Accept

Accept – Humanoid Review

By Steel Druhm on April 23, 2024 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 55 comments

“The 17th album by the unstoppable Germanic horde known as Accept is upon us and resistance is brutile. After the enjoyable machinations of 2021s Too Mean to Die, those who keep their balls to the wall opted to stick with the same basic formula. Their three-guitarist wall of sound is back along with no-longer-so-new frontman Mark Tornillo, and Accept find themselves in a late-career groove, very aware of who they are and what they want to be. And that means Accept continue to drift closer and closer to AC/DC territory as their core metal sound drills down further into hard rock idioms.” The future is the past.

Cruel Force – Dawn of the Axe Review

By Holdeneye on September 23, 2023 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 50 comments

“Cruel Force released two back-to-back albums in 2010 and 2011, both showcasing a blackened thrash style—and both pretty awesome—but after a decade’s hiatus, the band apparently felt the need for speed, morphing into more of a traditional US-style speed-infused heavy metal project a la Jag Panzer or Omen.” Wiolence and Cruel Force.

U.D.O. – Touchdown Review

By Steel Druhm on August 24, 2023 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 90 comments

“As a guy who grew up with the sounds of Accept blaring in the background, I know how important it is to keep a restless and wild metal heart and not be afraid to get one’s balls to the wall when necessary. Legendary frontman Udo Dirkschneider decamped following Accept’s Predator outing, bringing an end to a cherished era in Germanic metal. The man has certainly kept himself busy since then, focusing on his U.D.O. solo project and going on to release 17 albums of Accept-adjacent metal.” Stacking the box.

Mutoid Man – Mutants Review

By Saunders on July 27, 2023 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Noise Rock, Progressive Metal, Punk, 38 comments

A new Mutoid Man release means a larger-than-life double review is necessary. Why? Because we said so!

Iron Allies – Blood In Blood Out Review

By Holdeneye on October 28, 2022 in Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, 27 comments

“Accept is another Teutonic band that knows how to throw a killer hard rock/metal tune together, and while I love a lot of their older material, I fell head over heels for their 2010 comeback album Blood of the Nations. I loved follow-up Stalingrad too. In fact, Steel’s review of said album is the first review I remember reading on Angry Metal Guy. When I saw Iron Allies drop into the promo bin, I nearly disregarded it due to the generic name, but when I opened the promo material, it revealed that the band is a project of former Accept guitarist Herman Frank. Frank appeared on Balls to the Wall and was with the band through much of their modern comeback stampede, so I couldn’t resist giving Iron Allies a chance.” Accept the iron.

Grave Digger – Symbol of Eternity Review

By Steel Druhm on August 26, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 29 comments

“Rarely has an album been titled as accurately as Symbol of Eternity, Grave Digger’s 20th goddamn full-length. I’ve been listening to these unstoppable German dirt movers since their 1984 debut and they just WILL NOT stop releasing albums. Such was the eternal crypt crud onslaught that I had to take a mental health break from reviewing them following 2017s lackluster Healed by Metal outing. Two more platters came and went since then, both fairly solid, and 2022 sees yet another release unearthed by the lords of exhumation. Taking a break from their Scottish clan war fetish, the band once again focuses on the crusades for the first time since 1998s Knights of the Cross. Other than the subject matter, nothing has changed in the tried-and-trve Digger sound.” Four men, no grave.

Luzifer – Iron Shackles Review

By Huck N Roll on March 28, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 22 comments

“A question was posed on Twitter, the most reliable source of information in the world, earlier this year asking which up-and-coming band was going to be the Next Big Thing. Someone commented that Luzifer was that band, and seeing March promo just sitting there all forlorn, I grabbed it. I knew nothing about them, and there’s a good chance you, dear reader, did not either. Turns out this German trio is three-fifths of the speed metal band Vulture, and Iron Shackles is their first full-length release.” Zatan’s Returnz.

FireWölfe – Conquer All Fear Review

By Holdeneye on November 22, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 42 comments

“It’s been a sparse year for traditional metal for old Holdeneye. I usually cover at least a few albums of the classic variety each year, but as I look back over the travesty that is my “Albums Reviewed” spreadsheet, I see only one 2021 album with the lone “heavy metal” tag. A couple of factors play into this shortage, namely supply chain issues (read: Steel Druhm takes most of the classic metal albums for himself because he’s old) and my own lack of productivity. Well, the holiday season is the perfect time to set all wrongs right, so I swiftly grabbed this, the third record from FireWölfe.” Power…of the Wölfe.

Rebellion – We Are the People Review

By Steel Druhm on July 21, 2021 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 26 comments

“Germany’s Rebellion isn’t what I’d call a thinking man’s metal band. That said, they’ve released two concept albums based on Shakespeare’s works (Macbeth and King Lear), and they’ve shown a penchant for tackling historical events and individuals over their career. On ninth album We Are the People, they’ve put down the classic English literature and gone deep into the annals of history for a wide-ranging analysis of nationalism, war, and man’s innate desire for freedom and liberty. As a big history buff and admirer of Enlightenment era philosophy, this kind of concept is 100% my manbag.” Natural rights (and wrongs).

Bunker 66 – Beyond the Help of Prayers Review

By Felagund on May 3, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, 26 comments

“There’s something so alluring about the melding of two genres like black and speed metal. When executed correctly, these seemingly disparate styles join forces to create a noxious stew altogether stronger than the sum of their individual parts; powerful, bombastic and able to dissolve your stomach lining. Bands like Blackevil, Bewitcher, Hellripper and a cornucopia of their spike-and-denim clad contemporaries prove what transpires when icy BM and the meat-and-potatoes chug of 80s speed form their unholy union. Bunker 66 are no strangers to this format, and are eager to continue the sacrilegious scourge with their new album Beyond the Help of Prayers.” Bunker busters.