Accept, 'Stalingrad' -- Album Review

I've always loved Accept. Regular readers will know I saw them in L.A. on their Blood of the Nations tour last year. In fact, between various special editions, I own that CD four times. And now, their new CD, Stalingrad, is out. Of course, I pre-ordered the special edition with a bonus DVD. I had hoped it would include footage of the show I was at (which was filmed and streamed to the web, so I've always had hope for a live DVD). This is their second CD with TT Quick singer Mark Tornillo, Udo having refused to take part in a reunion because he's still busy sounding like second rate Accept in his band, U.D.O. It's his loss, the new songs are better than anything Accept did post Objection Overruled and live, the band is really on fire.

The new songs are just what you'd expect, classic heavy metal from start to finish. The special edition CD has an extra bonus track, and I'm sure I'll end up buying a Japanese edition for an other track. There's also a bonus DVD, with five live track across two shows and two clips, "Teutonic Terror" and "Pandemic." I had actually bought a box set of Blood of the Nations expecting those two clips, so I was glad to finally get them. The live tracks include only one "old" Accept song, my favorite, "Princess of the Dawn." I think this is a brave move, especially as the only DVD they did "back in the day" is a horrible affair with no full live tracks and too much voice over, but I guess it shows how committed they are to this new line up. The live "Princess" has Peter played a big bass solo, which is nice to see again, it was a highlight of seeing them live. The other live songs are "Pandemic," "No Shelter," "Teutonic Terror" and "The Abyss."

Overall, this is another strong step in the come back of Accept, and I suspect they will continue to go from strength to strength. I am sure they're not going to play the O2 any time soon, but I think their ongoing career as a serious and dedicated metal band is beyond doubt, and I'm very glad about that.

Comments

[Gary]

I hear you Ally. I can't wait to hear this!!If this is even close to as good as Blood Of Nations is, I know that this guy won't be dissapointed in it. That CD just totally kicked so much ass it about made my ears bleed. Wolf Hoffman is such an underrated guitarist that it's almost criminal. The guy can flat out rip,but he is also soooo melodic in his playing.The solo work on the song Kill The Pain from Blood Of Nations should be required listening to all aspiring metal guitar players.As in, there is actual melody and emotion mixed into it along wity the requisite histrionics!!

[Christian]

Gary, do you have Wolf's 'Classical' CD ( I think that's what it's called, it's all guitar instrumentals ). It's for sale on their site and it is awesome

[M.]

Yeah, this and "Blood of the Nations" represent one of the more surprising comebacks/purple patches for an old-timey metal band in recent memory - two straight albums of solid hard rock, although I have a bit of a preference for "Blood" over this one. Surprising because I never really thought that Accept were all that great the first time around. Granted, Udo was an acquired taste, and of course production values are much better for just about everyone these days, but if this was a brand new band I'd call "Blood" and "Stalingrad" a really nice start to a promising career.

I'd group this set of albums with everything that Saxon has done for the past 5-8 years or so. Another surprising late-stage purple patch there, too. Then again, Saxon never really went away.

[Metalboy!]

No doubt, another veritable masterpiece by those Maestros of Metal, the one and only, Accept.

This has to be my favorite METAL Metal Band, setting aside my incurable penchant for all things Glam Metal.

They'll never touch their Metal Magnum Opus, the flawless, all killer, no filler, "Metal Heart" album from 1985, but this comes as close as they ever could since "Eat The Heat".

Agreed with all, Hoffman reigns supreme in The Metal World in my view. There is no one that can hold a candle to him and I dare anyone you want to throw at him on stage to try to match him note for not.

As Christian has noted, Hoffman is classically trained. I witnessed his majestic power and mastery personally, point blank, last year at Firestone Live in Orlando (as previously recorded in earlier comments on this site). As I've said before, the man left no note unturned, running the gamut of Metal, let alone Rock'n'Roll, giving the audience a 2 1/2 hour short course in every sub genre of the genre, even showing the kids how Speed Metal and Thrash are meant to be played.

After all was said and done, including an uproariously killer rendering of their best song, "Midnight Mover", which I had to beg them to play, by the way, during the meet and greet before the show, while every other Metaloid was looking for discarded picks on the floor, I was scouring the ground for one stray musical note that might have escaped Hoffman's clutches, but none was to be found, just as there were no picks either.

I will return here in a few days to weigh in on this album, track by track, as I've only given it one run through, but I must add that ex-T.T. Quick lead vocalist, Mark Tornillo, sounds even more at home than on the stellar "Blood of Nations", almost making Udo's choked-up Bon Scottish X10 gravelly barks a distant memory.

p.s. Christian! You really should admit this blows away anything Neanderthal greasers, Iron Maiden, ever did, hahaha!!!

[Metalboy!]

Note to M.: Well said, regarding Saxon! Their new stuff shows they're back better than ever, though not quite on par with their untouchable, overlooked and unfairly maligned best album, "Destiny".

[Metalboy!]

Another quick anecdote regarding Hoffman that I've mentioned here previously, he once explained in an interview that he purposely slows down his leads to make them comprehensible to the listener.

Killarious! Listen to his leads on this or any record, or even more so, live, and you'll wonder how he could play any faster. Imagine if he played full tilt? We'd probably witness smoke coming out of his ears.

[Gary]

Christian. Thanks for the tip bud! I don't have that, but will in short order!! LOL

[Metalboy!]

It is killer, Gary, if ya can find it. And it ain't cheap either but worth every penny.