ACCEPT – Too Mean to Die (2021 Nuclear Blast)
Tornillo-era Accept has been a pretty even field; a level grid of Sneap-sharp production and Hoffmann’s razor-riffs. If you expected change just because there’s a new bass player for the first time ever, you’d be wrong. Accept may be down to just one original member (Wolf Hoffmann himself) but it doesn’t matter much. What Accept deliver on Too Mean to Die is the same as they have done for every album since 2010’s Blood of the Nations. Reliable, like AC/DC…or a comfortable leather jacket.
Nothing wrong with this. Accept found a formula that works in their post-Udo world and it works well. It’s difficult to remember what songs are from what albums, but Accept haven’t stopped putting out solid quality metal.
There’s the song about zombies (“Zombie Apocalypse”), one about never giving up (“Too Mean To Die”), the mid-tempo one (“Overnight Sensation”), the one about the media (“No Ones Master”), the single* (“The Undertaker”), the one with the funny title (“Sucks to be You”), the classical influence (“Symphony of Pain”), the ballad (“The Best is Yet to Come”), the one about the state of the world (“How Do We Sleep”), the angry one (“Not My Problem”), and the instrumental (“Samsom and Delilah”).
The riffs keep hammering in the capable hands of Wolf, and Mr. Tornillo on lead vocals never stops givin’ ‘er. Hooks on every track. The energy is no less than their first together. Wolf’s guitar tone remains as tasty as it has been for over four decades. One more album to add to your collection, as the Tornillo era blends together like a monolithic five-CD box set. Too Mean To Die could have been titled Disc Five, so if you need to complete your set, do it now.
4/5 stars
* The single for “The Undertaker” features a non-album live track on its B-side, of a non-album single called “Life’s a Bitch”!
mikeladano.com 
That is a solid score. I’m not too familiar with the newer stuff. Glad to see its consistent. And that is a badass cover.
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Accept>Scorpions.
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Sure I’ll go with that too.
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I thought I’d meet resistance! Excellent!
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Very consistent and very badass. The snake’s tongue is lightning!
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I liked the tongue.
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Cannot believe this. I’m literally holding this cd in my hands. Just got it yesterday and here u go with the review…Love the cover on this one. Mean looking snake.
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The snake is awesome! Great cover design. Much better than Blind Rage or the Rise of Chaos.
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I guess I did not realize they were still around. cool deal. will check it out!
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I tried getting into this but I went back to Metal Heart and BTTW! Yeah I’m stuck in in the 80s lol
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Well said. They found their groove and niche and away they went. I’m slowly getting my way back into them again and it’s starting with this album.
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That’s a very Acceptable score!
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Sounds like he has Accepted this one.
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Haha I didn’t know if I was gonna get in trouble on this one – I make this same commenton every Accept post. It might get tiring!
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Since you haven’t reviewed Blind Rage yet, any thoughts on it, or is it still missing in your collection?
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Just got the Japanese with bonus track. Just need more time to absorb.
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