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