REVIEW: Accept – The Rise of Chaos (2017 coloured vinyl)

ACCEPT – The Rise of Chaos (2017 Nuclear Blast blue and orange splatter limited vinyl edition)

Over the past decade, Accept have joined a rare pantheon.  They are among the few metal bands with “replacement singers” that have continued with honour, and without constant clamouring for older lineups.  Mark Tornillo has, over the course over several great albums, earned his place without question.  The Rise of Chaos (with producer Andy Sneap) continues the journey, full steam ahead.

The blue and orange swirl vinyl edition is a double record set, limited to 700 copies.  Not only do they look stunning, but they sound vibrant and crisp.  A 46 minute album could easily have fit on a single LP, so the fact they did a double means they wanted to ensure maximum musical reproduction for vinyl buyers.*

Wolf, Mark, Peter, Uwe and Christopher crush it throughout.  “Die By the Sword”, the initial assault, is a lightning strike of sharp riffing and Baltes’ bass undercurrent.  This is pure Accept:  gothic backing vocals and overhead screams!  “Hole in the Head” boils over with animosity, delivered molten.  Then, like a Panzer division at full speed, “The Rise of Chaos” rips the heads off anything still standing.

Flip sides.  “Koolaid” retells the story of Jim Jones and the cult of the damned, a topic previously explored by Manowar.  With a riff written as if out of 1984, it takes on a mid-tempo groove rock march.  Yes, it’s possible the best song on the Accept album is named “Koolaid”!  Then the heat put off by “No Regrets” will blister the skin, if the drums don’t give you a concussion.

Flip sides.  Taking it back to a sharp metallic groove, “Analog Man” is an amusing look at our high tech world.  “Now there’s flat-screens and 3-D, my cell phone’s smarter than me!” They go for an anthemic style with “What’s Done is Done”, and plenty of guitar harmony solos to go around.  “Worlds Colliding” has the “classic metal” sound, brilliant riff and chorus combined for a slick mercury-like sound.

Flip sides one more time.  Neither “Carry the Weight” and “Race to Extinction” let up.  It’s 10 more minutes of fast, heavy metal.  Make no mistake, this is one punishing metal album.  Is it a little paint-by-numbers?  Yes — Accept albums are getting that way.  Riffs might be interchangeable.  But when the albums are still this good, it matters little.

4.5/5 stars

 

 

 

* You could also choose from:

  • 45 RPM, 180 gram black vinyl.  “limited edition”.
  • 45 RPM, 180 gram vinyl – blue and red splatter.  300 copies, USA.
  • 45 RPM, clear vinyl.  300 copies, Germany.
  • 45 RPM, 180 gram red vinyl.  300 copies, Germany.
  • 45 RPM, 180 gram vinyl – green and gold splatter.  300 copies, mail order from Nuclear Blast only.
  • 45 RPM, 180 gram vinyl – orange and red splatter.  500 copies, mail order from Nuclear Blast only.
  • This one is 33 RPM, 180 gram vinyl – blue and orange splatter.  700 copies, USA.

 

 

 

 

29 comments

  4. Accept have been one of those bands that keep chugging out great albums and this one’s got my attention. I do hope they’re picked as the special guest for Bloodstock this year. On the subject of Jim Jones, it seems to be covered a lot these days. Black Emerald also have a song about him.

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      1. Yeah. Even then I’m Selective…
        Restless and Wild/Balls To The Walls/Metal Heart are the three I dig…
        I wouldn’t even mind someday revising that mess of a record called Eat The Heat…hahah

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    1. It’s totally our generation.

      I was born in a cave, when stereo was all the rage
      Gatefold vinyl and eight tracks ruled the world
      Now there’s flat screens in 3D
      My cell phone’s smarter than me
      I can’t keep up, my brains are beginning to burn

      Update and download
      There’s no winning, just insanity
      Update and download
      The wheel keeps spinning, just set me free

      I’m an analog man… analog man
      I’m an analog man, trapped in a digital world
      I am an analog man… analog man
      An analog man, in a digital world

      I keep surfing with the crowd, my information’s on a cloud
      My profile gets hacked almost everyday

      Update and download
      There’s no winning, just insanity
      Update and download
      The wheel’s still spinning, just let me be

      I’m an analog man… analog man
      I’m an analog man, trapped in a digital world
      I am an analog man… analog man
      Just an old school son of a bitch… in this digital hell

      Don’t need no wifi, just want my hi-fi
      Don’t need no data plan
      Computers crashing, I want to smash ’em
      I just don’ t understand

      Update and download
      There’s no winning, just insanity
      Update and download
      Damn wheels still spinning, somebody set me free

      Analog man… analog man
      I’m an analog man, in a digital world
      Analog man… analog man
      I’m an analog man, dying in a digital world

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        1. Fair enough! I’m missing one, Blind Rage, but it’s the kind of thing I’ll get if I happen to need something to complete a CD Japan order.

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  9. The run these guys have had since reforming with Mark is just not something you see often in music. The best since the mid 80’s period. Solid.

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