They say that you can’t keep a good man down. In the case of German Heavy Metal outfit Accept, that should probably read “you can’t keep good men down”, as their latest record, the considerably more metal than you, Blind Rage (Nuclear Blast) ably proves.
Accept seem to have been going since Henry VIII was a toddler but these last few years have seen this teutonic power unit find themselves in what can only be described as something of a purple patch. The return of Mark Turnillo on lead vocals has doubtless helped because over the last couple of years, and on this latest record, Accept have rarely sounded as fresh, vibrant or exciting. Well, not since they invited us to place our balls to the proverbial wall, anyway.
Blind Rage is completely and utterly heavy metal. It is, in many ways, hugely traditional and charmingly so. The addition of Andy Sneap on some of the production duties might encourage you to think that they had gone all modern. Don’t believe a word of it. As he did with the spectacular revival of NWOBHM stalwarts Hell, Sneap’s work here is to give a sheen and a modern gloss to a song structure that is immediate, familiar and inviting.
Take the opening track ‘Stampede’, which arrives completely cocksure, carefree and ready to box your ears. Likewise, the gnarly title track which does that twin guitar part thing so beloved of metal bands and wherein our favourite Germanic cousins suggest that they are the last flag bearers for this thing called heavy metal. There are even lyric checks to “Sabbaths, black” “denim and leather” and “purple hazes” so you know exactly which side this team are backing. It is both fist pumping and grin inducing. As this is Accept, there are riffs and solos aplenty and you really cannot go far wrong with the surprisingly catchy ‘Bloodbath Mastermind’ nor the infectious ‘The Ashes’.
Given that this is unreconstructed heavy metal, you don’t get any breakdowns, rap middle-eights or anything approaching a complex time signature. These absences are, of course, entirely in the record’s favour as it is packed, sardine-like, with heavy tune after heavy tune. It is defiant, melodious and full of the lyrical flourishes that heavy metal fans know and love- falls of empires, battles for freedom and being hell bent on destruction.
Blind Rage is an enjoyable romp of an album. It won’t be winning any awards but it’s more than just a “will this do?” contractual sojourn. It might not boil the heavy metal ocean, but it probably deserves to at least turn on the kettle. Ausgezeichnet, as they might say in Germany.
7.5/10
MAT DAVIES