Objection Overruled

Accept's ninth album uses to be an overlooked, almost forgotten gem, and maybe understandably so, released as it was amidst the rise of the grunge scene, which gave no quarter to neither traditional metal music, nor metal music at all. There was also the fact that you could call this one a comeback album, because after a run of great or at least very good albums, the well had dried up after Udo's departure and the previous Eat The Heat had been a disappointment, so he had come back to the fold and started what could be tagged as Accept's second phase. The only drawback is that this phase was not meant to last, and certainly wasn't destined for glory, because the next two records, Deathrow and Predator, although enjoyable, did not live up to the expectations, and after a live album the band would disband only to resurface again in 2010 and begin their current and succesful third reincarnation. And I do think all this helps to Objection Overruled (and the other two albums from this phase) being buried so deep into the ground of Accept's discography and their fans collective memory.

But the album itself is very good and brings back great memories. After having listened to all the classics from some compilations I had borrowed back at school (those were the days when we still traded tapes and every single one of them was treasured and played until it was rendered useless), this one was, much likely, the first whole album by Accept I listened to, and also the first one I owned, if memory serves.

It is not without its flaws, mind you, and starting with the wrongs I must admit that a song like Donation, Accept's attempt to play a heavier AC/DC kind of tune, is a certificate filler and prevents the album from having a better score. Apart from that, not too many complaints. Maybe some moments are less inspired than others but this is an album I like to go back to quite often, as much as I like to revisit their more classic albums. And that is a very good statement about how good this album is.

Despite the above mentioned Donation, the germans unleash their better stuff in the second half of the album, in my opinion, although the entire album is pretty solid, and I think Accept had never sounded heavier and faster than in tracks like the closing one, This One's For You, at least since the days of Restless And Wild or Balls To The Walls. Same can be said about what is likely to be the heaviest song on the album, Sick, Dirty And Mean, where Kaufmann punishes his drum kit like a man possessed and Wolf Hoffmann leaves another proof of his guitar wizardry with a guitar solo which is not within everybody's reach. This track comes, sharing some kind of feedback, after the album's ballad, Amamos La Vida, which may sport an unnecesary spanish name, but delivers, and again, Wolf's solo is worthy of mention. I have the feeling that the guys, after what was listened on Eat The Heat, wanted to make a point here, focusing only on heavy stuff, and even Amamos La Vida, being a ballad, is a heavy one. So it is no surprise that the rest of the album is more or less as heavy as the already mentioned tunes. Only the boring Donation and maybe I Don't Wanna Be Like You are a below par in that department, but the latter is also very good and features another killer guitar solo. The rest range from heavy hitters like the opening title track or Slaves To Metal, to euro metal borderlining on power metal stuff, like All Or Nothing. Peter Baltes does his thing with his usual talent and Udo, well, what else could be said about him. You cannot picture him singing without thinking he's leaving every ounce of his determination in every single word.

And I wanted to save Just By My Own for last. I love this one. Some think this is some kind of a self indulgence moment courtesy of Hoffmann. I don't know and I don't care. If he is capable of pulling something like this off is because he can. Nuff said. And while not the best song on the album, I think this is the best Accept instrumental I can think of, sort of classic meets metal, and the lead guitar work is once again otherwordly. This song alone worths all the money you could spent on this album.

As I said, not their best album, but definitely worthy of more attention. Tons of attitude and a sincere display of classic german steel as honest as it could get is to be found here. And the best was yet to come!


Citizen Of Glass
https://citizenofglass1976.blogspot.com/

How much pain can you take when it comes to a seemingly endless row of shitty albums of a band you once worshipped? In view of the outstanding “Balls to the Wall”, I was eagerly awaiting its successor and I still remember the situation when I heard the title track of “Metal Heart” for the first time. Well, a kitschy song name, but the verses and the chorus were more or less solid. And then came the cuddly solo… in all honesty, what can we expect from a “metal” band with a classic-loving dictator as head of state? And neither “Russian Roulette” nor the ridiculous “Eat the Heat” were able to relieve the pain. Dirkschneider left the band and shortly after the dictator found himself sitting in the centre of sonic excrements. No way out but begging the commercially non-compatible singer to come back. Dirkschneider returned and so did I (even though I must admit that the classic-lover had not asked me to find my way back to his unit).

Of course, “Objection Overruled”, the soundtrack for my reconciliation with Accept, could not score with tracks like “Starlight”, “China Lady” or “Turn Me On” – not to mention the real classics. The release from 1993 is full of banalities. Generic riffs, a semi-ballad with a Spanish name, trivial choruses, designed for people with the brain of an amoeba – you will find all these precious items on this album. Tracks like the incredibly dangerous (little joke) “Protectors of Terror” celebrate a feast of gruelling simplicity. “All or Nothing” has decent verses – too bad that its happy metal chorus also makes me scream for a iota of aspiration; but the dictator says no. This makes me slightly angry, and the same applies for those dudes who say that Accept returned to their classic style with this album. Come on, boys, what went wrong in your musical socialisation? Compared with the rage of “Breaker”, the sharpness of “Restless and Wild” and the malignancy of “Balls to the Wall”, the here presented album is a toothless tiger. Nevertheless…

…I cannot say that the output sucks. Sometimes my banal mind loves banal things and then it is going to tell me that this kind of banality is a good thing. “Slaves to Metal” is not less primitive than “Protectors…”, but I like it. Its catchiness has something that makes me smile and the almost “Princess of the Dawn” compatible aura brings back pleasant memories. “Bulletproof” with its Wild West flair has a casual flow and “Sick, Dirty and Mean” showcases a robust heaviness. Once again, the album has not much in common with their energetic early works. Okay, the opener and the closer work as an alibi in terms of uncommercial sounds, but the nine tracks between them do not shine with a great amount of edges and corners. Yet it is also true that “Objection Overruled” is on a par with the classic albums with regard to, well, Germanness (does this word exist at all?). Prototypical Deutschland Steel has never sounded much purer than on “Objection Overruled”. Even the slightly dreamy instrumental, the tribute of the dictator to himself, is less gruesome than I thought.

Production-wise, the band did not waste the probably large budget. “Objection Overruled” sounds direct, muscular and almost honest. (I say almost honest, because the trauma of “Eat the Heat” still haunts me.) Dirkschneider is in good form and so he offers the three tones he is able to manage with great ease. Sometimes his “I can piss with the big dogs” voice lies in close proximity to that of a shrivelled witch with a wart on her nose, but that’s only logical, because his optical appearance is also not too far away from such an old hag. By the way, the guitar dictator still had hairs… or he loved to wear an expensive wig, who knows. That’s what real “Slaves to Metal” do – and the pain I mentioned at the beginning of the review cannot completely be taken away by a couple of good songs. Nevertheless, it just feels good that this album was a shift away from previous puerilities. You do not agree? Objection overruled!

Objection Overruled is the forgotten Accept masterpiece. It came in the mid-90s, not a prosperous time for metal, and was followed by two less than stellar albums, which is why it is occasionally ignored, but that's a big mistake. The band reformed for this album, after Udo left the band to pursue a career with a new band (U.D.O.) while the other members attempted a more commercial sound with a decent American singer. After only mild success in both ventures, the two parties decided to regroup, creating some of the freshest material in the band's history. This is the missing link in their pantheon, right up there with Breaker, Restless and Wild, Balls to the Wall, Metal Heart and Russian Roulette. This is one of those albums that has no weak spots whatsoever. Any track from this album would adequately represent Accept as a powerhouse of metal.

A special mention needs to be made for the amazing lyrics, which were mostly written by Deaffy (Wolf Hoffman's wife). I Don't Wanna Be Like You has the best lyrics of any teenage rebellion song I've ever encountered – forget We're Not Gonna Take It: this is where it's at. The unforgettable chanting of "I Don't Wanna Be Like You" is an indictment of immense power, while the other lyrics tell the tale of a person who has decided the conventional life script is a piece of fraud and lies: "I'm hog-tied'n'dirty / I'm tough and mean / Keep your Wall Street slickers / And the American dream." Udo's vocal performance at the start fits the song perfectly. The way he enunciates "Heaven knows / Heaven knows I tried / To be like you" cannot be improved. And then, after a great solo by Wolf Hoffman (all his solos are great) we get an arena chant, saying "The ordinary way of life ain't for me / I do what I want and I wanna be free / Never know, where I go or what I'm gonna do / Why can't you see – the only thing I know is that / I don't wanna be like you / I don't wanna be like you".

Why I Don't Wanna Be Like You isn't being sung on talk shows everywhere I do not know; perhaps the song is too heavy, or perhaps it didn't arrive at the right time. But this is how you write rebellious anthems: it's as good as Balls to the Wall, if not better – and it's hardly the best song on here! It's followed immediately by the hard and heavy Protectors of Terror, which sounds like trash metal.. And that's immediately followed by Slaves to Metal, which is equally heavy! There's no stopping these guys.

Every riff on this album is great.. Every single one. Wolf Hoffman is one of the greatest guitarists in metal, no doubt about it. He claims to be classically influenced (although the classical repertoire he has actually played is decidedly limited to popular hits..), but wherever his inspiration stems from, it is a place of gold. He is allowed his time to solo in an instrumental track, which I still find a little dull. Nevertheless, it shows he is a fine guitarist.

The mix is great. Stefan Kaufmann, the mad drum machine who popularized rapid double bass drumming in the metal world by furiously pounding away on Fast as a Shark, is clearly heard on the mix, with beautifully steadfast drumming. He would later join U.D.O. as guitarist, showing he had more than one talent. Even the bass comes out reasonably well, and it's a thing of beauty.

If you need any more convincing, there are yet more stellar tracks. Donation is one of the funniest song's I've ever heard. It isn't overplayed comedy (see: Steel Panther/Alestorm), but slowly unveils the grand comedic plot, which is told through subtly comedic lyrics. The lyrics were once more written from an accessible, average man perspective: there's no nonsense about demon slayers and Vikings. "It's way past noon - I just woke up / Man - I feel like shit" – I feel you, Udo! Some of the songs have a perfectly executed "in your face" style: This One's for You is a perfect "I'll get you, motherfucker!" track, while Objection Overruled is a furious speed metal tune that always makes me imagine extravagant court shenanigans.

Another reviewer stated this might be Accept's best album, and I'm inclined to agree with him or her. This album is pure gold, and any fan of traditional metal should hear it.

This is Accept's best album!

Maybe from a historical standpoint you cannot say that this is as important as, for example, Restless and Wild for defining typical German speed metal, but in direct comparison this one beats the shit out of any other Accept album.

Historically, this is special as some (especially German) bands continued to write the traditional eighties metal stuff and even took it to a higher level in terms of quality and perfection despite the then prevalent grunge movement, despite Vulgar Display of Power (although this one would have its influence on the next Accept album), and despite Rage against the BioCount. Another album at this time would be Pile of Skulls by Running Wild, released just some weeks before this.

And perfection it is. This is actually the typical Accept that we know and love from the eighties. BUT this is harder and more aggressive. The songs are all very catchy and really good. No filler here. Best songs are the speedy and brutal Sick Dirty and Mean, the rock-ish and cool I Don´t Wanna be Like You and the great Slaves to Metal. Bullet Proof is also one of the best here. The lyrics are sometimes a little cheesy, but these guys are not native English speakers as we know.

The outstanding trademark on this record is, of course, the lead playing of Wolf Hoffmann. His leads add so much to the songs and give them their identity. Actually, these leads are what makes this differ from later U.D.O. albums like Solid or Holy. The leads on these albums are great as well, yet they miss the identity that Hoffmann's leads have. You actually would recognize these any time.

If you are looking for traditional metal as it was common in the eighties, you should buy this record! This is one of the best of its genre and stands in line with the likes of Painkiller and Pile of Skulls, and it is actually created by one of the oldest bands of the genre. So what are you waiting for?

Considering the facts that;

a) Accept is one of the biggest influences on power/speed metal
b) They have been fairly consistent, giving us as many as 6-7 heavy metal essentials

I’d say they are criminally underrated. When you think about some of the greatest bands of all time this one usually doesn’t come to mind despite having been there since 1971. Their debut, released in’79, predates pretty much every metal band’s debut except Sabbath & Priest.

I can’t think of one area where this band is even slightly weak. They have;

a) An amazing and unique vocalist whose voice alone is enough to overpower many other great vocalists’ massive range or hold.
b) Songs which are designed to stick to your head from the very first time you listen to them. You’ll be singing their choruses before you even know/notice it.
c) Riffs that are equally catchy and memorable.
d) Solos that can teach you the art of air guitaring better than artists from Maiden to Malmsteen.
e) Songs which are composed with great alacrity and performed with equally great passion and energy.

This is their 9th full length release and they show no signs of aging or losing touch. This offering is right up there with their most popular releases like Balls to The Wall or Metal Heart. All characteristic and qualities are well intact and they have all their experience to add to it. Along with Scorpions they are the biggest influence on the metal scene in Germany and yet they are overlooked most of the times.

From the second it starts you know its going to one hell of a journey. The lyrics preach rebellion and revolution. They way they scream “I’m an exception to the rule” in the second track, “I don’t want to be like you”, it’ll give you goosebumps. Wold Hoffman’s remarkable lead playing gives a whole Judas Priest feel to the music while the bass adds to the heaviness of the teeth grinding riffs. The consistently amazing performance of the guitar just orgasmic. What’s even more impressive is that he is the single guitarist and is able to write music that the duos of most bands can only dream of.

All this overshadows the energy shown by Stefan Kaufmann on drums who knows exactly what to do at what time to makes things run smoothly & comfortably. It should be noted that in the presence of some other average drummer the album would have probably had 10 points lesser. Kaufmann should be given his share of credit as he has been an integral part in the success of the band. He was always behind the curtain when we were enjoying albums like Restless & Wild, Balls To The Wall & Metal Heart. And if you notice, the band pretty much collapsed after he left.

I’ve noticed that in most cases, songs that are instantaneously memorable usually wear out and become boring after a while. But I guess this statement does not apply to this band as its music is not only a person’s gateway to metal but it will induce copious amounts of current, aggression and energy into your soul every single time you listen to it.

However, their ardour for ballads is equally sensational. A band making such electrifying music can also be capable of composing non-cheesy passionate and emotional ballads I didn’t know. Listen to Amamos La Vida or Winter Dreams if you find it hard to buy.

This is true classic heavy metal at its best!

This CD is the comeback for the classic band Accept. It's well produced, wel played and UDO sounds like someone pissed him off right good. The guitars cut like knives and the drums punch you in the nose. At the time nobody cared but unlike the weak comebacks by Iron Maiden and Judas Priest this much overlooked comeback showed one fact - Accept owned the FUCK out of both in the 90's. Too bad nobody noticed.

The biggest weakness of this CD are the lyrics and overall layout/presentation of the genre as needing a nostalgia trip. "Protectors of Terror" just sounds silly in these times and the filler of "Donation" just hurts the comeback cause. Otherwise - the antidrug song "Bulletproof" and the title track hammer like AC/DC on speed and steriods. The filler is painful sometimes, but the highs are "grande rocke"!

This is not as good as the classic Accept of Metal Heart or Restless and Wild but this CD is a killer little combo. The tight playing and harsh vocals give the stupid lyrics a worhy life. Death Row may have been the classic - but this is a GOOD record and MUST be owned by all Accept fans...