Accept - The Rise of Chaos

****

Germany's finest export goes "Balls to the Wall" on new album

Not that I’m complaining in anyway but it feels since 2012’s 'Stalingrad', I feel like I’m writing the same review it’s becoming harder to come up with original ways to says “It’s great!”.It goes without saying the band have been on fire since their reboot in 2010 with 'Blood of the Nations'.

Mark Tornillo taking on challenge of becoming the new frontman must be one of the great success stories of a band taking on a new singer. I think Brian Johnson and Bruce Dickinson are the only other two that also took to the task so seamlessly.  With a double live album released earlier this year and now this their fourth album of their new era the band are showing no sign of slowing down.

Now everything you have come to expect from an Accept album is here. Big, fast, catchy riffs. Anthemic choruses that stick in your head for days... and just won't go away. Things pretty much follow on from what we got on the previous three albums. There are three main points that stand out on this release: First off this is the first studio album with the band’s new rhythm section bassist Peter Baltes and drummer Christopher Williams.

Again, both fit like a glove but with Wolf Hoffman looking over their shoulder I can’t see things happening any other way. Secondly this is the shortest of the four albums. 'Blood of the Nations' clocked in at one hour and seven minutes while 'The Rise of Chaos' is fourty six minutes. It is shorter than 'Blind Rage' by nearly ten minutes which leads me to my main point.

The fat has been dramatically cut off with this album. As enjoyable as the previous albums are there is a very straight to the point feel to this album. At times it’s like the band go full Thrash in places. There’s no ballads either its ten straight to the gut kick ass Heavy Metal. A more trimmed down, 'Balls to the Wall' affair this time round (couldn’t resist!) but I think it’s a benefit and is a great addition to a quickly expanding collection.