Reviews

REVIEW: Iron Maiden – Killers (1981, 1996 bonus CD)

Part 3 in my series of Iron Maiden reviews!

IRON MAIDEN – Killers (1981, 1996 bonus CD, EMI)

After the masterful introduction that was the first Iron Maiden album, the band jettisoned guitarist Dennis Stratton to get the guy that Steve wanted years before:  Adrian Smith.  An old buddy of Dave Murray, Adrian fit like a glove and the next album was recorded.

Written entirely by Steve Harris except for one Di’Anno co-write, Killers was also produced by Martin Birch.  Birch had already helmed the biggest and best albums by Deep Purple, and was more than capable of capturing the Maiden sound in the studio, unlike former producer Will Malone.

Popular opinion is split on Killers.  Some fans see it as a significant up-shift from the previous, others see it as inferior.  Both aruments hold water.  There is no denying that the partnership with Martin Birch created a better sounding album, one more consistent with the band’s live intensity.  The addition of Smith on guitar meant that you’re hearing a more unified sound, two guitar players in great sync with each other.  The songs are also harder and more intricate, with even more sections and changes.

While Killers is a good album in those respects, the songs were not as memorable this time out.  There are two scorchers on this record that are among my all-time Maiden favourites:  “Wrathchild” and “Killers” itself.  Then you have some second tier goodies like “Murders In The Rue Morgue”, “Innocent Exile”, and “Drifter”.  Beyond that, there’s little else here that would make my Maiden road tape.  I don’t know why, but time after time, listen after listen, year after year, the rest stubbornly refuses to grow on me.

Killers contains one ballad (“Prodigal Son”, which is almost like Iron Zeppelin) and two instrumentals (“The Ides of March” and “Genghis Khan”).  Oddly enough, one of those instrumentals, “The Ides of March” is identical to a song by rival NWOBHM band Samson, called “Thunderburst”.  The song was originally an Iron Maiden idea; Samson’s drummer Thunderstick was very briefly in Iron Maiden during the late 1970’s.  Samson’s singer was some guy called Bruce Bruce, known to his mum as Bruce Dickinson.

This picture disc edition of Killers came with a bonus CD containing all the associated non-album songs.  “Twilight Zone”, included here, is actually an A-side of a non-album single.  The US version of Killers had “Twilight Zone” on the album.  Its selection as a single ahead of something like “Wrathchild” seems strange with hindsight.  I never really liked the song that much, aside from Di’Anno’s screamy chorus.  This one was a Dave Murray co-write as well.

Another non-album single, the infamous “Women In Uniform” is also included.  This is the one that the band hated, a cover from a German band called Skyhooks.  I liked it because of my early association with the cheesey music video.  I wouldn’t call it a standout track, but I like it better than “Twilight Zone”.  This single acually pre-dated Killers, and Dennis Stratton is still on guitar.  Its two B-sides, “Invasion” and “Phantom Of The Opera (Live)” are both included.  “Invasion” is an improved remake of the song from the first EP, The Soundhouse Tapes.  It’s still not up to the standard of anything on album #1, but it’s still an entertaining tale of the Norsemen comin’, “raping and pillaging, robbin’ and lootin’ the land.”  An early Maiden history lesson from Steve Harris.

I’ll have to say something about Derek Rigg’s artwork as well:  Now we know what Eddie was up in that back alley on the last album!  No good, clearly, as he’s weilding a bloody hatchet, as a man’s hands can be seen grasping his shirt.  Behind Eddie, you can see a “kinky sex shop” and the Ruskin Arms, where many legendary Maiden gigs went down.  Is that Charlotte in the red window?

Rating Killers is very difficult.  It’s still better than most band’s best albums, yet it’s one of my least favourite.  Trying to be objective here, I will rate Killers:

3.5/5 stars

Also pictured below:  A bootleg CD from the tour called Another Live.

MOVIE REVIEW: FUBAR (2002)

FUBAR (2002, directed by Michael Dowse)

Ferrell Mitchner, an amature filmaker, wants to look at two locals who live the party life, fast and hard. Terry and Deaner are two “bangers” living in Calgary Alberta.  They shotgun their beers, vandalize stuff, and avoid getting a real job, and to them that’s just fine.  They live a worry and care-free lifestyle with a killer soundtrack behind them:  AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Thor, and original metal music too.

All’s not well in partyland though:  Terry and Dean’s best friend, Tron (Troy) isn’t hanging out with them anymore.  Things seem pretty dull in Calgary until Terry blabs to Ferrell that Dean’s got cancer.

And it’s bad cancer, too.  Testicular cancer.  While Dean acts like it’s a joke, his on-and-off girlfriend Trixie convinces him to get treatment.  For the sake of their daughter Chastity, Dean decides to go.  But not before one last massive blow-out party weekend.  Camping.  And Ferrell’s going to film the whole thing.

While the cancer aspect doesn’t sound funny, it does lend itself to many lines about Dean’s “giant nut”.  It’s the dense but lovable Terry and Dean who make this comedy work. Eternally quotable, Fubar is equal to or better than Trailer Park Boys’ dialogue.

Even though he cast some nasty fuckin’ evil shit on people, Merlin went to Heaven. That stuff’s real. Merlin was in King Henry’s court.

I liked this one, too.

Some of the best burgers I’ve ever had came from bowling alleys. Bowling alleys have some of the best cooks. Just because they work at a bowling alley, doesn’t mean they’re not gonna put some pride in their fuckin’ burgers.

The fact is, anybody who grew up in the 80’s knew somebody just like Terry and Dean. Dumb, but lovable and loyal, finding amusement in the simplest activities like farts, jumping fences and play fighting.  Terry and Dean are not unlike that guy down the street who wore his jean jacket even on the hottest summer days. Along the way, they encouter real Albertans like themselves, (like, actually real, as in these people didn’t know it was for a fictional movie) .   Guys who drink hard and party hard all weekend, waking at the crack of noon to do it all over again. While some would like to live in denial that such people exist, they’re out there, and they don’t give a shit what you think.

A big part of why this movie works is Paul Spence and David Lawrence.  Somehow they manage to give the characters of Dean and Terry just enough pathos, while keeping them genuine.

This is a truely awesome Canadian cult classic. It is a comedy with a real heart beating inside. Most importantly, it is only the beginning. Hopefully, you’ll want to see what adventures Terry and Deaner are up to when they move to Fort McMurray in Fubar II!

Bonus features are extremely high quality, with deleted scenes that should have made the final cut, and some hilarious commentary tracks.  I’m always a big fan of character commentaries.  The character commentary in this movie is hilarious.  Just as a sad scene is about to take place, commentary Deaner says:

I know I’m supposed to be sad because of what’s gonna happen…but this song’s so good, I can’t be sad.  (“Run To The Hills”)

Note:  You gain absolutely nothing by owning this on blu-ray vs. DVD.  The movie is supposed to look like they shot it with no money (which they basically did), and blu-ray actually looked worse in my opinion.

5/5 stars, just give’r.

Dean Murdoch Paul Spence
Terry Cahill David Lawrence
Farrel Mitchner Gordon Skilling

 

REVIEW: Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden (1980, 1996 bonus CD)

Part 2 in my series of Iron Maiden reviews!

IRON MAIDEN: Iron Maiden (1980, 1996 bonus CD, EMI)

Straight out of the gates, Maiden galloped onto the international scene, with their own sound and a debut album as strong as anybody’s.  An incredible album in fact, Iron Maiden had the benefit of containing songs that Steve Harris had been playing for years, in various incarnations of the band.  They were road tested and taut as muscle.

The cover by Derek Riggs depicts a prototypical, haunting version of Eddie.  But there he is still, roaring under the streetlight of some London back alley, probably up to no good.  This cover was re-painted for the 1998 remastered edition, but I think an original is always best.

Revised 1998 artwork

Although Harris despised punk rock, Iron Maiden is punk-like in its delivery.  While plowing through intricate riffs and time changes, they do so with the intensity of their punk rivals, feeling like they’re about to fly off the rails.  But they never do; Maiden were absolute pros even then.

Producer Will Malone did not capture the full-on Maiden sound, sonically.  It is however a step up from their EP, The Soundhouse Tapes.  Maiden would not find their studio sound until hooking up with Deep Purple/Rainbow producer Martin Birch, next album.

Every song is brilliant.  The opening wah-wah guitar intensity of “Prowler” warns away the timid, before the song trounces forward, propelled by Steve Harris and new drummer Clive Burr.  Paul Di’Anno is absolutely at his peak as a singer, with range, grit, and power to spare.  He throws it all into “Prowler”.

“Remember Tomorrow”, co-written by Paul, is a slow-burner, along the lines of those old slow Black Sabbath songs.  Paul sings his ass off, and if any one song was his showcase, I would say it has to be “Remember Tomorrow”.

The tempo picks up again with the first single “Running Free”, a song that I feel never peaked until released in a live verion.  Live, it’s faster and more intense.  In the studio, it feels like it never quite gets up to speed.  However, a classic song it remains, with Maiden’s first undeniable sing-along chorus.

7 minutes of “Phantom Of The Opera” closes side one of the original vinyl.  Steve’s first multi-part epic, this is the song that proved too difficult for many guitarists auditioning for the band.  Long time axeman Dave Murray could handle the material no problem.  Finding a second player proved difficult, until Dennis Stratton showed up and fit the bill.  “Phantom” proved to be his undoing nevertheless.  While the rest of the band were out, he overdubbed Queen-like choir vocals and guitar harmonies, which horrified Harris.  It wasn’t so much that Stratton had initiative and ideas to present, it was that they were so far off what what Steve’s vision of Maiden was.  Stratton proved to be the wrong fit, and this remains his only album with Iron Maiden.

Side two began with the instrumental stomper “Transylvania”.  This fades into a spacey ballad, “Strange World”.  “Strange World” is one of the most immediate songs on the album, perhaps because it’s different from the rest.  If I had to compare it to something else, it might be “Solitude” by Black Sabbath, but with guitars instead of flutes!  And solos too…Dave’s epic side of solo composition.

Dave’s first ever writing credit is up next, “Charlotte The Harlot”.  This fast one introduces the character of Charlotte, who turns up again in future Maiden songs.  This standout song is followed by the band’s signature closer, “Iron Maiden” itself.  I think it’s likely that this song will remain in Maiden’s sets pretty much forever.  Not only is the riff great, but the pace is absolutely perfect for headbanging!

The bonus CD comes with the associated B-sides for this album.  From the “Running Free” single, there’s “Burning Ambition”.  This is an early song that wouldn’t have fit on the album, as it is too much hard rock and not enough heavy metal for the album proper.  The bonus CD also contains the non-album single “Sanctuary”, another classic up there with “Iron Maiden”.  This song was slipped onto the US versions of the album.  It’s awesome of course!  Also from the “Sanctuary” single are live versions of “Drifter” and “I’ve Got The Fire”.  “Drifter” was another earlier song that would show up in studio form next album.  This version has Di’Anno’s reggae-ish “Yo, yo yo yo” singalong which I have always liked.  “I’ve Got The Fire” is an excellent Montrose cover, and not the last time Maiden would cover Montrose (nor this song)!

With an album this this under their belts, the future for Iron Maiden would be bright indeed.

5/5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Dale Sherman – The KISS FAQ

I’ve had numerous requests for some rock book reviews.  So let’s start with a new release:  Dale Sherman’s The KISS FAQ!

DALE SHERMAN – The KISS FAQ – All that’s left to know about the hottest band in the land (2012 Backbeat Books)

Dale Sherman’s written two of the best unofficial Kiss books:  Black Diamond, and Black Diamond 2.  Both are noted for their almost OCD level accuracy, objectivity, attention to detail, and ample Eric Carr content.  Sherman was lucky enough to get some really excellent Eric Carr interviews, and his perspective is one that isn’t often reflected in Kiss written works today.

A new book from Sherman was very welcome to this fan.  According to the author, this book is about “the various topics that fans discuss at the hotel bar after a Kiss expo,” and that about covers it!  The minutaie.  The tall tales, myths and truths.  The who-played-what-when.  Lists, lists, and lists.  The albums, the personalities, and the personas.

There are also some nice black and white pictures of memorabilia and artifacts from the author’s collection.  The author seems to have a large collection, so there are plenty of pictures to leaf through.  Colour would have been nice, but then I wouldn’t be paying $22.99 for the book, would I?

Don’t expect writing with a lot of flare, but do expect encyclopedic knowledge.  My one beef is this.  I’ve already read Black Diamond and Black Diamond 2 numerous times, and there’s quite a bit of overlap between those and The KISS FAQ.  It’s not the same text, but the subject matter overlaps.  The compensation for this is that The KISS FAQ is up to date, where Black Diamond and Black Diamond 2 were both circa the reunion era.

As a Kiss fan who likes to pretend I already know it all, I enjoyed this book.  It was like a refresher course in Kiss.  There’s lots of obscure facts I’d forgotten about.  It was a helpful reference when I did my recent series of Kiss album reviews.  Recommended.

3.9/5 stars

REVIEW: Iron Maiden – The Soundhouse Tapes

Part 1 of my series of Iron Maiden reviews! 

IRON MAIDEN – The Soundhouse Tapes (1979)

I do not own this EP in its original form, unfortunately.  I probably never will — there were only 5000 made, independently.  Maiden were one of the first metal bands to release an indi EP, and among the most successful. For now I’ll have to be content with the CD bootleg that I have, which is called The Soundhouse Tapes and More.  It’s a physical format, at least.  I think Trevor snagged this one for me, at his store.

The Soundhouse Tapes was Maiden’s first official release, a 3 song limited edition.  Guitarist Tony Parsons had just left the band and Maiden did the EP as a four piece:  Founder Steve Harris (bass), longtime guitarist Dave Murray, Paul Di’Anno on vocals and drummer Doug Sampson.

It sounds essentially like a well recorded demo.  The songs lack the energy, speed and fire of their live counterparts, but they are flawless blueprints.  “Prowler” is present with all its components intact, but without the cocky breakneck pace.  It sounds like Maiden were warming up, and perhaps in a sense they were!

Tracks:

  1. “Iron Maiden”
  2. “Invasion”
  3. “Prowler”

“Iron Maiden” and “Prowler” made the first album, and I probably don’t need to tell you how awesome these songs are.  These versions are inferior, but having said that, they still smoke most of the NWOBHM releases of the time.  “Invasion”, a somewhat lesser song, was destined to become a B-side later on.   Steve would revive the subject matter (the Norman conquest of England) and some of the lyrics later on too….

A fourth song, an embrionic “Strange World” with prototypical solos, was recorded but left unreleased for the next 17 years.  It finally came out on 1996’s Best Of The Beast.  As an added bonus to vinyl collectors, Best Of The Best contained a reissue of  the entire Soundhouse Tapes, but only if you bought vinyl.  Which I had the opportunity to do, but not the balls to spend that much in one place, and I blew it.  This remains the EP’s only official reissue, and will remain so for the forseeable future.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: The Polyphonic Spree – Together We’re Heavy (2004)
 
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE – Together We’re Heavy (2004 Hollywood Records)
 

Together We’re Heavy= The Beatles + Queen on ‘roids. I can’t think of a better distillation of The Polyphonic Spree. I usually hate it when people describe albums as, “Take band A, mix in band B, add a sprinkle of C, and you get this!” It’s a lazy explanation, but in this case I think it works. If early-middle period Queen took the fearlessness of the Beatles to explore multiple genres and call it rock, then the Polyphonic Spree is the logical next step beyond that.

It’s not that simple though. The Polyphonic Spree, all dressed in colourful robes like some sort of rock choir revival, barely use rock instruments. Oh sure, Tim DeLaughter (ex-Tripping Daisy frontman) plays guitar as do other members of this band, but the dominant instruments in the mix are the horns and strings: Trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, viola, french horn, double bass. At times it can be a cacophony, mixed very loudly in the speakers, but it seems controlled. Every blast of a trumpet sounds like it was labored over to be there at that exact moment.

How are the songs? Well the band seems to call them “sections”. Each one is catchy and memorable, and melodies recur throughout the album, rhyming like poetry. My favourite section is 12, “Hold Me Now” (actually track 2 on the CD, but let’s not get into that). From that familiar piano riff that you think you’ve heard before, to the dense, intense and plaintive chorus.  This song is a keeper.  Dramatic.

And that’s a word to use: dramatic! If you like a flair for drama in your rock music, and aren’t afraid of a lil’ french horn, then pick up Together We’re Heavy by The Polyphonic Spree. For what it is, this album is absolutely perfect, flawless, a gem merely waiting for your discovery.  It came with a bonus DVD too, The Adventure of Listening, with live stuff and Tim DeLaughter talking about the Spree.

4/5 stars.

REVIEW: Motley Crue – Generation Swine (1997)

MOTLEY CRUE – Generation Swine (1997, 2003 Motley Records reissue)

It is hard to believe that the mighty Crue, who had released the record of their lives in 1994 (Motley Crue with Corabi on vocals) put out this bunk next. Such was the 90’s. Fans did not embrace Corabi as predicted, the album flopped, and immediate pressure was on the Crue to kiss and make up with Vince Neil.  So that’s what they relectantly did. 

The Crue were already in experimental mode when Corabi was still on board. They had already said that this album wouldn’t be produced by Bob Rock (a shame, that was) and that it would be more “raw” and “heavy”. Then, as time went on, you started hearing things like, “The new album is Motley Crue meets Sisters of Mercy with the intensity of Nine Inch Nails”. Bands that have nothing to do with the Crue’s roots. In the end, the band was spinning tires so fast that Corabi couldn’t handle it anymore and Vince was brought back. All of this is well documented in the latter half of Motley Crue: The Dirt.  A five-piece Crue with Neil singing and Corabi on rhythm guitar was briefly considered (damn! that would have been sweet!), but it was the original four-piece sans Corabi that became the next Motley Crue lineup.

And what they made together was just…what the fuck is this?  Remember when Crue showed up at the AMA’s and lip-synced that new techno-y sample ridden version of “Shout at the Devil”?  What the hell was that?

I place the blame squarely on the head of producer Scott Humphrey. Humphrey was actually from around here.  People who know Humphrey personally have said he’s always been a tech-head.  Just listen to his records with Rob Zombie.  That’s fine.  But here, Humphrey uses all his techno-wizardry to suck the life out of Motley Crue, no mean feat. The band must also share the blame, as they should have stopped the directionless proceedings before it got too far. In the end though, Motley Crue continued on with this sound, even over Mick Mars’ very strong objections. Mars was sidelined in the recordings, but it turns out Mick was right about Generation Swine.

Generation Swine (formerly: Personality #9 while Corabi was in the band) is the most confusing, un-Motley disc ever recorded. The drums are processed and sampled to the point where there may as well have been no live drummer.  It may as well be a computer rather than Tommy Lee, for what it sounds like.  The guitars, also sampled, squeezed, processed and spat out by a computer, show little of Mick’s spark and feel. I can see why Mick was pissed off.  Vince’s return was hardly worth bally-hooing, as he’s barely able to wheeze out a passable melody here. In fact, both Sixx and Lee take lead vocals, too. What kind of reunion album is that?

The real shame of it is that these songs could have turned out quite well. Check out “Let Us Prey”. It is easy to imagine what this sounded like when Corabi was singing it. In fact he insists that his vocals are still intact in the mix, and that you can hear him scream on the choruses. Corabi also says his rhythm guitar parts on the album are intact too.

But I digress. The point is, songs like “Let Us Prey”, “Generation Swine”, “A Rat Like Me”, and “Anybody Out There?” show enough of the original Motley spirit that this could have been a halfway decent album. However each of those four songs are choked to death under a muffled blanket of samples, sound effects, bells & whistles, and processed unnatural guitars and drums. It’s a shame because any of those four songs (the only solid hard rockers on this disc of slow paced dreck) had potential. Also decent was the single, “Afraid”, although it sounds more like Def Leppard.

To add weirdness on top of the confusion, the album closes with a track called “Brandon” sung by Mr. Thomas Lee Bass himself. “Brandon, I love you. I love her. She is your mom.” Yes, he actually sings that.  God knows what he was thinking when he wrote that lyric.  Nikki Sixx’s “Rocketship”, a hippy dippy ballad for his wife is slightly better, but why not get Vince, the singer of Motley Crue, to sing it?  Nikki’s not an especially good singer – that’s why he plays bass. Yet he insists on singing three songs, on Vince’s comeback record.  I still don’t get that.

People, do yourself a favour. It doesn’t matter that Vince Neil came back for this album (it was mostly finished before he came back anyway). Check out the 1994 album with Corabi, a truely heavy beast that will probably blow your head off if you’re not wearing a helmet. It is a beautiful record.  This is not.  And don’t worry about the bonus tracks on the reissue.  The demos are no better than the album tracks. Nobody needed a demo of “Confessions” with Tommy singing.

Excluded: A techno song only released on the Japanese disc called “Song To Slit Your Wrist By”. An expensive trinket.  I don’t own it myself.  The only time I saw it up close and personal was at a record show in London, and the vendor was asking $70 for it.

2/5 stars

REVIEW: Journey – Trial By Fire (Japanese import, 1996)

JOURNEY – Trial By Fire (1996, Japanese import with bonus track)

The classic Journey lineup (Steve Perry, Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Jonathan Cain, and Steve Smith) were back however briefly in 1996 with this triumphant reunion album.  I remember in the store in 1996, nobody was buying it.  How sad.  This is among the very best Journey albums.  In fact with Steve Perry’s voice showing a little more weathering and character, and the band having a more mature sound, I think it is the best.

It’s a mellow journey, very much suited to Perry’s incredible pipes.  The opening track, “Message of Love” storms across the speakers with Perry singing as powerfully as ever with Schon’s patented guitar melodies behind him.  Cain tinkles at the ivories at precisely the right moments, while Smith demonstrates the timing and style that makes him a top jazz fusion drummer today.

And that’s just the first song!  The slower but equally powerful “One More” follows, and then we’re onto the first signature Perry ballad.  “When You Love A Woman” was the single, but to me it’s filler.  Much better is the ballad that follows it, “If He Should Break Your Heart”.

“Don’t Be Down On Me Baby” demonstrates Perry’s soul roots.  Whether on the ballads or the rockers, Perry nails every song perfect.  If anybody else was singing on this Journey album, it wouldn’t have half the impact.  As great as the songs are (and I believe they are a collection of Journey’s strongest ever), it is Perry that drives them home with his ballsy, epic delivery.

I don’t want to bother listing all my favourite tunes.  Basically all of them, with the exception of “When You Love A Woman” and the mid tempo rocker “Castles Burning”.  Everything else is great, and distinct from one another.  Each song inhabits its own space, style and sound.  Yet it sounds like a cohesive whole, thanks to expert producer Kevin Shirley.  And Steve Smith makes the ballads as smooth as butter.  Just listen to “Still She Cries”.

The Japanese bonus track is called “I Can See It In Your Eyes”, and is sequenced in the body of the album.  This is a straightforward rocker, perhaps compensating for the lack thereof on the rest of the album.  While not one of the better songs, it does have its place in appeasing those who think Trial By Fire is too soft.

4.75/5 stars.  They should have toured.

REVIEW: Budgie – “You’re All Living In Cuckooland” (2006)

BUDGIE – “You’re All Living In Cuckooland” (2006 Noteworthy Productions)

24 years passed between this and the last Budgie studio album. Not that you can tell, as “You’re All Living In Cuckooland” sounds like classic Budgie to the last detail. The cover art even looks like classic Budgie! No computer generated images here, and the classic Budgie logo is intact! Drummer Steve Williams has returned, and the guitar slot was filled by the excellent Simon Lees (although I understand Craig Goldy of Dio toured with them a lot).

Right from the first track, “Justice”, you know that Budgie are back. Burke Shelley’s unmistakable voice is as vintage-Geddy as ever, and the sound of this band has hardly changed at all. Maybe there are some slicker effects on the guitars, but the style is 100% Budgie.  The songwriting is still idiosyncratic Budgie, except for some unaccompanied acoustic tracks which Burke wrote alone. Musicianship is in the forefront and production is sharp, although I can’t hear enough bass for my tastes. To me, early Budgie was all about Burke’s slinky bass lines, and I want to hear them!

Highlights include:

  • The solidly heavy “Justice”.
  • “Dead Men Don’t Talk” and its positively squirrly solos.
  • The psuedo-title track, “We’re All Living In Cuckooland”, an acoustic number that remained lodged firmly in my skull for days.
  • “I’m Compressing The Comb On A Cockerel’s Head”, the 8 minute closer with its stuttering tremelo guitar solos. Yet another oddball Budgie song title too. I love it!

Everything here is a winner. No filler.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Accept – Stalingrad (2012)

ACCEPT – Stalingrad (2012 Nuclear Blast, bonus track)

They said there could be no Accept without Udo!  But here we are, two albums deep onto a healthy Accept rennaissance with Mark Tornillo at the mic.   Wolf Hoffman and company have carried on with class.  Has there ever been a metal band that so seemlessly replaced their beloved longtime original throat?

I think on Stalingrad, Tornillo’s fitting in better than ever.  It seemed to my ears that they have upped the SPM (screams-per-minute) on this Accept album, and Tornillo’s never sounded better honestly.  I guess that big long tour really tightened everybody up, because the whole band sounds awesome.

Stalingrad is very much a companion record to the successful comeback Blood Of The Nations.  It sound like a natural succession, with perhaps a little more emphasis on melody and catchiness.  The tracks are still as Teutonically heavy as before, but there seems to be just the oddest incremental increase in melody.

Strongest songs:

“Stalingrad”, “Flash To Bang Time”, “Shadow Soldiers”, “Us Against The World”, they’re all good!  I also liked the 9/11 song “Never Forget”, which is a bonus track on some editions.

On a final note, I think Peter Baltes is a damn fine and underrated metal bassist.  He sounds great on this album!

4.5/5stars