Unknown Soldier

The Lowdown
In many ways Accept from Germany were an archetypal metal band circa the 1983-1984 period, for the simple reason they incorporated all the aspects that were predominant in metal at this time (blazing twin guitars, thumping bass and ferocious drumming to name just a few) which all resulted in some pretty mean sounding fist-pumping metal from them. Their style saw them issue out centralist metal that could easily appeal to listeners of artists like Iron Maiden to Dio and their so-called cheesy offerings appealed to the glam metal left, but they equally appealed to the more aggressive offerings of the metal right as well with their speed and aggression when they chose to apply it. All these aspects of the band, could all be found to varying degrees on the band’s two seminal releases in this period Restless and Wild and the even more famous Balls to the Wall. There are several reviews on the web that recognize just how influential Accept were to metal in this period and one review states that any metal fan worth his salt should at least give both these albums a twirl, a statement that I more than agree with! But this wasn’t always the case for the band from Solingen in Germany, as their first album Accept was the perfect exercise in everything bad about metal and the same could be said for their second I’m a Rebel two albums from a band not going anywhere. By the time of their third album Breaker there was certainly a distinct improvement which helped push them up the Teutonic metal league stakes, where they soon fitted in with the already large amount of German metal bands at this time, all trying to follow in the footsteps on the mighty Scorpions. Around 1983 Accept and Trance (see Trance review above) were two of the best when it came to putting out Teutonic metal at this time (there are a whole host of other bands worth exploring here) In 1982 Accept would take up the baton as the principal home-based German band with the recording of the gritty sounding Restless and Wild, and it would be the first of their releases to encompass the band’s sound to an impressive level. The band start in the most aggressive way possible with the opening bludgeon of “Fast as a Shark” which is outright speed metal at a lightening pace and the chorus of the song touches into what would be power metal, as are certain elements of the guitar work. The heart of the album though lies in its heavy mid-paced ramblers like “Ahead of the Pack” a track well penned for dedicated headbangers, along with a-side closer “Neon Nights” with its almost 80s Nordic vibe, a musical tendency that would circulate through a number of other similarly geographical based metal bands at this time. The title track “Restless and Wild” which is one of the best songs in the whole discography of the band, stands right up there with tracks like Anvil’s “Metal on Metal” as perfect examples of epic metal circa the 1982-1984 period and these type of tracks just blow! Later album tracks include the cheesier sounding “Demon’s Night” and solid tracks like “Flash Rockin’ Man” "Don't Go Stealing My Soul Away" and the smug sounding album closer "Princess of the Dawn" keep the album right on track. I like it less though when they dip into other band’s territory like the AC/DC styled “Shake Your Head” or the Judas Priest styled “Get Ready” and these are weaker issues by the band. Musically Reckless and Wild displays Wolff Hoffman and Hermann Frank in fine form on guitar and they are equally matched by the fautless rhythm section of Peter Baltles and Stefan Kaufman. I left mentioning vocalist Udo Dirkscheneider until now (as it’s a bummer remembering how to spell his name) as he serves whether somebody will dig the band or not, as his croaky voice alternates between throaty power and throaty screaming, and he was certainly an in-demand metal vocalist at this time, guesting on other albums by other artists. I find German metal from this period as one of the most interesting on the scene and with bands like Accept, German metal was now appearing to finally follow in the footsteps of the Scorpions (who they themselves had taken a number of albums to find their own feet) Finally it’s no understatement to say that Accept were extremely influential to the whole of the non-English speaking European metal scene at this time and without them the European floodgates regarding metal might not have opened up.

Udo Dirkschneider- Vocals
Wolff Hoffman- Guitar
Hermann Frank- Guitar
Peter Baltes- Bass
Stefan Kaufman- Drums

Production- Accept

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