ACCEPT – Stalingrad

I don’t know how many of us old Accept-fans really believed that Accept would knock us on all four when they reunited without Udo Dirkschneider back in 2010. The last time they tried to do that they failed miserably with a really bad album, Eat The Heat that had both a big commercial and American sound and an American good looking singer in David Reece.  Reece wasn’t and still isn’t a bad singer, quite the contrary, but he didn’t fit at all. I was all suspicious when the band declared that their new singer was an American, Mark Tornillo who once fronted the ill fated melodic rockers T.T. Quick. However, I just needed to hear the first single, “Teutonic Terror”, from their reunion album Blood Of The Nations to realise that they were back in good shape. The album was a real killer and they delivered the goods live just as well as they did back in their hey day. There was no doubt that Accept meant business and were back for good.

But to make one album that was a total knock out can be a lucky strike, so it was interesting to see if they could deliver a second time and after the success of Blood Of The Nations they were under pressure. Big pressure, because this time their fans were expecting a lot. So this new album was crucial for the band. If this album would turn out to be a flop, then the guys career would probably be no more. But of course, it isn’t. They have once again proved that this band is here to stay and my guess is that debacles like Eat The Heat or Death Row won’t ever happen again. And Udo, how much much we might love him, and we do, isn’t missed at all. Tornillo fits like a glove within the band and live, Accept have probably not sounded this good since 1986. It’s also refreshing to hear a band with middle aged guys that sound so alive, hungry and fresh, still holding true to their sound, but never a clone of themselves.

“Hung, Drawn And Quarted” opens the album brilliantly with a sound that takes us back to the Restless And Wild days. Fast, hard and aggressive, but still Accept melodic. The title track is a masterpiece in its own right, makes me think of the sound they had on the great Metal Heart album, “Flash To Bang Time” and “Against The World” are classic Accept all the way, “Shadow Soldiers” might be the best track of all and has a melody similar to “Head Over Heels” from Balls To The Wall without being a copy of that song and “The Galley” is just blinding, maybe a modern classic with all the elements that are Accept. Just like on its predecessor, Andy Sneap has produced and the guy really knows how to bring the best out of the guys. My guess is that he is a keeper for future releases. One question is raised though; why isn’t guitarist Herman Frank allowed to participate in the song writing? All songs here are credited to Wolf Hoffmann, Peter Baltes and Mark Tornillo, but it just takes one listen to Frank’s solo albums to state that he should be. Some of his songs would have fitted this album like a velvet glove and even though the band have made one awesome album, it contains the odd filler and some of Frank’s songs could have improved the album further.

This is a sister album to Blood Of The Nations, but it’s not just as strong.  Still, for every Accept and metal fan out there, this album is, of course, a must. I still think it’s a little shocking that someone as important as Udo Dirkschneider isn’t missed at all, but kudos goes out to Tornillo and I must stress that the guy is bloody fantastic. Udo’s shoes are pretty big and hard to fill so it takes one hell of a singer and front man to make that happen. Accept lives and they are the real deal!

Jon Wilmenius (7/10)

Tracklist:

01. Hung, Drawn And Quartered
02. Stalingrad
03. Hellfire
04. Flash To Bang Time
05. Shadow Soldiers
06. Revolution
07. Against The World
08. Twist Of Fate
09. The Quick And The Dead
10. Never Forget (bonus track)
11. The Galley