ALBUM REVIEW: Accept, "Too Mean To Die"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 15/01/2021
Label: Nuclear Blast

“Too Mean To Die” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Zombie Apocalypse
2. Too Mean To Die
3. Overnight Sensation
4. No Ones Master
5. The Undertaker
6. Sucks To Be You
7. Symphony Of Pain
8. The Best Is Yet To Come
9. How Do We Sleep
10. Not My Problem
11. Samson And Delilah

The Review:

Accept are back in 2020 with another polished album of stainless steel. Wolf Hoffman is now the sole original member, but is very ably assisted by Mark Tornillo- now well established as the band's modern era front man, but not by Peter Baltes on bass as he has departed the band for, presumably, retirement.

Baltes was a consistent figure for the band and a big part of their live show, but the band here are great. The info sheet does not feature the names of the band members nor production and engineering credits, sadly.

It certainly sounds like an Andy Sneap production as the opener “Zombie Apocalypse” roars out from the starting gate. This sounds like... modern day Accept. That headbanging tempo and those agile riffs are in place and carry the opener admirably- as they do the title track. It's pleasing that the band have gone for the throat here. If “Blind Rage” promised much metal mayhem with its title but actually delivered a rather measured hard rock/metal album, then this one delivers on the promise made by the title. It's closer to “The Rise of Chaos” or “Stalingrad” in style and approach.

From there, the album delivers what fans will want from the band; AC/DC style hard rock, melodic but up tempo trad metal and the harder tracks that fans such as I crave- in the style of the two openers here. It's artfully crafted, with the flow of tracks maintaining a nice dynamic. The songs are memorable and hooky with plenty of Accept trademarks in there as well- the backing vocals and strong riffs are ever present. If advance single “The Undertaker” was a little too hard rock or Spinal Tap for you, don't worry- there are nine other tracks that are nothing like it here. I like that track, though, and enjoy the dark hard rock style.

While there may be nothing here as dark or aggressive as some of the material on “Restless and Wild”, the band know what they do well: big metal songs with catchy choruses and superlative guitar playing. Whether it be the chugging of “Sucks To Be You” or the overtly metallic “Symphony of Pain”, this is prime Accept material. As I've stated in the past, I love Tornillo as the front man; his voice is excellent yet again here. I truly think that the band have now as many great albums in the Tornillo era as they did with the iconic Udo. That takes nothing away from “Breaker”, “Restless and Wild”, “Balls to The Wall” and “Metal Heart”- they are all classics- but other albums left a little to be desired. Even “Objection Overruled” was a little flawed and front loaded.

As is the case with Accept records of the modern era, there is a ballad- “The Best Is Yet To Come” fills that niche here. It's a good one, not overdone (I seem to be in a minority with my dislike of “Shadow Soldiers” on “Stalingrad”) and it acts as a good 'circuit break' from the more vicious material on offer here. It's a hopeful and rather charming track.

The album features eleven tracks total. It throws a couple of curveballs out too... The aforementioned ballad is one and the instrumental closer “Samson and Delilah” is another. I really enjoyed hearing that to finish the album off. It's a welcome move- not that there is anything wrong with “How Do We Sleep”, which is a rather introspective track, or the pedal to the metal “Not My Problem”- which I almost expected to be the last track when I heard it! It's nice to hear the band trying something different and offering up a moody coda to this muscular album.

Where this record will sit in the pantheon of Accept classics is not entirely clear after only a handful of listens. Of the latter day records, I rate “Stalingrad” at the top with “Blood of Nations” just below. “Rise of Chaos” comes next for me and then “Blind Rage” (which IS a quality album, just too restrained for my tastes). Based on the qualities and styles of those albums, I see “Too Mean To Die” sitting at least in the middle of that pack.  It may be the case that it does nothing new, but so what? It sounds committed and vital with plenty of enthusiasm. With Accept having now been around for over forty years and there won't be too many more records, so this is as welcome and familiar as an old friend. It's exactly what I want from the band- an album as tough and polished as steel with a sharp edge.

“Too Mean to Die” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Herman Frank, "Fight The Fear"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length#

Date Released: 08/02/2019

Label: AFM Records GmbH

This is superlative heavy metal delivered by one of the masters of the genre

“Fight The Fear” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Until The End
2. Fear
3. Terror
4. Sinners
5. Hatred
6. Hail & Row
7. Hitman
8. Stay Down
9. Rock You
10. Don’t Cross The Line
11. Are You Ready
12. Wings Of Destiny
13. Waiting For The Night
14. Lost In Heaven

The Review:

One half of Accept's legendary guitar attack returns to action here with a trad metal powerhouse of a record. I have two of his previous solo records- “Loyal to None” and “Right In The Guts”, but I must confess to missing “The Devil Rides Out” in 2016. What Herman gives the listener here is... traditional teutonic heavy metal. This is anthemic, bombastic- suitable for soundtracking crushing your enemies and seeing their women driven before you- and resolutely old school.

The Euro vocals of Rick Altizi are perfectly suited to the musical approach. The rest of the band play tight and heavy, while Herman is allowed to excel outside of Accept's confines as a player and riff master. The one-two punch combination of “Until The End” and “Fear” would sit admirably on any trad metal album you can name- a sound midway between Accept, Maiden, Motorhead and Priest. The “tanks rolling” feel of “Terror” may remind you of a certain Accept track that shares a lot of the same DNA, but this is what I want from Herman Frank- crushing metal delivered with complete conviction.

The heavy hits keep on coming- there are fourteen tracks on offer here. If anything, it's nearly too much as “Sinners” roars out of the traps with as much firepower as “Until The End”. It's a punishing hour long listen- but can soundtrack a lengthy workout superbly! “Hatred” is mid-tempo but no less crushing. There are moments of respite. “Hail & Row” is downcast and moodier than the preceding five tracks and “Hitman” is different again with its AC/DC feel. “Stay Down” is akin to Accept's more steady material while “Rock You” is as serious about business as the title implies.

The Motorhead-like loping groove of “Don't Cross The Line” would have done the Kilmister/Campbell/Dee line up proud. “Are You Ready” is a straight up rocker, built for a US amphitheatre in 1985. Yes, the lyrical cliches are constant and the feel is unashamedly retro, but so what? This is heavy metal. No more, no less. The album throws up an absolute gem in the form of “Wings of Destiny” and, naturally, it recalls Priest at the peak of the early 80's pomp. It may well be the best track on here and it absolutely slays.

”Lost In Heaven” is a more restrained finishing statement from Herman Frank and his band. I can't help but recommend this album to lovers of real traditional metal. It's a long record- maybe a couple of tracks too long- but there is not a duff song on here and it matches any other trad album of recent times, I reckon. This is superlative heavy metal delivered by one of the masters of the genre. It will wreck.

“Fight The Fear” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Accept, “Symphonic Terror: Live at Wacken 2017”

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 23/11/2018

Label: Nuclear Blast

 

Taken for what this is, though, I can say that “Symphonic Terror” is immensely enjoyable and entertaining.  The album represents a unique performance and demonstrates a band at the top of their game

 

“Symphonic Terror: Live at Wacken 2017” CD//DD//LP track listing:

CD 1:
1. Die by the Sword
2. Restless and Wild
3. Koolaid
4. Pandemic
5. Final Journey
6. Night on Bald Mountain
7. Scherzo
8. Romeo and Juliet
9. Pathétique
10. Double Cello Concerto in G Minor
11. Symphony NO. 40 in G Minor

CD 2:
1. Princess of the Dawn
2. Stalingrad
3. Dark Side of My Heart
4. Breaker
5. Shadow Soldiers
6. Dying Breed
7. Fast as a Shark
8. Metal Heart
9. Teutonic Terror
10. Balls to the Wall

The Review:

Accept, as of last week, are now down to one original member- Wolf Hoffman. However, for this unique 2017 concert at Wacken, Peter Baltes was still there on bass- even if Hermann Frank had departed as rhythm guitarist. As has been documented in past reviews, I feel that Mark Tornillo is every bit as good as Udo Dirkschneider and he has now headed up the band for ten years. As the title suggests, this is a full live gig with a difference- the central portion of the performance marries Accept up with a symphony orchestra- which then stays for the latter half of the gig! The first section of the release is a straight ahead metal performance, the middle section features Hoffman with orchestra- utilising his “Headbangers Symphony” solo album as the basis- and the latter half of the record treats the audience to classic Accept songs accompanied by the orchestra.

So, how essential is this? Well, not essential at all. It's a live album with an orchestra attached to two thirds of it. However, that view may be doing this record a disservice. To be sure, the central section is very stirring indeed and is actually successful in combining metal with classical. Its leagues ahead of Metallica's “S & M” effort of nearly 20 (!?) years ago and much more interesting than Deep Purple's misfiring “Concerto for Group and Orchestra”. The latter part of the release is also an interesting experiment- but much more in the vein of Metallica's aforementioned effort.

I could not claim that “Princess of the Dawn” is enhanced by the presence of the orchestra, beyond it being... different and more grandiose. The band wisely chose some of its more theatrical and grand material for the latter half of the gig and it is a thrill to hear “Stalingrad” with classical backing. I think the thing here is that if you like Accept, you will like this record.

I love Accept and they are one of the best live bands I have ever seen. Hearing their songs with a new twist is interesting and a diverting listen. Will this take over on regular rotation from the superb “Restless and Live” record from a year or two back? No. While “Symphonic Terror” does boast the chance to hear some of the tracks from “The Rise of Chaos” in a live setting it is too much of an oddity to usurp a straight ahead live record.

Taken for what this is, though, I can say that “Symphonic Terror” is immensely enjoyable and entertaining. The central orchestral section really works and is testament to Hoffman's ability as a writer and player that it sounds so grand and cinematic. The album represents a unique performance and demonstrates a band at the top of their game. Having released a straight ahead live compendium recently, the band can play around with its sound and put out this album- why not? Recommended to all Accept fans and fans of classical music. For those new to the band, start elsewhere.

“Symphonic Terror: Live At Wacken 2017” is available now



Band info: official || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Cauldron, "New Gods"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/09/2018

Label: The End Records

If you want melodic traditional heavy metal with a penchant for hard rock sensibilities, there are few bands better and you won't hear a better album of that style than this one released in 2018.

“New Gods” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Prisoner of the Past
2. Letting Go
3. No Longer
4. Save the Truth – Syracuse
5. Never Be Found
6. Drown
7. Together as None
8. Isolation
9. Last Request

The Review:

Cauldron are back, close to three years after “In Ruin” and are not straying too far from their original raison d'etre: old school heavy metal, old school sounds, old school songs. Yep, Cauldron are plugging away; on the road, in the studio, presumably in a less than salubrious rehearsal room... Cauldron keep on keeping on.

“Prisoner of The Past” picks up where “In Ruin” left off, with tight and crunchy riffage- plus a dose of melody of course. The drums still thud like 83, rather than snapping like 2018 and reverb is present on the vocals and, indeed, all instruments. “Letting Go” is a melodic and dark track as the title suggests; with both of the first two tracks sounding like a wound down Accept, musically, if not vocally. Nice chorus and anthemic riffs combine to good effect.

Truthfully, I think the likes of “No Longer” could stand to be a little shorter (oh sweet prescient irony), but these are not thrashing and urgent tracks. They are hard rocking, but with quite some emphasis on rock rather than metal this time out. Again, the spectre of early Leppard is present at this feast- but it is a welcome apparition. The darkness of “Save The Truth- Syracuse” is well honed as the band again find their mid tempo groove.

“Never Be Found” doesn't move things around too much in terms of initial approach but the pre-chorus and chorus really lift this up. Great song writing and hooks. “Drown” sounds like a prime Paradise Lost track at first- a turn up for the books, but I was waiting for the tempo to lift and it did! This time, the band rip out some more thrashy riffs and it is a welcome throw back to the “Chained To The Nite” opus. Great cut.

“Together as None” is very light weight in comparison- there is plenty of light and shade on this album, for sure, but this particular track is a little too (bitter) sweet for my tastes and could easily have turned up on any hair metal album you could care to name. “Isolation”, meanwhile, fulfils its titular promise of dark sounds, being as it is an instrumental and a good one. It's maudlin and brooding and one of the best things on the record. It sets thing up nicely for the appropriate “Last Request” which is another album highlight; a little quicker, a little heavier, a little more bite.

“New Gods” represents both more of the same for Cauldron and is also leaning a bit further towards the melodic song writing present on all their releases thus far. For me, I yearn for some of the crunchier riffage that was present on earlier career tracks such as “Conjure The Mass”, but no one can deny the quality of the songs here. If you want melodic traditional heavy metal with a penchant for hard rock sensibilities, there are few bands better and you won't hear a better album of that style than this one released in 2018.

“New Gods” is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Absolva - "Defiance"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 28/07/2017

Label: Rocksector Records

For anyone interested in melody and hooks, they will find them here. The guitar pyrotechnics are astonishing- really good solos- and the band as a whole sound very cohesive, live and tight. The UK's best kept secret in metal? Not for much longer. Absolva will soon reign!! 

“Defiance “CD//DD track listing:

CD 1

1. Life on the Edge

2. Defiance

3. Rise Again

4. Fistful of Hate

5. Never Be the Same

6. Alarms

7. Connections

8. Midnight Screams

9. Life and Death

10. Eclipse

11. Who Dares Wins

12. Reflection

CD 2 (Bonus)

1. Harsh Reality

2. Hundred Years (Live)

3. Live for the Fight (Live)

4. Drum Solo (Live)

5. Code Red (Live)

6. Never A Good Day to Die (Acoustic)

7. It Is What It Is (Acoustic)

8. Never Back Down (Acoustic)

The Review:

Absolva return with studio album number four. This Manchester metal band are amongst the hardest working in the business- three of them are Blaze Bayley's band and have played on his latest albums, one plays with Iced Earth as well! Holding down two regular bands is enough of a feat on its own, but to produce this level of quality across the board... well, that is another proposition entirely.

For those who are unfamiliar, Absolva are a heavy metal band. Not thrash, not trad, not blackened sludge with ambient passages: heavy metal. I suppose that their sound is mid way between, say, Judas Priest, Accept, Alter Bridge and Metallica. “Defiance” follows up the rather excellent never “A Good Day To Die” and continues down that road- while being a little heavier and a little more rocking to my ears.

Opener “Life On The Edge” sets the tone- blazing guitars, superb clean vocals and a meaty production. The title track is just as good- catchy and anthemic with a strong refrain. Truthfully, Absolva would go down really well as a support for any of the aforementioned bands- and that is exactly the type of tour they need to push them over the edge from professional band into the rock start bracket. That these boys are not in the mainstream press and consciousness as much as they should be is ridiculous.

As the album's twelve tracks progress, the quality control is there- each track is different and brings hooks, melody and weight. The urgency of “Rise Again” is balanced by the strong hooks. The mid paced likes of “Fistful of Hate” sit alongside faster tracks such as “Never Be The Same” and melodic tracks such as “Alarms”, while the revved up charge of “Who Dares Wins” delivers a shot of adrenaline as a counterpoint to the more restrained fare.

For your money, you also get a bonus CD (or MP3s, I suppose) of acoustic versions from earlier albums and a selection of live versions. As a nice bonus, it's a winner- it encourages the listener to delve into the back catalogue and gives value for money.

For anyone interested in melody and hooks, they will find them here. The guitar pyrotechnics are astonishing- really good solos- and the band as a whole sound very cohesive, live and tight. The UK's best kept secret in metal? Not for much longer. Absolva will soon reign, after all Maiden and Saxon won't be around forever.

“Defiance” is available here

Band info: official || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Pänzer - "Fatal Command"

By: Richard Maw


Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 06/10/2017

Label: Nuclear Blast

“Fatal Command” CD//DD track listing:

1. Satan's Hollow (4:04)

2. Fatal Command (4:57)

3. We Can Not Be Silenced (3:32)

4. I'll Bring You The Night (5:29)

5. Scorn And Hate (5:26)

6. Afflicted (4:42)

7. Skullbreaker (5:44)

8. Bleeding Allies (4:38)

9. The Decline (And The Downfall) (5:16)

10. Mistaken (4:54)

11. Promised Land (4:21)

The Review:

Pänzer came to prominence a couple of years back as a super group of sorts with members of Accept and Destruction combining to produce an album which sounded... mid way between those two bands. And very good it was too! The sophomore album by the band has seen Hermann Frank sadly depart, but the core of the band remain the same with Schmier and Stefan Schwarzmann still proving the thunderous underpinning to the band's sound. Pontus Norgren and V.O. Pulver fill out the line up this time around and the Swede/Swiss axis of metal works wonders.

The record is perhaps more anthemic than the debut “Send Them All To Hell” but it is just as metal; if not more so. There is huge choruses’ here- the opener “Satan's Hollow” is pure heavy metal, the following title track is more of the same. Big production and Schmier's manic vocals make this record feel energised and, in the right way, both retro and state of the art.

This is a harder proposition than Accept's latest (superb) album, but not at the level of intensity offered by Destruction. Schmier pushes and expands his vocal limits- as you can hear on “We Can Not Be Silenced”- and his willingness to turn in this type of performance says a lot about not resting on his laurels and giving his all to the record. There are mid paced chuggers like “I'll Bring You The Night” that nestle alongside more melodic and dynamic fair such as “Scorn” and “Hate” and you also get the pure heavy metal, verging on thrash, of “Afflicted” and the record is only half way at that point!

There is plenty of variety- “Skullbreaker” is a creeping and menacing track- not like the breakneck paced track I expected from the title. “Bleeding Allies” provides a stomping burst of pace and plenty of twin guitar work. The harder riffing of “The Decline (And The Downfall)” may please fans of Schmier's main band, but there is still a sense of metallic melody through the verses.

The final stretch of the album takes in the widdly “Mistaken” (great) and the fast and furious “Promised Land” (even greater!) and really closes on a strong statement for the record. This is a similar beast to their debut- powerful but with melody, hard driving but never out and out thrash. If that sounds like your bag- or for reference if you are a fan of Priest, Hammerfall, Accept and of course Destruction, there will be plenty for you to enjoy here. Classic heavy metal with a modern stainless steel sheen.

Band info: facebook

TOP 16 ALBUMS: The Sour 16 (August 2017)

With English winter ending in July and commencing again in August, the summer as we know it, is over!  Now as we enter September, the sunshine may waver, but one constant source of light, is the inspiring music we embrace and celebrate. 

Mike Patton once said “what a day, when you can look it in the face and hold your vomit,” So to make things a little more bearable, allow yourself to indulge in a hefty dose of medicine, because it is time to present 16 of the best albums from August, it is time for your SOUR 16.

You know the drill by now, each month you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  To put it simply, THE SOUR 16 are the records that have been trending the most at SLUDGELORD HQ.

The results are compiled based upon the amount of page views the reviews have received and are then calibrated into the list below. 

16). Cult of Erinyes - ‘Tiberivs’ (387)

In short, ‘Tiberivs’ is fully realized and wonderfully executed. Any black metal fans sleeping on this album are doing themselves a real disservice.

15). Mudbath - "Brine Pool" (397)

While firmly a doom metal group, Mudbath is not afraid to introduce different elements. With a shrieking vocal approach reminiscent of black metal and flourishes you might otherwise associate with drone, Mudbath manages to make it work.

14). Dead Cross - "Dead Cross" (405)

While Dead Cross don’t quite deliver the all-out face-melting insanity you may expect from their constituent parts, this debut is still an exhilarating burst of queasy punk rock mayhem that reminds most young pretenders who’s in charge.

13). Timeworn - "Venomous High" (408)

Some of the most engaging moments on “Venomous High” come when Timeworn move slightly away from their core sound.  “All Chiefs” finds the band at their most unhinged as they unleash an arsenal of spidery math-metal riffs with breakneck rock’n’roll abandon. Anyone missing Swiss behemoths Kruger will find a lot to enjoy in this killer track. “Venomous High” is a fine offering from Timeworn that takes an array of well-worn modern metal influences and blows them up on a grand scale.

 12). Nidingr - "The High Heat Licks Against Heaven" (414)

Given the amount of average extreme music that is available, Nidingr’s release is outstanding for such depth alone.

11). Geezer - “Psychoriffadelia” (424)

Guttural guitars and raunchy drums at the ready. Geezer delivers the intensity of the Melvins, one of the group's inspirations, while giving its own unique spin to stoner rock. While many others try, this is one band that is confident enough to step out and truly make this sound their own.

10). Sunrot - "Sunnata" (480)

Those who take the plunge into “Sunnata” will still be blown away by the fierce musical skill, emotional honesty, and undeniable potential of Sunrot.  Their truly exceptional full-length debut has set a high benchmark that, one hopes, is only the opening chapter of a lengthy, groundbreaking career.

9). Below The Sun - "Alien World" (533)

What you get is nothing short of spectacular. The soundscape intersects multiple metal subgenres, including funeral doom, black metal, drone and post metal. Moods throughout are bleak, as if the rumbling seas of Solaris are flicking gently at your mind and bouncing your hopes and fears to and fro.

8). Blues Funeral - "Awakening" (624)

Close your eyes and you can hear hints of Mountain and Blue Oyster Cult throughout "Awakening." The rolling title track is a true showcase for how these inspirations have shaped the Texas band. Such attention to the details most people probably never notice further ensures a level of quality that may surprise you. Not only is the music masterfully played, but nothing overpowers the composition

7). Red Mountains - "Slow Wander" (658)

...it is so refreshing to find a release that is all at once heavy, accessible and frankly beautiful in its construction.

6). Ledge - "Cold Hard Concrete" (700)

“Cold Hard Concrete" is that uneasy masterpiece you will value even more by year's end.

5). Pyrrhon - "What Passes for Survival" (796)

"What Passes for Survival" is an uncompromising album and you will learn that fast, right out of the gate.  It is impossible to listen to Pyrrhon's magnificent new release, without admiring the band's fearlessness and technical prowess.  This album is exactly what extreme metal doubters need to hear.

4). Weed Demon - "Astrological Passages" (1040)

Weed Demon is quite willing to show they can do a diverse attack that goes beyond a Melvins-ish crunch. It can definitely throttle you with heavy, sludged out guitars and drums. Yet, as you find on "Primordial Genocide" and elsewhere, Weed Demon can go from blasting to burrowing with its arrangements, zipping from fast to slow, metal to a variation on math rock, smoothly.

3). Devil Electric - "Devil Electric" (1097)

Although you'll not find a swerve or anything wildly disparate, Devil Electric is nonetheless entrancing. In particular, the group is guaranteed to energize any fan of heavy blues reminiscent of Black Sabbath, The Allman Brothers and similar bands.

2). Venom Inc. - “Avé” (1128)

This record, is a triumph. Venom Inc. have produced a record more than worthy of the Venom name and it contains some of the best and most “Venom” moments since the early 80's. I cannot praise or recommend this record enough to fans of Venom or just metal in general. The songs, performances and production all deliver.

1). Accept - "The Rise Of Chaos" (1407)

“The Rise of Chaos” is precise, prescient, presented superbly in terms of artwork and production and, more importantly, rocks as hard as anything I have heard this year. A tour de force.

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  August 2017’s SOUR 16 features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Daniel Jackson, Charlie Butler, Mark Ambrose, Mark Tremblay & Ernesto Aguilar