Accept
The Rise Of Chaos

Risen from the ashes.

It is usually said "Good things come in threes", well, for once I find myself agreeing. Let's clarify, I have never agreed with projects like reunions, collaborations between members of bands that have long since disbanded, and similar things. Money, money, and only money.

"Oh, but how dare you? We do it for our fans and the music! They’re the only ones that matter! (...) Yeah right, them and also my little villa in L.A., then what about my Ferrari, are you going to finish paying for it?"

Just look back over the years, KISS, Van Halen, or wanting to stick to more recent themes, Dokken and Guns N’ Roses. The result? Singers without a voice, musicians who keep to themselves in their little corner playing the song, without interacting with the audience, with the sole thought of going home and counting the little stash they've earned.

A blind fury.

That's why in 2010, when news came out of the reunion of Accept, even without Udo, I wasn't entirely convinced. Sure, had I found that even the band I was most loyal to, if I may use this adjective, had declined like the two aforementioned bands, I wouldn't know what I would have done. Year after year though, concert after concert, Accept proved capable of getting back on their feet, showing enviable consistency and tenacity. Reaching 2014, and releasing their third LP "Blind Rage," the German band seems to have returned to their 80s glory days, even though fans are even more demanding for the next release.

"We want it more direct!" "Enough with this mid-tempo, they’ve shattered our....!" "We want Udo back on vocals, or I swear I won't follow you anymore!"

Were the requests fulfilled, then? Yes and no. Let's say the group led by Wolf Hoffmann isn’t the kind of band prone to changes in its style, not too direct ones at least. However, we don't need the same old warmed-up soup as other bands have been doing for the past few years (Grave Digger...no, no one?). News of a new album in 2017 had the goal of consolidating their sound, demonstrating they hadn't surrendered, hadn't lost inspiration.

And chaos ensued...

"The Rise Of Chaos" as mentioned, came with a lot of responsibilities, which were more or less respected. The addition of Uwe Lulis on guitar was more than beneficial to the group, refreshing Hermann Frank’s sound, the historic guitarist of Accept who retired due to back problems, further contributing to "heavier" Accept's style. Also, recruiting Christoper Williams, the drummer who replaced Stefan Schwarmann, was more than logical, providing excellent live performances, leaving no room for complaints. Accompanied by a cover more than fitting for the album title, "The Rise Of Chaos", had all the prerequisites to claim the title of best heavy metal album of the year... But it didn’t happen. Fast-paced songs like the title track or "Carry The Weight" are typical of the band, and even other more contained songs manage to make their point, like "What's Done Is Done", (great drum work) which however terribly resembles the following "Worlds Colliding" in the chorus. I also speak of tracks not fully exploited to their capacity, like "Koolaid", introduced by a great riff, but which fails to fully emerge. Conversely, the beautiful "Die By The Sword", or "No Regrets", offer an astonishing melodic break in the middle part. "Analog Man" instead seems to have come from an early 2000s Saxon album, given how engaging it manages to be.

Objectively, criticizing "The Rise Of Chaos" for not meeting expectations would be very debatable, but it would also hold some truth. The slight lack of ideas that was evident in "Blind Rage" continues to be present in this album, but not as significant, in my opinion. It must also be said that this "The Rise Of Chaos" is most likely the album where Hoffmann provides a maestro-like guitar performance, and also in the lyrics, which is an additional point in favor of this release. Quoting Cirith Ungol... Chaos descends!

3.5