|
 |
|
|
 |
Tracklist
1. Metal Heart
2. Midnight Mover
3. Up to the Limit
4. Wrong Is Right
5. Screaming for a Love-Bite
6. Too High to Get It Right
7. Dogs on Leads
8. Teach Us to Survive
9. Living for Tonite
10. Bound to Fail
|
Accept was the German Judas Priest in the 1980s. They offered the blistering duo guitar assault of Wolf Hoffman and Hermann Frank and the high, raw vocals of Udo Dirkschneider. They released two amazing metal masterpieces before their sixth album Metal Heart (Restless and Wild and Balls to the Wall). Metal Heart came out in 1985 the year after their most famous album Balls to the Wall. To capitalize on their enhanced fame, producer Dieter Dirks (of Scorpions fame) was enlisted to give Metal Heart a more commercial sound and extra sense of melody. More change took place when Jorg Fischer replaced Frank on guitar. Accept's music began to move away from the dark intensity of their previous two records. Though the potential was there for this album to mark a giant fall from the metal mountain top, it ended up being another solid album that offers some amazing tracks.
The title track is solid and was inspired by Tschaikowski and Beethoven (so says the album cover). It sounds a little dated with the "It is 1999..." opening verse but it is one of Accept's better tracks. "Midnight Mover" moves towards the more pop metal sound. I love this track! It is catchy as heck! It is my favorite track on side one. "Up to the Limit" is solid guitar metal. It stands out to me because the guitarists moved in sequence during the verses in the live show I saw on video. It made the song, which I considered average, cooler. "Wrong is Right" flies! It is an adrenaline pumper. "Screaming for a Love Bite" is another thing all together. It has comical lyrics about a viscous hickey on the neck. It is also very pop metal but not the good kind like "Midnight Mover." It seems more of a novelty to me, so I don't take it all that seriously, though I like the guitar in it.
The track "Too High to Get It Right" is great although it doesn't blow me away. The next two songs don't stand out. "Teach Us to Survive" is a little interesting in that it has a James Bond film sound. "Dogs on Leads" has the customary raw lyrics, but musically is unmemorable. Luckily, Metal Heart ends on two high notes. "Living for Tonite" flat out rocks! It is my favorite on the album. It is got an incredible beat. "Bound to Fail" is a killer track! Awesome number to go out on! They are why I give this album a solid 4-star grade. Well over half these songs are quality (7 out of 10). Two of the lesser tracks are not so much bad as they are unremarkable. "Screaming..." is more silly than terrible. Metal Heart was Accept's last exceptional release. Their next album, Russian Roulette, was not be quite up to snuff and Udo would leave the band after that to start his own project U.D.O. only to return in the early 1990s when alternative music ruled. Recommended for those like me who liked it better in the 1980s when metal ruled.
Review by: J.D. Taylor
Read Member Reviews
|
|
|
