ACCEPT – I received in the U.S. mail on Monday… ACCEPT – Blood Of The Nations (deluxe digipak) from Best Metal Buddy – Scott Coverdale. There are many Metal albums that have kicked my ass over the years… and then then came Blood Of The Nations. This new ACCEPT album hasn’t just kicked my ass today… it’s as if I opened up a box of unlimited Metal whoop ass and now I don’t know how to contain it or fight it off. I guess I’ll have to take my Metal whoopin’ as a man each and every time I listen to any or all of Blood Of The Nations. Understand please, what I’m about to say in describing my first listen through of this unreal/new ACCEPT album, here it goes… F’n Metal be thy F’n name.
ACCEPT guitarist and founding member Wolf Hoffmann describes in the liner notes, meeting up with new lead vocalist Mark Tornillo and producer Andy Sneap as “miracles”. As a lifetime fan of ACCEPT, Stone calls holding onto this Blood Of The Nations digipak while these 13 new Metal songs from this legendary band is being absorbed into my ears, at maximum level… a miracle. As a fan, I’ve always embraced the Metal fact that ACCEPT was no more. For nearly fourteen years, the 1996 studio album Predator seemed like it was the last any of us Metalheads would hear from ACCEPT. Well… Metal miracles really do happen and ACCEPT is F’n BACK!
Now, I would not be coming across so damn excited here, if it wasn’t for the powerful surge of premium Metal that ACCEPT has created on Blood Of The Nations. Trust me, if this was average or even slightly good Metal from this new ACCEPT album, I would call it out as such or not bother to write about it at all. Instead, the world needs to know… ACCEPT has returned with a Metal double drop kick to the face, with an amazingly energized and psyche-out filled Metal album. Crap, it seems like all of the “Old School dudes” are kicking everyone’s Metal ass in 2010, doesn’t it?
The vintage ACCEPT sound is all heard here on Blood Of The Nations. The dueling guitars of Wolf Hoffman and long time member Frank Herman brings back to Metal glory the searing and scorching riffs, leads and solos that were such a dynamic trademark of this band. Metal… the ACCEPT way. The formidable chorus that bellows behind the lead vocals of Mark Tornillo on songs – Blood Of The Nations and Shades Of Death are a valiant reminder that ACCEPT has returned with their Metal legacy written on their chests. Metal… the ACCEPT way.
Speed is not a bashful guest on Blood Of The Nations. Locked And Loaded is as easily recognizable as a feisty nod to ’80’s Speed Metal as I could ever wish for. Whoa, this song is fast… and it never relents with it’s raging Metal tempo. Locked And Loaded will easily remind fans of the Metal glorious Restless And Wild album and just how the speed jumped out of those songs back in 1982. Time Machine is pumped-up with plenty of muscular Metal grooves and carries along a heavily melodic pace. The Balls To The Wall era background chanting gives Time Machine a retrospective Metal haze, that is yet another Metal signature of ACCEPT.
So, understand please, with what I’m about to say in regards to my listening to Blood Of The Nations for the fourth time today… F’n Metal be thy F’n name. Realistically, the more I listen to this new ACCEPT, the more I’m realizing that Scott Coverdale just might be right in his calling Blood Of The Nations: Metal Album Of The Year. Wolf Hoffmann and Frank Herman aren’t just on fire with their guitar riffs, leads and solos… they are like crazed human Metal torchs on guitar. One listen to Pandemic and my Metal point is made quite clearly here. Pandemic! Pandemic! Hell yes… Metal… the ACCEPT way.
New World Comin’ rises with an intensified Metal groove that is enriched by the bass thumpin’ of founding member Peter Baltes and the thunder stompin’ of Stefan Schwarzmann on drums. New World Comin’ is the ACCEPT Metal anthem of 2010, bringing the mid ’80’s Arena Metal vibe to a new generation of Metalheads worldwide. Is this my favorite song on Blood Of The Nations? F’N HELL YEAH!!
Look, the reason for my elevated Metal excitement every so often, while doing an album review is due to: A. The respective band is a core/lifetime favorite of mine and B. The Metal contained within is absolutely legitimate and reflects what I feel Metal is supposed to be about… loud, powerful and full of pump-you-up sound, style, energy and feel. Blood Of The Nations is all this for me and then some. Just the prolific way in which Blood Of The Nations opens up with Beat The Bastards is evidence alone as to my prior explanation. Beat The Bastards showcases the melodic yet still fast and heavy character of ACCEPT. Angst filled and still victorious laden, the lyrics of this song are stuff of ACCEPT legend.
The Abyss and Blood Of The Nations guide me into this Metal world of ACCEPT 2010 and I am all the better Metalhead for it. This is Metal that isn’t farting around the beer keg here. The song Blood Of The Nations hails freedom, dreams and ideals… all the important aspects of life that are worth “fighting for”. I, like Scott Coverdale, can’t resist the overall patriotic appeal that this song Blood Of The Nations stands for.
Kill The Pain is a strong Metal… ballad. You read that correctly, ACCEPT has created a killer of a ballad, with 0% plastic sappiness, just stark reality of missing someone that is dearly lost. The guitar solo which ends Kill The Pain resonates with the emotion of this songs lyrics. Kill The Pain brings that moment during this ACCEPT album where I can come down from my Metal psyche-out high. All the while I can still enjoy an incredibly arranged song that showcases Mark Tornillo’s vocal diversity.
The overall Metal sensory experience can truly be better described by listening to these songs on Blood Of The Nations for yourself. Just when I think the Metal exhilaration running through my veins will subside… another song begins on this album that maintains the psyche-out level to a maximum level. ACCEPT has been resurrected and their Metal is dominating on Blood Of The Nations. ACCEPT has returned and ACCEPT has fortified my Metal soul once again.
Teutonic Terror has Mark Tornillo singing his lungs out. Mark comes across on this song as if it’s his personal favorite. Is it? I don’t know for sure. This is the ACCEPT lead vocalist now and I’m digging every syllable Mark Tornillo belts out. Do I miss the ultra Metal legend Udo Dirkschneider? Of course I do, I would be sadly mistaken if I didn’t. With the way life constantly intertwines and develops new paths to navigate, people move on and take their own journey. UDO has taken his solo Metal journey and I have and forever shall support him. I can only admire and applaud the loyalty to the cause of Metal that Udo Dirkschneider has exhibited throughout his historically fantastic Metal career.
This isn’t an album that needs to “sit with me” in order to figure out it’s Metal domination factor.
As with so many bands that are still touring and/or recording today, ACCEPT is a Metal franchise. Their name is branded in the Metal hearts, souls and minds of countless Metalheads the world over. Regardless of having a new lead vocalist, if you are going to maintain consistency, having founding and long-time members of a band only adds to the credibility and legitimacy of the music. If a band is going to have a new lead vocalist, he/she better be good and symbolize the true identity and sound of that bands career. Mark Tornillo is damn good. Wolf Hoffmann, Peter Baltes and their band ACCEPT have returned in a most amazingly formidable way, maintaining the Metal sound and style that solidifies this band as… legendary.
ACCEPT:
Mark Tornillo – vocals
Wolf Hoffmann – guitar
Peter Baltes – bass
Frank Herman – guitar
Stefan Schwarzmann – drums
All music & lyrics by: Baltes, Hoffmann and Tornillo*
* Rolling Thunder – music & lyrics by Frank & Tornillo
Track Listing For Blood Of The Nations:
Beat The Bastards
Teutonic Terror
The Abyss
Blood Of The Nations
Shades Of Death
Locked And Loaded
Time Machine – (bonus track)
Kill The Pain
Rolling Thunder
Pandemic
New World Comin’
No Shelter
Bucket Full Of Hate
LONG LIVE ACCEPT!
Stone.
U.D.O. is another justified example as to why I consider Germany the worlds greatest exporter of Metal Music outside of the great United States. U.D.O. does not stray from their Heavy Metal norm on Dominator, (released on October 6, 2009 in the U.S.A., on AFM Records). The first two songs on Dominator are like smash mouth football… Old School and punishing. The lyrics are not meant for NASA academics, they are meant for the Metalheads of the world who take pride in their Heavy Metal Music and bands. The Bogeyman and Dominator are song titles with lyrical content that follow a simple rule of Heavy Metal… thou shall not conform. Vintage Heavy Metal, baby. No political statements or hard to decipher words to be found. I love this stuff. I live for this stuff. Black and White is song three and glorifies the elegance of Heavy Metal guitar, not to forget Heavy Metal chorus as well. Udo Dirkschneider on lead vocals sounds as great as ever, anyone who states otherwise is simply jealous of this ageless Metal icon. Udo Dirkschneider has forever forged his legacy twice in Heavy Metal history, both with U.D.O. and Accept. Heavy Metal lightning does strike twice, Udo Dirkschneider is living proof of that.
Accept is a legendary Heavy Metal Band from Germany, blazing through the late 1970’s and releasing crushing Old School Heavy Metal right up until 1996. U.D.O. is the Heavy Metal brainchild from the iconic lead singer from Accept… Udo Dirkschneider. U.D.O. released their first studio album in 1987, with “Animal House”… in 1988 their second studio album released, titled “Mean Machine”. U.D.O. has released many albums over the years, with their latest studio effort being “Mastercutor”, released in 2007. I have and always will be a huge fan of Udo Dirkschneider, Accept was an incredible Heavy Metal band, they never wavered or catered to any musical flavor of the day, just 100% Heavy Metal albums they released back in the day. With Udo carrying on his grand Heavy Metal career with U.D.O., it only makes me psyched – knowing this legend is still around. Udo may not receive the glamourous adulation from the mainstream Rock press like Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, Brian Johnson or Ozzy, however, he is just as important to the history of Heavy Metal as any of these lead singers are.
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