{"id":43743,"date":"2014-08-07T20:42:02","date_gmt":"2014-08-08T01:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=43743"},"modified":"2014-08-07T20:42:02","modified_gmt":"2014-08-08T01:42:02","slug":"accept-blind-rage-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2014\/accept-blind-rage-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Accept | Blind Rage<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alexandra Mrozowska<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"AcceptBlindRage\"Although most of us are familiar with the Teutonic thrash metal term describing the particularity of the German thrash metal scene, its counterpart related to heavy metal genre should be in equal use. There is, and always was, something distinctively different about the German metal bands \u2013 namely, the aspects of heaviness, majesty and pace of their sound. As for Accept, they\u2019re perhaps the most genuine representatives to the scene, a literal \u201cmetal heart\u201d of the German heavy metal \u2013 although also this legendary band had their ups and downs. Yet, all this being in the past, now Accept returns stronger than ever with what is their fourteenth studio album, the third one recorded with their current singer Mark Tornillo. Blind Rage<\/em> is the title of the release, out in August via Nuclear Blast.<\/p>\n

The scarlet-colored album cover reveals a picture of an enraged bull ready to attack \u2013 and, it turns out, it perfectly completes the furious metal assault of the first track \u201cStampede\u201d with its muscular riffs and Tornillo\u2019s gruff vocals. Perhaps the highlight of the track is the guitar solo crafted in the best Accept tradition, with distant echoes of neoclassic arrangements which everyone who ever headbanged to \u201cMetal Heart\u201d should be more than familiar with. \u201cDying Breed\u201d continues in the same feisty manner, Tornillo doing his best Udo-esque impression against the background of a pounding rhythm section and mad guitar duels between Hoffmann and Frank. <\/p>\n

Slightly more melodic \u201cDark Side Of My Heart\u201d opens with a raw riff somewhat devoid of the Teutonic metal majesty and one that may remind you of the typical NWOBHM sound. In its entirety, the song \u2013 as many other on this album \u2013 bears some resemblance to the classic Accept albums. \u201cFall Of The Empire\u201d is a shift from the \u201880s influences metal the group has previously embarked on and towards modern-day sound; a majestic, lumbering piece with atmospheric chanted background vocals against Mark Tornillo\u2019s raspy voice taking the lead. <\/p>\n

Next is the explosive, fast-paced riff of \u201cTrail Of Tears\u201d that doesn\u2019t let one forget it was Wolf Hoffmann who pioneered such furious licks years before Helloween and Gamma Ray sound helped to coin the term \u201cPower Metal.\u201d And certainly, many young representatives of the current metal scene can only wish and hope they\u2019ll ever sound as powerful as this.<\/p>\n

Even the most powerful incarnation of heavy metal was, however, not always about pace and fury \u2013 and its pioneers know it well, it seems, delivering a melodic mid-tempo \u201cWanna Be Free\u201d preceded with a charming, mellow acoustic intro. The track\u2019s relatively subtle melody is in a vivid, yet interesting, contrast with the massive background chants that fill the chorus \u2013 and a proof that even more benign face of Accept is still as convincing as their fueled-by-fury trademark sound.<\/p>\n

Its follow-up is \u201c200 Years\u201d \u2013 as rough and gritty as metal can only get, laden with some heavy, but tasteful guitar licks. \u201cBloodbath Mastermind\u201d is no slowdown to its predecessor, despite mellow and perhaps misleading intro. And if up to this point \u2013 even after the two previous Accept albums \u2013 you were not entirely sure about Tornillo\u2019s ability to rip his throat off, the track conclusively proves he\u2019s a sterling screamer. <\/p>\n

\u201cFrom The Ashes We Rise\u201d starts in a somewhat bluesy manner and the echoes of blues are to be heard further in this lumbering, ballad-esque piece. Next is the majestic, guitar-laden epic \u201cThe Curse\u201d and fast-paced gallop of \u201cFinal Journey\u201d enriched again with a neoclassical-infused solo; undoubtedly, both of the closing tracks finish Blind Rage on a very high note. <\/p>\n

Although even a mediocre album from the German giants Accept wouldn\u2019t have shattered their iconic status, Blind Rage<\/em> is one of these records the only downside of is that they end at some point. Surely, one can discuss the band resorting to the best of their tricks \u2013 all staples and trademarks, all things considered classic Accept \u2013 but isn\u2019t that the whole point of being a legend in the metal scene that doesn\u2019t have to prove much and can only confirm their status? With their new album, the Germans give their fans exactly what they want to get, a muscular, meaty metal deliciousness spiced up with modern production, but rooted deeply in the sound of Balls To The Wall<\/em> and Metal Heart<\/em>. It\u2019s heavy metal at its purest and very best \u2013 you can\u2019t help but keep on headbanging. Highly recommended. <\/p>\n

Genre: Heavy Metal<\/p>\n

Band:
\nMark Tornillo \u2013 lead vocals
\nWolf Hoffmann \u2013 guitar
\nHerman Frank \u2013 guitar
\nPeter Baltes \u2013 bass guitar
\nStefan Schwarzmann \u2013 drums<\/p>\n

Track List:
\n1.\tStampede
\n2.\tDying Breed
\n3.\tDark Side Of My Heart
\n4.\tFall Of The Empire
\n5.\tTrail Of Tears
\n6.\tWanna Be Free
\n7.\t200 Years
\n8.\tBloodbath Mastermind
\n9.\tFrom The Ashes We Rise
\n10.\tThe Curse
\n11.\tFinal Journey<\/p>\n

Label: Nuclear Blast Records<\/p>\n

Website: www.acceptworldwide.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 9\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Alexandra Mrozowska – Senior Columnist — Although most of us are familiar with the Teutonic thrash metal term describing the particularity of the German thrash metal scene, its counterpart related to heavy metal genre […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":43772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10848],"tags":[9085,9217,2317,2491,3161],"class_list":{"0":"post-43743","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcrvws2014","8":"tag-accept","9":"tag-blind-rage","10":"tag-cd-review","11":"tag-heavy-metal","12":"tag-nuclear-blast-records"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}