Four years after her highly acclaimed comeback album "Blood of the Nations" (2010) and two years after the equally strong successor "Stalingrad" (2012) go guitarist Wolf Hoffmann, bassist Peter Baltes and Co. the next stage of development. It has become a bestseller and accordingly it makes sense to continue to address broad consumer segments. The logical consequence: Less Double Bass, more sing along choruses. There is no objection about anything, as long as you stand fully behind it. The cover of "Blind Rage" (2014), however, signaled as noted otherwise.
Only the opener "Stampede" fits perfectly into the concept. After pompous intro of rampant bull rushes off. That's Accept to perfection. Massive power riffs and a thundering passage shout-chorus. You can feel it directly in to the irrepressible energy. Glowing steel par excellence. Without compromise, relentless in your face. Rightly first single and figurehead of the plate. Will continue to be the reference song.
With "Dying Breed" is about once in more moderate climes. Galloping midtempo and polynuclear Hard Rock for Metal, but still strong. After the rush at the beginning of the title may seem a little weaker. The more often but it leads him to mind, the more he turns out to be more convincing Teutons Stamper. This type of reef you really get served only from German bands.
"Dark Side of My Heart" was a mega flop for me for the first run of the LP. Stale 80s glam rock with glöckchenklingelndem Softie Chorus - I thought at first. But now I like the track very well. I also had to get used to the engängigeren songstructures me first. That has happened and therefore revised the first sentence. Really strong hook and very emotional vocal performance of Mark Tornillo. The most versatile singers of the Accept-story is this time clearly at the center and it offers not only here but in all eleven tracks.
Even the success of the doomsday fantasy "Fall of the Empire", he contributes significantly. Again medium speed, again a rich reef, again much melody. Dramatic and dense with huge choruses.
Surprisingly mercilessly presents itself "Trail of Tears". Suddenly Double Bass, suddenly more speed. Unfortunately, the chorus is hardly worth mentioning. Missed opportunity, although the impact is conducive to the accelerator after all the variety. On the last two albums Accept convinced more with their fast songs.
Maybe you are in this respect in fact run out of ideas and it was simply unavoidable to prescribe more of catchiness. The best proof: "Wanna be Free". So authentic melodic metal goes without exaggeration much sugar. Gripping and heartbreaking and yet no ballad. In the wake of more commercial titles such as 80 "Midnight Mover" or "Generation Clash". Here everything is right.
The inspiration for the more aggressive "200 Years" wins guitarist Wolf Hoffmann from a TV documentary about the potential environmental developments after the extinction of mankind. Fats Hook, strong part.
"Bloodbath Mastermind" then increased the pace again something without letting go completely. Superior Pre-Chorus, strong album track.
My personal favorite, however, is so far "From the Ashes We Rise". Perfect combination of melody and power. You lose yourself in this downright irresistible smooth number. Slightly melancholic touch and a hammer-chorus. I was immediately drawn into its spell. A real hit.
Regrettably stinks "The Curse" from pretty. The verses are still quite strong, but what should please this chorus? Rough round and already umpteen times better heard from many other bands. Ruined a really successful composition. Here the commercial sound garment does not fit.
As a kind of compensation follows the finale with "Final Journey" a final up-tempo hit. Tapping riffs and double bass is also back. That's okay.
Somehow "Blind Rage" a seltames album. On the one hand protrude some titles out excessively, on the other hand, the overall picture is still not consistent. Although arrangements have failed more versatile than on the relatively predictable predecessor "Stalingrad", the link between hardness and harmony is missing. There are a few softer and a few more aggressive songs, to which another album title would fit better. Maybe something in the science fiction dystopia or corner.
However, there are also positive to say. The partly stupid war texts recently have given way vielschichtigeren topics. Is probably because the first time no longer Wolf Hoffman's wife Gaby, but native speakers Mark Tornillo taxed the lyrics. In addition, the album wins at each pass a little more. Maybe I'll forgive four stars in half a year. In any case show Accept that they are not therefore any spilled village troupe, but the best are what the metal sector has to offer the world. Rightly them is with "Blind Rage" the first number 1 of their band history in the German charts succeeded. It will be interesting to the next work of this extraordinary troupe that just experienced their second (or third?) Spring.
