Accept
Blind Rage

What to do if you have the image of old-school guys playing heavy metal aggressively, tightly and hard, and you want peace and sincerity from your music? What to do, get out ... This is what Accept musicians are doing on the album "Blind Rage". The cover, the clip "Stampede", some release songs - all as if shouting: "look, we are the same, loud and hard!". But in reality, this is not quite so. Yes, on the new album there is a certain balance between power and melody, pressure and regularity. But this time, the soft side began to prevail. And this process was launched on the previous album, "Stalingrad". The release starts seemingly standard. A peppy opener, a weighty second song ... But already in them changes in mood are noticeable. Changes towards greater melody and a certain melancholy sound. And in the future, it is this mood that captures the entire album. And this is good, because it brings a certain variety. On "Blind Rage", it seems, all the same familiar tricks are available, framed by the same sound. Slavic motifs, muffled guitars, a sound similar to a sitar, choral support in rude, "soldier" voices ... But the different proportions of using these techniques make the album sound fresh. Although, I suspect, not everyone will like such changes. After all, their vector, as I said, is great softness, measured and chanting. Peppy and hard songs on "Blind Rage" are abundantly diluted with melodic inserts, while more moderate and AC / DC-like ones - with a heavier sound of overloaded guitars. That is, on the face an attempt to maintain balance. But, in the end, mid-tempo and lightweight songs sound more inspired. The only example of a harmonious combination of two different approaches is the song "Trail of Tears". This is a great and bright room, fast and at the same time sincere. All other songs on the "hard" side of the album sound less convincing. They are good, but no more. These are things like Stampede, Dying Breed, 200 Years, Bloodbath Mastermind, and Final Journey. Although they are full of interesting points: quoting classics (Grieg - "Morning in the Forest"), beautiful solos, good vocal lines, cool riffs. But it all works better on the other side of the album. Songs like "Dark Side of My Heart", "Fall of the Empire", "From the Ashes We Rise", "Wanna Be Free" and "The Curse". These things have more hooky choruses, more chanted vocal parts, and, in general, more sensitivity and sincerity. Especially good in this regard are "Dark Side of My Heart" and "The Curse". Separately, it is worth noting the vocals. Mark was a little surprised here. There are a lot of melodious and even pop songs in the songs with which he copes well, giving the impression that when he does not growl, he sounds better. Well, I also remember how he imitated Lemmy’s voice in "Dying Breed". That was fun. It is a pity that so few. And what, in the end, can be said on the album? Did he manage to sound great, being on the verge between the two approaches? I think yes. Despite the fact that the release still breaks from the brink, and the aggressive cover, the modern dark sound, the rush riffs - all this turns out to be a cover for veterans who decided to slow down and play the melodic hard-n-heavy. But this hard-n-heavy was painfully good. I wonder how the group will proceed next. Will completely give up Teutonic power, throw off the masks and play "Eat The Heat-2", or give out all the material in the spirit of the song "Trail of Tears"? Or will he continue to sit on two chairs? We will find out with the release of the next album.