Baltes has departed too. I can imagine a few fans being worried about how that will affect the sound and direction.

Luckily main-man Wolf Hoffman is still going strong, and the Tornillo/Sneap dynamic over Wolf’s signature style ensures a sense of continuity. Christopher Williams on drums and Uwe Lulis on guitar are still here from the previous record (and the live album before that) and both of those guys are pretty dialled into what Accept should sound like anyway, which also helps it all still feel like Accept should feel.

If you have heard any album since Blood Of The Nations, you will know stylistically what to expect here. They’ve settled into a specific style and are pretty much just fleshing out every variation of that theme they can think of without straying too far, kind of like how Motorhead did for their final five or six albums, or what Saxon have been doing on their three or four most recent records. There are fast, medium and slow paced variations. There are melodic, blunt and medium intensity variants. There are rocking and metallic stylistic variants. Some songs may have a bit of a neoclassical section here, or a singalong section there. But at the end of the day, they’ve hit upon an excellent formula and they’re working it to maximum effect one album after another now; There’s lots of speed metal, lots of hard rock and a few tiny tinges of thrash and power metal in small doses for flavour now and again.

If you want to know what this album (or indeed the last four albums sound like), check out the brilliant tracks “Not My Problem,” “No One’s Master” or the title-track “To Mean To Die.” Plenty of good tunes here to keep existing fans happy. This stuff is exactly what I love about the band.

For the band’s more rock, less Metallic side, “Overnight Sensation” is a blast, and the amusing lyrics about social media influencers kind of serve as a spiritual sequel to the previous album’s “Analogue Man.” If you like the band when they add a bit of classical music into the mix, then “Symphony Of Pain” is also worth checking out.

How does this album fit into the band’s catalogue overall? Well, it isn’t my number-one favourite, but it is no disappointment either. I think of words like “solid” or “dependable” which may sound like damning with faint praise, but that isn’t the case. They have released better albums, that’s just the burden of being a brilliant band with a stellar catalogue. There may perhaps be one or two songs that come across as filler, and furthermore because they’ve used this formula for several albums now nothing feels particularly wow-ing or fresh which can sometimes have an impact when ranking records, but as a whole it is just another damn solid set of songs in a style I’ve come to love for the last decade, and still as well produced and performed as ever. If it was a Deep Purple album, it would be Who Do We Think We Are. Still awesome, but maybe not the one that makes it into all the lists.

Will it make my album of the decade list like Stalingrad did? Maybe not. Will it be my number one album of this year? Possibly not either. But do I still recommend you buy it? You bet I doa. If you liked Rise Of Chaos, you’re going to like this, it is as simple as that. At least half the album I can’t wait to add to playlists or see on live albums.

[Ps. As a side note, every time I look at the green album artwork with a pissed off looking serpent and a lightning forked-tongue, I always wonder if it was originally made for Overkill, like maybe the single art for Electric Rattlesnake? Kind of like how Obituary’s Cause Of Death album cover was originally either made or at least suggested for Sepultura’s Beneath The Remains].

Unitron Accept had really found their sound with 1981's Breaker, which displayed an equal amount of speed, melody, heaviness, and even a majestic quality. Restless and Wild continues the classic Accept sound, and ups the ante in certain ways.

Opener Fast as a Shark tricks the listener with its opening of what I'm assuming is some old German folk/polka record before careening into a thrashing barrage that is an equal to Breaker's title track. Flash Rockin' Man is one of the band's best deep cuts, incredibly intense with a fantastic main riff that presents the 80's metal sound at its best. Udo's scream at the end of the song is particularly impressive.

Flash Rockin' Man would be my favorite song on here, if it wasn't for the foreboding yet beautifully melodic Princess of the Dawn. It's a perfect closer, and the chanting-like vocals of the chorus make it an easy stick.

A great second in Accept's excellent five album run from Breaker to Russian Roulette.

Unitron Tied with Breaker as Accept's best album, though best for different reasons. Breaker is a fantastic album for the pure raw edge of a band fed up with record labels telling them what to do and breaking through into their own sound (Perhaps the reason for the title?). Russian Roulette, on the other hand, is a fantastic album for how it sounds like a band that's taken on the world and delivers metal anthems with an introspective wisdom.

It's an amazingly crafted album, as it instantly hooks you with the infectious catchiness alone and gargantuan drums, with the title track even maybe beating their classic Balls to the Wall in triumphant power. However, the lyrics and melodies show a band with a lot more emotion than many gave them credit for. The aforementioned title track is a more effective song against war than most, taking it on a more personal level of a soldier rather than just saying "people die". Also, Accept's probably the only band who could write a song called Man Enough to Cry that's great and not a sappy hair band ballad.

I love every song on here, though my favorites are definitely Monsterman, the title track, Heaven is Hell, Walking in the Shadow, and Man Enough to Cry (Which actually kind of reminds me of Dio-era Rainbow with the riffs). These have some especially amazing group vocal choruses. Such an incredibly underrated album, and not only tied with Breaker as Accept's best, but also one of the absolute best 80's heavy metal albums out there.

Unitron "You are down and out, when you're just being your self. We ain't down and out, MAN TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSELF!"

Like Rush did with the legendary 2112 back in 1976, Accept gave the ultimate middle finger to the record companies and producers that were pushing the band to be commercial and have hit singles. Vocalist Udo has said that the previous album I'm a Rebel was uninspired and had too many people trying to manipulate and influence the band. Biggest claim to infamy is the title track of that album which was written by Alex Young, eldest brother of Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC, therefore sounding like a reject AC/DC song.

After the failure of I'm a Rebel, the band said 'fuck it' and did what they wanted to do without any outside influence. They couldn't have made a better choice, as Breaker is the album where they immediately found their sound and cemented Accept as among the metal gods. Udo himself believes Breaker to be among Accept's best albums, and I completely agree with him.

There's a perfect blend of speed metal fury, hard rock swagger, metal ballad beauty, and neo-classical soloing throughout the album. Many credit "Fast as a Shark" from the next album as being the first speed metal song, but I believe this album's title track is actually Accept's first creation of that extra fast heavy metal. This and "Starlight" are fast and furious, with blistering leads that will have you air guitaring before you can sing 'He's a breaker'. Jörg Fischer's melodies and Wolf Hoffmann's solos and leads are absolutely amazing, and with the exception of Scorpions' "Sails of Charon" from '77, this was the first real taste of neoclassical metal before Yngwie Malmsteen. Just take a listen to that short but sweet minstrel sounding part in the middle of "Son of a Bitch", which is hilariously placed right before Udo screams 'COCK SUCKING MOTHERFUCKER I WAS RIGHT'

Bassist Peter Baltes does not get the appreciation he deserves, as his thick and chunky basslines really gives Breaker a heavy as hell bottom end. "Feelings" is where I think it stands out the most, and that's what I call groove. It really gives the song a mean swagger, and gives "Son of a Bitch" that extra thumping stomp. He can sing too, as he takes over the mic on the ballad "Breaking Up Again". Stefan Kaufmann's thunderous drum performance coupled with Baltes' thumping bass gives the band a fantastic rhythm section. Kaufmann really shines on the explosive "Down and Out".

Something I love about Accept is how beautiful they sound even when playing borderline speed metal, the title track and "Run if You Can" are perfect examples of such. This brings me to the voice of Accept, and one of the greatest and most unique vocalists in all of metal. Udo Dirkschneider is up there with Rob Halford and Chris Cornell, as one of the vocalists that can be screaming their heads off and create absolute tear-jerking beauty while doing such. The power ballad "Can't Stand the Night" as well as the aforementioned tracks in the paragraph, show Udo at among his finest moments. Of course, he can also be screaming his head off and just be completely pissed off and out for blood. Nothing is a better showcase than the anti-record label anthem of "Son of a Bitch".

Apart from being an absolute masterpiece and the first of many from Accept in the 80's, Breaker also stands with 2112 as an example of a band becoming bigger and better after a record label tries to meddle, proving that staying true to yourselves and your fans is the best way to go. I think the anger that the artists get just gives the performances that much more energy. It's what gives that extra edge for us to scream along as Geddy Lee shrieks about being a priest at the Temples of Syrinx and as Udo screams expletive after expletive at the labels and tells them to kiss his ass. All the beauty of heavy metal is right here. If you've missed out on Breaker, do yourself a favor and listen to an 80's classic.

https://thewickednest.blogspot.com/2018/04/accept-breaker-review.html

Kingcrimsonprog Restless & Live is a concert release from the veteran German Heavy Metal legends Accept. It was released on Nuclear Blast Records in 2017 on several formats; such as a CD set with tracks taken from different concerts across the touring cycle for Blind Rage (their third studio album since being reinvigorated by the joining of new singer Mark Tornillo). It was also released as a Blu Ray of a single entire performance at 2015’s Bang Your Head Festival. If you’ve got a bit more money to splash out you can get a set with the Blu Ray and CD versions, or if you prefer DVDs that’s also an option.

My personal preference for concert movies or albums is that they come from on single concert not a mix of shows, and if available preferably on Blu Ray, so for me this was the version I went for and am most happy with. (which this review will be focusing on).

In terms of specs: The Blu Ray version is in 1080p with PCM Stereo and DTS HD Master 5.1 options, Region:All. There aren’t any bonus features. There’s a booklet with some photos but no linear notes.

So the main reason you are buying this disc is for the concert; which is about an hour and forty-five minutes of blistering classic Heavy Metal. The 18-song tracklisting is pretty heavily focused on the three Tornillo-era albums, with a few of the classic ’80s crowdpleasing tunes added in as well. So if you’ve already got the DVD that came with Blind Rage its still worth checking this out for the different tracklisting and higher production values. (The CD version of Restless & Wild contains 27 songs and more of a mix of material).

The tracklisting is: 1. Stampede 2. Stalingrad 3. London Leatherboys 4. Restless & Wild 5. Dying Breed 6. Final Journey 7. Shadow Soldiers 8. Losers & Winners 9. 200 Years 10. Midnite Mover 11. No Shelter 12. Princess Of The Dawn 14. Pandemic 15. Fast As A Shark 16. Metal Heart 17. Teutonic Terror 18. Balls To The Wall

The performance is tight and professional but still has that ‘live’ feeling and energy, it isn’t all sterile but it isn’t loose and sloppy either, its just right. They all give it gusto and look pretty into it. There’s no complaints on vocals, musicianship or song selection for me. Wolf Hoffman’s guitar solos are as entertaining as you would expect and there’s a fun bass versus guitar trade off section at one point. The camera work, editing, sound and mix are all solid. Nothing jarring or out of place, no sync issues, all instruments audible and in correct balance. The songs sound clear and yet muscular.

Its a pretty simple and honest affair. There’s no gimmicks here; no big show with giant robot crabs on stage or band members catching fire or shooting lazers out of their eyes, and there’s no life changing documentary, no animations weaved into the concert or anything… but if you want to buy an Accept live concert and watch songs like ‘Fast As A Shark’ and ‘Balls To The Wall’ played well by the new line-up and competently captured and prepared for home viewing then it is an absolutely fine product and I highly recommend it to fans of the band, especially to fans of the newer three albums. For me, watching songs like ‘No Shelter,’ ‘Stalingrad’ and ‘Pandemic’ belted out enthusiastically are worth the money.

If you are new to the band, this is a very strong starting place, (if not entirely representative of the overall discography) and if you are a fan already its a worthy addition to your collection.