Accept Balls To The Wall (1983) (1990, Rca, ND 74472)

This 2013 collection from venerable, German metal outfit Accept, led by the inimitable Udo Dirkschneider begins, appropriately, with their biggest hit, 1984's "Balls to the Wall," a true heavy metal anthem. Despite having an impressive track record of material that extends well into the 21st century, the remaining tracks on Playlist: The Very Best of Accept are all culled from the group's golden age, with highlights coming from live staples like "Fast as a Shark," "London Leatherboys," "Metal Heart," and "Restless and Wild."

When Udo Dirkschneider sang lead with the West German metal band Accept, it was clear that AC/DC's Bon Scott was his primary influence. And the headbanger took his love of Scott with him when he departed Accept and formed his own band, Udo, in 1987. Though not as strong as his work with Accept, Faceless World is a decent album that employs mildly gothic imagery at times. Not content to simply crank up the volume and hit us with power chords, Dirkschneider and friends make melody a priority on "System of Life," "Stranger," "Blitz of Lightning" and other songs on this exuberant CD. Faceless World may not be Balls to the Wall (one of Accept's best releases), but it isn't anything to be ashamed of either. Who could have predicted that only three year's after Faceless World came out, this type of rock would have lost so much ground to alternative rock?

The German group Accept was one of the great metal bands of the '80s, but they never had huge success in North America. "Balls To The Wall" was their breakthrough in the U.S., but that was their only major hit here. They released tons of great albums over the years, and this DVD includes a lot of material.

Recorded during the last stages of the band's reunion tour, the double-disc The Final Chapter was designed as Accept's last album…

Despite its cheap-looking cover artwork, this is probably the best Accept greatest hits set of them all. Sequenced in chronological order, it provides a quick glimpse of the band's crude origins ("Lady Lou," "I'm a Rebel," "Breaker") before wisely focusing on their peak years ("Fast as a Shark," "Princess of the Dawn," "Balls to the Wall," "Metal Heart") prior to vocalist Udo Dirkschneider's long hiatus from the group…