mark tornillo

REVIEW: Accept – Blind Rage (2014 Japanese import)

ACCEPT – Blind Rage (2014 Nuclear Blast / Japanese bonus track)

Accept finally proved they didn’t need Udo Dirkschneider with Mark Tornillo.  He has had a steady run of reliable albums that continues to this day.  2014’s Blind Rage was his third with the German metal legends.  Blood of the Nations and Stalingrad are hard to beat, and Blind Rage comes in third.

The album debuted at number one on the German albums chart.  It Accept’s last album with guitarist Herman Frank and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann, and produced generically by Andy Sneap.  Sneap gets a great sound, but as we’ll see, there’s too much formula and same-sameyness to the songs as the album goes on.  Fortunately, the album gets off to a good start.

“Stampede” is a quintessential opener!  Breakneck speed, but with melodic harmonies on guitar.  Wolf Hoffman certainly knows how to write riffs and guitar melodies.  Mark Tornillo is in great voice, growling low before hitting you with those screams, punctuated sparingly.  A tad generic with that shouted “Stampede!,” chorus but the screams and the tempo make it worthwhile.

The lyrics on “Dying Breed” are cringe worthy, I’m so sorry to say.  Some sample lines so you get the idea:

  • “Long ago a sabbath black cut through the purple haze.”
  • “Screaming with a vengeance that we will forever hear.”
  • “The zeppelin led it’s voyage thru skies of purple deep.”
  • “And in a land down under highway to hell was paved.”
  • “An iron fist cut the deck and drew the ace of spades.”

I am on record as disliking these kinds of references within lyrics.  Fortunately, Mark sings it with conviction, and the song itself is pretty awesome.  Guitar melodies are very much like a national anthem.  There’s another shouted chorus, “We’re the last of a dying breed!” but let’s hope metal doesn’t die prematurely.  Wolf throws in some classical-influenced guitar thrills to compensate.

The best song on the album is the desperation-drenched “Dark Side of My Heart”  Melancholy metal with a stunning chorus.  You can’t help but sing along, and all this is augmented by stunning guitar melodies by Wolf.  Accept always keep things moving, but it’s so much better when it’s melodic, and this is the most melodic song on the album.

The first slow song on the record is track #4, “Fall of the Empire”.  It takes a little longer to sink in, but the chorus is melodic enough.  However, Accept’s penchant for those low pitched gang choruses is already starting to wear.  Wolf’s solo here is really different, with a nice dry tube-y tone and some really unusual melodic choices.

Crank up the afterburners for “Trail of Tears”, a song about the trials of the Native American.  “Who are the savages now?” asks Tornillo.  The drums by Schwarzmann are phenomenal.  Another high speed blur of modern metal, and one that sticks in the brain afterwards.  Classical influences can still be heard in Wolf’s melodies.

Guitar harmonies take center stage for “Wanna Be Free”.  Slower, more deliberate, dark and with a message.  “No more crime and poverty,” “No more human trafficking”.  Fairly simple, but that’s often the goal of these kinds of songs.  Keep it positive, and not political.  Though the guitars are always enticing, this might be the first one you feel like skipping.

Nuclear war is always a hot topic for metal bands, ever since Black Sabbath popularized it in the 1970s.  In “200 Years”, nuclear war has devastated the planet to population zero:  “200 years after mankind”.  We’re back to the stone age just as prophesied.  “I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”  That’s a quote often attributed to Albert Einstein.  Great topic, great song, with a neat little exotic interlude by Wolf in the middle before the solo.

Skipworthy “Bloodbath Mastermind” is just generic metal.  Yes, it bangs, but there are no exceptional hooks.  Pass.

Ear fatigue setting in, “From the Ashes We Rise” repeats the grooves that are becoming monotonous.  We realize now that the Japanese 12 song track listing is just too long.  This album should have been a simple, traditional 10 songs.  Having said that, at least “From the Ashes We Rise” has melody, while “Bloodbath Mastermind” did not. Ultimately it sounds like a knockoff of another song on the album.  A good knockoff, at least.

Back to quality, “The Curse” is a little more unique, and focused once again on melody.  It’s a little somber, which is a nice change of pace after so much defiant headbanging.  Some memorable hooks; different from the rest of the album.  A highlight.

The closing track on the standard album is the Priest-like “Final Journey”, the guitar solo of which creatively features a very recognizable melody lifted from Grieg’s “Morning Mood”.  Good closer, lots of building tension in the guitars.

The Japanese closer is “Thrown to the Wolves” which is fine, just like many of the album tracks, though like many of them, plagued with generic riffing and melodies.  Catchy enough, just…not unique enough.

Blind Rage is a solid album, but Accept’s repeated use of certain elements such as those low-pitched choruses makes some songs really hard to remember and differentiate.  Of the 12 songs, there are probably 10 keepers.  It’s not a bad album by any means, but the formula is starting to set in and it takes many listens to really separate the songs in your mind.  A little editing would have been wise.

3.5/5 stars

 

 

My Music Corner: Up to the Limit Episode 14 – Accept: Blind Rage (2014)

NOTE: My text review of Blind Rage by Accept will go up in the coming days.

Johnny Metal and John the Music Nut have been breaking down, in detail, every Accept studio album.  I jumped on board with Blind Rage, the third album with Mark Tornillo.  I chose this album since I had the Japanese import and I wanted the two Johns to have a chance to cover a rare bonus track on their show.

In this episode, we break down the album track by track, with a high level of agreement between us.  The Music Nut then goes through the tour in detail, discussing all the songs that were played live, and how often.  Some are still played live today.

If you want a sneak preview into my Blind Rage review, watch this episode, as I tried something new here:  reading my review aloud (not easy).  I may have even done some singing.

Check out the show, and look for my text review in a few days.

REVIEW: Accept – Symphonic Terror – Live at Wacken 2017 (2018)

ACCEPT – Symphonic Terror – Live at Wacken 2017 (2018 Nuclear Blast)

They weren’t the first, but they did it with their own twist.  It was inevitable that even a band with the heavy metal roots of Accept would eventually go symphonic.  Guitarist/leader Wolf Hoffman released his first classical album in the 90s, and in 2016 made the Headbanger’s Symphony record, adapting classical pieces to metal with Czech National Symphony Orchestra.  Accept’s Symphonic Terror combines their own metal masterpieces with the classical/metal hybrid Headbanger’s Symphony at Wacken 2017, to create a unique musical experience.

Like Kiss with their symphonic detour, Accept chose to break the set into sections.  The first consists of five Accept songs, mostly new, performed straight by the band with no extras.

“Die by the Sword” was the logical opener, also being the starting track on Accept’s newest album The Rise of Chaos.  The biting riff storms the Wacken stage.  It is vocalist Mark Tornillo who proves his worth over and over again through the entire show.  With voice set to full-grit he delivers all the power and melody that Accept’s material demands.  Not an easy gig.  Second, it’s the riffy “Restless and Wild” from Accept’s 1982 album of the same name (an album that they return to more than once on this night).  It’s singing the old Udo material that people will judge Tornillo by, and he does the job.  By necessity, it’s done with his own twist.  Another sharp Rise of Chaos standout, “Koolaid” is rolled out to great effect.  They dig back to the first album with Mark for “Pandemic”, riding the Peter Baltes bass groove to heavy effect.  Finally it’s the speed metal of “Final Journey” from the Blind Rage album.  Not the finest song of the set, but a banger indeed.

The Headbanger’s Symphony featuring the Czech National Symphony Orchestra has a different set of musicians in the front.  Wolf Hoffman and drummer Christopher Williams remain, while Mark Tornillo, Peter Baltes and Uwe Lulis are replaced by keyboardist Melo Mafali, guitarist Phillip Shouse and bassist Daniel Silvestri.  With the full might of the orchestra behind them, they take on  the tempests of “Night on Bald Mountain” (Mussorgsky). It’s not a pure adaptation, but more a thrash metal version with an orchestra.  “Scherzo” (Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony) is fully enjoyable and a better melding of the two styles.  Moving on to Prokofiev, “Romeo and Juliet” is slow and plodding.  Even with a burning hot Hoffman solo, it’s the least interesting.  I don’t think Beethoven envisioned the heavy riffing of “Pathétique” but you never know.  Did Beethoven invent speed metal?  Judging by this, he might have.  Vivaldi is next, the metal shredder’s favourite.  “Double Cello Concerto In G Minor” is less familiar but continues to combine the heavy and delicate music with an emphasis on the heavy.  Mozart closes the Headbanger’s Symphony set with “Symphony No. 40 In G Minor”, a familiar favourite made heavy enough to sound eerily similar to Queensryche’s “The Needle Lies”.

The orchestra stays on stage for the remainder of the show, peppered with new and old Accept classics.  Accept’s music works well with the orchestra behind, arguably better than Metallica’s does.

Back to 1982 and “Princess of the Dawn”, an awesomely enhanced Udo-era metal classic.  However it is “Stalingrad” that is the show stealer, a song clearly suited to the orchestral treatment.  It sounds as if the string section is charging into battle with the band.  Blind Rage‘s “Dark Side of My Heart” comes to life in this new form, a superior track to the original.  The punchy horns, the silky strings — everything comes together to raise the track to a higher level.

Back to 1981, the classical musicians may have had a difficult time keeping up with the speed metal of “Breaker”!  They get a “break” on the more deliberate pace of “Shadow Soldiers”, an excellent tune adapted well to the orchestra.  Another album highlight.  “Dying Breed” is a heavy track from Blind Rage, a little same-same sounding to other tracks like “Stalingrad”.

“Fast as a Shark” is the last of the speed metal tunes that the symphony has to try and keep up with.  They sure sound wonderful together on the neoclassical guitar solo section.  “Metal Heart” (with classical interlude) and “Teutonic Terror” both work well enhanced, but “Balls to the Wall” is surprising.  It’s always been a bit silly, but it sounds great with an orchestra.  Too bad Mark couldn’t nail that “sign of victory” part, but the absurdity of “Balls to the Wall” with a symphony is not lost.

Symphonic Terror was the second live album with Mark Tornillo on vocals.  Only about half overlaps with the previous one, and when you consider the differences offered by the symphony, not much overlap at all.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Accept – Too Mean to Die (2021)

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”!

 

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.

 

 

 

 

REVIEW: Accept – Blood of the Nations (2010)

BLOOD OF ACCEPT_0001ACCEPT – Blood of the Nations (2010 Nuclear Blast)

I had a few Accept albums at home: Metal Heart, Balls To The Wall and Eat The Heat. I’d never bought an Accept album when it was a “new release” before, and I’d never bought anything post-reunion. I suppose I was interested in the music I was familiar with and nothing beyond that. When I heard they were reuniting with a new singer I was instantly skeptical. I was ready to bring the hate!

Some glowing reviews on the Eddie Trunk show opened my ears, and when Eddie started playing new tracks like “Beat The Bastards” and “Teutonic Terror”, I was hooked! New singer Mark Tornillo (who I’d never heard before, but have found out was critically acclaimed as the singer of TT Quick) had filled Udo’s teeny tiny little shoes and somehow made them fit, plus added his own style. Tornillo is not a screamer like Udo, but he can scream when necessary, and damn…it sounds awesome when he does!

New singer or not, the difference between a real fresh start (like Accept) and a mere tribute band with a new singer (like Quiet Riot) is new material. If the new material sucks, then there is no point.  If it stands up, then the band is vindicated.  I was glad to report that Accept’s new material was awesome. I don’t like to throw that word around lightly, because too many people overuse to pump up their favourite bands. Well, a) Accept has never been a favourite of mine, and b) this album really is awesome. Every song has life. The riffs courtesy of Wolf Hoffman are alive, powerful and catchy. Vocal melodies are traditional metal. Everything about this album is traditionally metal except the loud n’ proud, raw modern production by Andy Sneap. In short the album sounds great.

There’s also some solid groove on this album.  Take “Pandemic” for example.  It reminds me of the old Testament classic, “Electric Crown” in terms of groove and tempo.   As far as I’m concerned, Accept absolutely nail it on Blood of the Nations, from the rock solid rhythm section to the screaming leads.

I’m really glad I got this album, and this edition. The bonus track “Time Machine” is one of the stronger songs. Yet every song is equally strong, there are no weak links in this chain. It’s just a great album from start to finish and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.

This album is rejuvenation.  You have to hear it to believe.  That they followed it with the equally strong Stalingrad is almost as astonishing.

5/5

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