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

“Metal Heart”, Accept’s sixth studio album, was their second major label release after 1983’s “Balls to The Wall”. Their 1985 record found the legendary and highly influential German heavy metal band go in a slightly more US radio-friendly than their previous releases, particularly on the single ‘Midnight Mover’.
This edition now includes the Japanese live mini-album “Kaizoku-Ban” in its entirety, recorded in Nagoya, Japan, on September 19, 1985 on the Japanese leg of the band’s Metal Heart world tour. “Kaizoku-Ban” features ‘Metal Heart’, ‘Screaming For A Love-Bite’ and ‘Up To The Limit’ from “Metal Heart” and ‘Head Over Heels’, ‘Love Child’ and ‘Living For Tonite’ from their previous long-player, “Balls to The Wall”. The album was their first to be produced by famed German producer Dieter Dirks, best known for his work with fellow Teutonic rockers, the Scorpions.

Accept's creative breakthrough, 1983's Restless and Wild, begins with one of the most unexpected, surprising, and hilarious mock intros ever recorded. Untold thousands no doubt furrowed their brows in confusion at the perky German folk song emanating from their speakers, only to be rudely interrupted by a scratching needle and Udo Dirkschneider's incomparable shriek, as the band launch themselves into the stunning violence of "Fast as a Shark." Not just a thrilling, light-speed juggernaut, the song was probably the last thrash metal prototype waxed in the pre-thrash era (officially inaugurated by Metallica's Kill 'Em All a few months later).

It appears at least that All Areas is just the inevitable catalog addition from a group well into the twilight of their career, and it would be altogether useless if Accept wasn't such an exceptional live act. Perhaps a contract needed fulfillment or maybe the rent was just due, but no matter the reason for this disc's existence, it is not without merit and may be the best live recording from one of metal's most consistent live acts. The quality of the recording is commendable and the performances do not lack any of the enthusiasm and precision that fans would expect from Accept.

Too Mean to Die is the sixteenth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept, released on 29 January 2021. It is the first Accept album to feature Martin Motnik, who replaced original bassist Peter Baltes in 2019, and rhythm guitarist Philip Shouse, who joined the band that same year. Speaking of heavy metal kingpins, when ACCEPT first launched at the end of the 70s, the metal genre didn’t even exist - at first the band could only be labelled with the (quality) seal “crazy loud and crazy wild”. Today we know that this was (and is) metal par excellence. And we also know that ACCEPT opened the door to thrash metal, inspiring giants such as Metallica. Guitarist Kirk Hammett recently stated in the German magazine “Gitarre & Bass”: “Wolf Hoffmann has a huge influence on me.“

Nuclear Blast Records managed to get lots of well-known good bands for this tribute to the best rock band ever. One of the best is Steel Prophet's rendition of "Fast As A Shark", which features the "heidi heido heida" intro played on electric guitar & also ends with the intro to "Restless & Wild"…