ACCEPT - "BLIND RAGE" (Hard Rockin' Teutonic Heavy Metal Godfathers strike again in 2014; limited CD + Blu-Ray package on "NUCLEAR BLAST".)

ACCEPT - "BLIND RAGE"
("NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS"; limited CD & Blu-Ray package)
(Running time: 11 songs in 58:40 minutes.)
(Note: This is the limited edition, hm, or better one of the several limited edition sets of the album that features beside the CD with the new album also a bonus Blu-Ray Disc with a Live Concert from 2013 that ACCEPT played over in Chile and it comes in a extra fat digi book and paper sheet, hm, and beside this limited set there exist also limited editions on vinyl - I think black and colored or picture vinyl or so - and also on CD plus DVD and on and on, ah, and also the normal CD version - so you see, a lot of ways and forms for you to get this album.)

Time for the some day in November announced "inofficial Metal days" up here to start, and let us do it with some healthy and justified "BLIND RAGE" up here because now here it is, the third ACCEPT album after their re-union or comeback several years ago (or better my review on it), and it was primarly released this late summer or early autumn (at least I think so), anyhow, at least that was the time when I bought it. ACCEPT never had been my favorite Heavy Metal act from Germany, for example the mighty GRAVE DIGGER, HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY, (the older) BLIND GUARDIAN, and especially the almighty RUNNING WILD had always been more important to me than ACCEPT,maybe not at least because with the mentioned bands I grew up and with ACCEPT not that much really even I know and always knew very well that ACCEPT were sort of the originals and sort of the real deal of Teutonic Heavy Metal, the guys that pretty much started it all, and so they - and I mean ACCEPT - anyhow always had a prominent place of their very own also in my book and so I also always was interested in them, especailly after their comeback without Udo Dirkschneider and now here's already their third album and it carries the title "BLIND RAGE" and it features eleven songs in around a hour, value for money, and - even more important - it features especially great real Heavy Metal with a strong Hard Rock edge to it. First of all: The "new" singer Mark Tornillo does one hell of a great job and definitely delivers the goods, without a doubt and I really think after all this years now as the fronter and lead singer of ACCEPT, one of the most iconic, legendary, epic, influential, and important Metal bands ever outta there, we don't need to discuss this and also I think or would say that definitely no one misses Udo anymore today. (Even he was and is also one hell of a great lead singer and fronter, also without a single doubt.) Okay, beside this, we get really great teutonic Heavy Metal, often filled with mercyless forward stomping Hard Rock fueled rhythms and grooves. Forward driven by outstanding guitar work, hard'n'heavy as fuck yet damn catchy and melodic and delivering breath-taking riffs as well as bright shining leads and solos over all the time and this on an incredible high level of quality and with a very own tone to it all, yes, like above already more or less said: Simply the Real Deal. That this guys are totally stand-alone and really out-shining musicians should be clear and should need no further explanation here and now. The rhythm section stomps and marches and hammers its way forward full of class, force, sheer power, and all done very diverse and more than "only" well-versed, and to the mighty vocals I have already said all what there was to be said, just a phenomenal and totally charismatic first class grater lead voice, backed up by mighty broad, fat, and widescreen loud'n'proud band back ups, hell yeahr. This is pure Heavy Metal, Old School to the bone but this all done totally relevant and up-today, very fresh, exciting, interesting, grapping, and alive-lively, so that it is nothing else than a giant pleasure to listen to it again and again. Pure Heavy Metal with also a strong and clear authentic and very sympathic Hard Rock edge to it all, so that also fans of, for example, AC/DC and KROKUS will find a new love-affair-album here in and with "BLIND RAGE". Btw, the songwriting is also incredible strong, multi-layered, full of surprises, interesting and grapping from start to finish, so that the nearly one hour of running time feels anyhow always way too short after all, hahaha:-)... What should I write more, I think to describe the style of ACCEPT even more precise, just trying to do so, would be like carrying owls to Athens and so I will spare it me and you here and now. This is just pure and real, hard rockin' Heavy Metal, and it rules. The same is to say about the pretty strong and interesting lyrics, and also the artwork is a pure bomb like also the first class production sound, too. My absolute favorites are without a doubt "WANNA BE FREE", "200 YEARS", "FROM THE ASHES WE RISE", and the nearly almighty opening trio "STAMPEDE", "DYING BREED", and "DARK SIDE OF MY HEART", and the great powerful smasher "FINAL JOURNEY" offers one of the greatest guitar solo parts in and I am pretty sure also for years. If only "FALL OF THE EMPIRE", "TRAIL OF TEARS", and the a little bit too pathetic "THE CURSE" wouldn't be some sort of little let-downs the rating would be even better, but also so this is anyhow anyway one of the strongest albums of this year and definitely highly, highly recommended for any fans of authentic and fresh Heavy Metal and Hard Rock music, and so just go out and get it, period. Ah, btw, and the bonus blu-ray disc also scores according to the rules, first class. Cheers and raise your fist!!! /// Andy

(Rating: 9 of 10 points)

(Band site: http://www.acceptworldwide.com/- Just copy the link into the headline of a new browser-tab and then just go there.)