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Accept - Restless and Wild
Accept steadily improved over their first three records before getting a major label deal and recording what I think is their very best album, "Restless and Wild". Released in October 1982 with a cover showing guitars on fire (early '83 in other parts of the world, with a new cover showing the band in explosive live glory), this was an incredibly heavy record with some of the fastest metal yet heard at the time. You might not think of Accept as among the pioneers of thrash, but listen to the leadoff track and hear that although '82 is pretty late and Metallica has already formed, the blueprint for American thrash and speed metal is still right there and very well-defined.
Unfortunately the band seemed to get less attention for that accomplishment than for the accusation that they were neo-fascists, due to Udo's new militaristic visual look and the misunderstanding of a crackly old German folk song that opened the record - the band had to keep denying the charge again and again as the media kept bringing it up.
"Fast As A Shark" kicks in right after that 20-second intro, and it's a tour de force of early thrash played with incredible speed and precision right from Udo's opening piercing scream. Stefan Kauffman really shines on this album as an excellent metal drummer. Wolf Hoffmann does a very classical-style solo here - he played all the guitar parts that were used for the final product and is an underrated metal guitarist in my opinion.
"Restless and Wild" is a more traditionally-paced metal song with Udo alternately moaning and screaming, and it's really cool.
"Ahead of the Pack" is a 'get out and live your own life' metal song with lusty backing vocals (something Accept got really good at on this album). This one's pretty cool too.
"Shake Your Heads" is a slow pounding metal anthem. Simple but effective.
"Neon Nights" is the closest thing to a ballad on here (starting here, Peter Baltes stopped getting a song or two on each Accept record) but it's really a brooding slow metal track with a rare restrained vocal from Udo. It's also the first songwriting credit for the mysterious "Deaffy", their manager Gaby Hauke who also happened to be a woman. Very cool song.
"Get Ready" opens the second side with another rocker featuring those enthusiastic backing vocals again. "GET IT ON!"
"Demon's Night" is a plodder that occasionally breaks into a sprint. It isn't too bad but not among the best songs on the album.
"Flash Rockin' Man" is a pretty solid song about a rock star, I like this one as well.
"Don't Go Stealing My Soul Away" is more of a traditional rock song with another fine solo by Wolf. Plus Stefan breaks out the cowbell, OH YEAH!!!
"Princess of the Dawn" is a haunting track singled out by many Accept fans as the band's greatest song ever. A relentless steady riff plays out over six minutes, with all kinds of Wolf's guitar layers popping up including a mandolin-like sound near the end (it's an electric guitar at half-speed) as Udo intones a bunch of medieval-flavoured lyrics. Oh, is this song ever awesome. A literally heart-stopping finale ends the album - no, your copy isn't defective.
As you can probably tell by now, I think this album RULES. I commit to stating that this is one of my, maybe THE, absolute favourite of all '80s records so I think I can be allowed to totally gush on this one if I want. Of course I give it a huge 10 out of 10 to this absolutely classic slab of German heavy metal.
Last edited by Cartoon_Chris; 6-28-02 at 08:12 PM.
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