Accept's 'The Rise of Chaos' - Album Review

Accept, hailing from Solingen in Germany, have been around in one form or another since 1968; but since 1976 have been rocking the world with their back-to-basics brand of heavy metal. The band's self-titled debut album in 1979 laid the ground works for the band's sound, but it was four albums released between 1982 and 1986 - bookended by Restless and Wild and Russian Roulette - that really put the band on the world stage, and made them a part of the so-called 'German Invasion' along with the Scorpions and Warlock. Germany has always been a hotbed for new rock and metal acts, but Accept were one of the first to really breakthrough into the world market and became one of the country's most important metal exports. The razor sharp riffs of guitarist Wolf Hoffman and the raspy vocals of frontman Udo Dirkschneider became the hallmarks of the Accept sound and the band became popular for sticking to their principles and doing what they were good at album after album. For the most part Accept have stuck to the same blueprint throughout their career. I have always found them to be the heavy metal equivalent of AC/DC, re-using the same formula over and over, but usually managing to stay fresh despite this. The power of Accept's music has always been in their simple, but powerful riffs and their anthemic, fist-pumping choruses. This has served the band well over the years and there really is no reason for them to deviate far from this successful formula. Like many bands who have been around for a while however, line-up changes have been a big part of Accept's history. Hoffman and bassist Peter Baltes have been ever-present throughout Accept's career, and have become the band's main songwriters, but many others have come and gone over the years. When the band reunited for a fourth time in 2009, Hoffman and Baltes recruited frontman Mark Tornillo to replace Dirkschneider and the three have spearheaded the band since. Blood of the Nations, Tornillo's first album with the band, was released the following year to worldwide acclaim and was the start of a real resurgence for Accept, almost comparable with their early 1980s heyday. 2012's Stalingrad and 2014's Blind Rage followed, both with similarly excellent reviews, and Accept once again became big hitters on the world metal stage. The line-up change curse hit once again in 2015 however, as rhythm guitarist Herman Frank and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann left the band. Both had been with Accept since the 2009 reunion and both had played with Accept at various points in the past, so this was quite a blow for the band. Replacements were sought and guitarist Uwe Lulis (Grave Digger; Rebellion) and drummer Christopher Williams (War Within; Blackfoot) were brought in. As in the past however, Accept rode the line-up change wave well and Lulis and Williams were quickly integrated within Accept's ranks. After plenty of touring, this particular incarnation of Accept's first studio album The Rise of Chaos, which is the band's fifteenth overall, was released last month to similar acclaim to that of the previous three. It will surprise no-one that The Rise of Chaos is classic Accept and an album that sticks to the band's well-established and instantly recognisable sound.

After opening with a riff reminiscent of Black Sabbath, the album gets underway at speed with Die by the Sword, a song that really contains off the hallmarks of what makes Accept so good. Hoffman's riff drives the whole song, but Baltes' bass is constantly prominent in the mix which really helps to give the song serious weight. While many long-time fans of Accept may still miss Dirkschneider, Tornillo has really made the singer role his own since joining the band in 2009. His rasp has arguably more power than Dirkschneider ever possessed, and his is a great vehicle to carry these hard-hitting metal anthems. The song's chorus is as fist-pumping as ever, with powerful gang vocals from the rest of the band that sits perfectly atop a chugging riff. Hoffman is quite an underrated guitarist in my opinion, and he launches into a short neo-classical solo part way through that is a lot more technical that it seems on the surface. While many of Accept's songs are quite fast, many of them are also strong mid-paced efforts and that is exactly what Hole in the Head is. Baltes' bass drives the whole song, and his fat tones really cut through the mix perfectly as the band's two guitarists take more of a backseat. While Accept are not exactly a band to emphasis groove in their songs, this is one where it is more present, especially during the chorus which has a snaking guitar riff that sits below then anthemic vocal melodies that make more use of strong gang vocals. The album's title track picks up the pace once again, and this song is a real throwback to the band's early days. While Accept's sound has barely changed at all throughout their career, this is a song that really sounds like it could have appeared on 1983's Balls to the Wall. Hoffman's driving riff just dominates the whole song, and Williams' drum patterns are simple but come out of the speakers like sledgehammers to inspire plenty of neck movement. The chorus is simple, but very effective, and carries on the song's hard-hitting feeling. Tornillo unleashes some pretty high-pitched vocals in the chorus too, which is a great contrast to the deep gang vocals, and makes it instantly memorable. Koolaid is one of the album's best songs in my opinion, and tells the story of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre. Even for Accept's standards, this song is stripped back to basics and is built around a solid bassline from Baltes that just holds everything together. Tornillo's vocal delivery is understandably subdued during the verses, but picks up as the song moves towards the chorus. The gang vocals here really add some serious power to the song, which acts as a great contrast to the more subdued verses, even if the chorus' lyrics come off as a little unintentionally funny given the song's subject matter. No Regrets is another faster piece, that mixes short snaps of vocally-dominated pieces with almost-thrash metal riffs. The stop-start nature of the song works well however, and makes the bursts of thrash-like energy hit with real power when they come in.

Analog Man is another real standout song here, and deals with older people's struggles to fit into a modern, technologically-driven world. It is done in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek way, but the message still resonates clearly and it makes a serious point. This is another mid-paced song, with buzzing staccato guitar riffs atop a constant, rumbling bassline. The call-and-response style chorus is made to be played live, and some bluesier riffs that appear during the song's second half lead to a nice change of pace. Hoffman's guitar solo is surprisingly bluesy too, and relies less on speed that he does usually. What's Done is Done is another instantly catchy song with a bouncy, fast-paced guitar riff and a commanding vocal display from Tornillo. What makes this song so good however is the excellent chorus, which is possibly the best on the album. Most of Accept's choruses are simple and rely on basic melodies, and this one is no different, but it just seems to be catchier than usual. Gang vocals are often used by the band to make their choruses seem more powerful, but here the backing vocals are used in a more subtle way which enhances Tornillo's voice rather than drowning it. I think it works well and really helps to raise this chorus up to the next level while still retaining the band's signature sound. Worlds Colliding is somewhat less-heavy than many of Accept's sound, and instead takes on more of a hard rock crunch with shades of AC/DC and more overt vocal melodies. That is not to say that this song sounds vastly different from anything else on this album, as it does not, but it just seems to go for a slightly more nuanced approach with some surprisingly aching guitar leads in places and a more melodic vocal performance. This is all relative however, as the song still packs in a punch in a way that only Accept can, but there are subtle differences here that give the song a slightly more polished sheen. In contrast Carry the Weight is possibly the heaviest piece on the album with a furious drumming performance throughout from Williams, which makes a good use of some heavy double bass drumming, and some fast, flashy guitar riffs. Accept's riffs are usually simple affairs, that go for power rather than technical prowess, but some of the guitar moments are more intricate than usual which is a nice change and shows Hoffman and Lulis in a different light. The song seems to deal with many of the current affairs going on in the world at the moment, and even mentions Brexit, and portrays the world in quite a downbeat way. This is in contrast with the heavier, faster music here but it still works well and manages to get it's point across well. The album's final song, Race to Extinction, opens out with a slower, methodical riff but soon speeds up somewhat to a more mid-paced rocker that includes some evil-sounding guitar riffs, again reminiscent of Black Sabbath, in places which contrasts well with the upbeat nature of the rest of the music. Style wise this song is typical of the rest of the album, with a hard-hitting gang vocal chorus all led by Tornillo's powerful vocal prowess. It is a strong song to end the album on, and rounds out the themes addressed here perfectly. Overall, The Rise of Chaos is another really strong album from Accept that carries on the good work the band have been doing since Blood of the Nations. Lulis and Williams have fitted into the Accept machine perfectly, and the core of the band - Tornillo, Hoffman, and Baltes - have written another hard-hitting albums of metal anthems that is sure to be enjoyed by many.

The album was released on 4th August 2017 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Rise of Chaos.