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Rating:
One cannot deny that Accept are destined for metal greatness.
Being one of the first German war machines, they hail from Solingen, in the Rhineland, an area rich in mines and crucial for the steel and metallurgical industry. I'd say that as a premise, it's already enough to play Heavy Metal. As if that weren't enough, it's a gray city, sad in its modernity, as the architectural works dating back to the Middle Ages were razed to the ground by Allied bombings in the last world conflict, and the post-war boom prioritized the reconstruction of factories. Given the context, it's no surprise that our band didn’t emerge as a pastoral folk group or something similar.
After light and hesitant beginnings under the sign of Scorpions and AC/DC, Accept were launched into the then-young metal movement with their third album "Breaker," in 1981, and delivered what can be considered their masterpiece "Restless And Wild" a year later. Our Germans are known for a sound perfectly suited to portray metropolitan desolation scenarios of which they are both bards and witnesses: powerful, squared, branded by a delicate rhythmic section like hammer blows on the anvil of a steelworks, with riffs now lightning-fast and piercing, now compact and armored. Completing the whole is Wolf Hoffmann's unique lead guitar style, balancing between darting noise incursions and melodic-neoclassical parts with a melodic and baroque flavor, and Udo's voice, an infernal growl that sounds like a Brian Johnson possessed by demons (I read an opinion about his singing that described it as “the cry of an alien giving birth"...well, I think that captures the idea).
The opening of "Fast As A Shark" is disorienting: about 20 seconds of what must be a German folk song, good enough to be the theme for Heidi. The bucolic scene is interrupted by a ferocious scream and an unprecedented, supersonic riff, which alone created Thrash and Power Metal. A melodic and liberating chorus then gives way to a solo that surely Helloween have studied and reviewed thoroughly: their "Twin Guitars" see the light here. In short: this song can be used as a definition for Heavy Metal.
The album as a whole still manages not to be overshadowed by its masterpiece: the title-track and "Ahead Of The Pack" both have dynamic and violent riffs and are branded with Accept's typical stadium chants in the choruses, "Flash Rockin' Man" and "Demon's Night" are mid-tempo tracks without scratches, with the former having a riff that will be plundered in many directions (an example for everyone is Iron Maiden's "2 Minutes To Midnight"), while "Get Ready" and "Don't Go Stealin My Soul Away" anticipate the band's course in following works with a more measured and classy sound. Finally, a special mention goes to "Neon Nights" with a touch of urban poetry both nocturnal and decadent, and "Princess Of The Dawn", a fantasy fairy tale with a medieval aftertaste, nonetheless articulated by a pounding arrangement.
Anyone who knows and appreciates our Germans' subsequent albums can rest assured, and anyone who loves metal and doesn't know Accept should self-punish in some way and get this album from one of the bands that helped forge the name of this genre, too often unjustly overshadowed by more renowned names.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Fast as a Shark (03:48)
Fog in the streets
A church clock beats
Midnight - darkness all around
You better beware
You better take care
Be prepared for the shock
The time has come
And he's the one
Who's breathing down your neck
Coming from behind
Now it's your time
A loser will die
Fast as a shark he'll cut out of the dark
He's a killer - he'll rip out your heart
On a one way track and you're not coming back
'cause the killer's on the attack
Surprise attack
Coming from the back
An expert of the deadly knack
Just take care
Just beware
Be prepared for the fight
Fast as a shark he'll cut out of the dark
He's a killer - he'll rip out your heart
On a one way track and you're not coming back
'cause the killer's on the attack
Watch out - watch out
Fast as a shark he'll cut out of the dark
He's a killer - he'll rip out your heart
On a one way track and you're not coming back
'cause the killer's on the attack
Fast as a shark he'll cut out of the dark
He's a killer - he'll rip out your heart
On a one way track and you're not coming back
'cause the killer's
'cause the killer's
'cause the killer's on the attack
02 Restless and Wild (04:11)
They're running wild
They're on a down hill ride
Like a rebel they look for more
Too young to die
Now you know your dreams are useless
And there 're lies You'll never tell
'cause you're so
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Star born lovers
Angels in the night on a highway
They don't look back
Everybody's lost the way - yeah
The little girl wants to be an actress
Young boys are easy riders
They live so
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Stay down - time will roll on
How do you feel when the night is gone
Stay down - time will come 'round
You are the man made for highway life
For the highway life
City lights moving on
No tomorrows - no destinations
Like a wheel turning on and on
You're a man born to run
Every world that you have seen was senseless
Keep moving on there's no other way
Cause you're so
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
03 Ahead of the Pack (03:24)
You gotta take it easy
You gotta live your life
Yesterday's heroes
They are born to die
The people always blame you
It don't matter what they say
You've got your own freedom
You've gotta go your way
Get up and roll on
'cause there is no future
And there'll be no past
Live for today
The going is going fast
Get up and roll on
Get up and go on
The going's going fast
You are
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
'cause you're ahead
Ahead of the pack
Don't you kill the feelings
Live to your heart
You're miles away
But you know where to start
Now you've got the muscle
To knock out a lie
'cause you're ahead of the pack
No one will spit in your eye
Get up and roll on
Get up and go on
The going's going fast
You are
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
'cause you're ahead
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
06 Get Ready (03:41)
I say come on
Can you stand the heat
You feel the flames
Burning in the streets
Get it on - get it on
The stars of heaven
Will fall today
You'll know the devil you know
Had his day
Hell what a night - get ready
Hell what a night - hey
Take your pick - get the kick
It's gonna be hell tonight
Alright
A lightning blitz
Comes raging down
You go running
For higher ground
Get it on - get it on
Hear me tonight
Your blood runs cold
A killer guitar
Screams in your soul
Hell what a night - get ready
Hell what a night - hey
Take your pick - get the kick
It's gonna be hell tonight - yeah
Get it on - get it on
Get it on - get it on
It's coming on
Hell what a night - get ready
Hell what a night - hey
Take your pick - get the kick
It's gonna be hell tonight
Hell what a night - get ready
Hell what a night - hey
Take your pick - get the kick
It's gonna be hell tonight
It's gonna be hell tonight
08 Flash Rockin' Man (04:28)
They all know your name
They know you're a star
You've been around for ever
And you know who you are
They buy all your records
They come to the gigs
They wanna see you rock'n'roll
Your life is full of action
Your life is full of sound
A Rock'n'Roll magic man
Stamp your feet big man in town
You know you're an idol
The leader of the gang
A juvenile's hero
Turn on the lights
There's no end in sight
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
They wanna feel your volume
They wanna live your life
They wanna be like you
Every day and every night
You're walking down the alleys
You're a famous man
Immortal so damn holy
Turn on the lights
Show us tonight - yes tonight
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
You've been behind the scenes
And the fools laughed so loud
You are a well known man
But alone I n the crowd
Tormented and mistreated
Deal everyday
A servant of the yes-men
If the people knew what would they say
You know what it's like
So turn off the lights
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
09 Don't Go Stealing My Soul Away (03:15)
Yeah, if love was money
I would always pay the price
While a million dollars
Will never ever change my life
It's an endless highway
The whisky bars and one-night stands
Lost in a cheap hotel
You know a woman needs a man
Can't you see it's all for you, yeah
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm giving it to you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm living just for you, for you
Alright
So every song I sing
Comes from a lonely heart on stage
But they're still together
More than a thousand miles away
Can't you feel my love for you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm giving it to you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm living just for you, for you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm giving it to you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm living just for you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm giving it to you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm living just for you
Living just in you
10 Princess of the Dawn (06:15)
There's rain on the mountain
A white frost on the moors
It's an epoch of eternity
Waters touch the holy shore
It's a land of mystery
The world of unseen eyes
You can feel the shadow of a princess
She waits for you inside
The guardians of God play the pawns
Beg for mercy - hail the queen
Princess of the Dawn
In the war of the dragons
Young blood ran it's course
They fell to his blade
The knight Iron Horse
A forgotten priest
Disappearing in the haze
A chamber of vestal virgins
Twilight is her slave
The Wizard of Oz moved the pawns
Life for satan - dust to dust
Princess of the Dawn
On the day of the testament
The seventh moon was raging fire
Heaven cried for the sacrifice
The midnight sun was rising higher
The Beauty and the Beast
Lies in her royal crypt
Her kiss is bitter sweet
Death upon her lips
The Holy Grail held the pawns
Kings and bishops bow to grace
Princess of the Dawn
The guardians of God play the pawns
Beg for mercy - hail the queen
Princess of the Dawn
A new day dawns for heaven and earth
A first sunbeam is killing the night
Once upon a time for ever more
The gloom with the spirit of that Lady in White
Princess - Princess - Princess of the Dawn
Princess - Princess - Princess of the Dawn
Princess - Princess - Princess of the Dawn
Princess - Princess - Princess of the Dawn
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Other reviews
By AR (Anonima Recensori)
Listening to this album reminds me of a combination of: one-third AC/DC, one-third Judas Priest, and one-third pure Teutonic metal.
When Accept decides to lighten the tone, they manage to give life to great tracks like "Restless and Wild" and "Princess of the Dawn."
