Hold up. Am I really reviewing a Michael Schenker Group album and an Accept album in the same week? What year is this? 1981 or 2021? All joking aside, I think it’s totally badass that these defenders of the faith, who helped make the genre what it is today, are still going strong 4 and even 5 decades later! These artists even acknowledge their longevity in their current album titles. If Michael Schenker is Immortal, then Accept is Too Mean to Die.
To say Accept went through a late career renaissance in the 2010s would be an understatement. Aided by the razor sharp vocals of Udo Dirkschneider doppelganger Mark Tornillo, and the old school meets new school production of Andy Sneap, Blood of the Nations (2010) was heralded as a creative and commercial triumph. Every album since has faced the near impossible task of following in its footsteps. Stalingrad (2012) came close, as did Blind Rage (2014). By the time The Rise of Chaos (2017) was released, Accept started to slip into the “predictable, yet enjoyable” category. Too Mean to Die continues this trend, though is not without its noteworthy moments.
The album begins strong with the pummeling “Zombie Apocalypse”. This is everything you’d want in an Accept opener. It’s unapologetically heavy and extremely energetic. Wolf Hoffmann’s riffs are thicker than concrete and Tornillo’s vocal delivery would have me convinced the undead are actually outside my door. This unrelenting spirit is kept up by the four on the floor power of the title track and the dark, yet motivational, “No Ones Master”.
Things start to teeter for Too Mean to Die about halfway through. “The Undertaker” is the first of a few tracks on here that do absolutely nothing for me. With its lumbering riff and repetitive song structure, it begs the question, “Why was this included?” The same can be asked for “The Best is Yet to Come”. Truth be told, with the exception of “Winter Dreams”, I never cared for Accept’s ballads to begin with. I’m not going to magically start enjoying them now.
The rest of the album falls into the “predictable, yet enjoyable” category I addressed earlier. “Sucks to Be You” has a hard rock tinge to it, reminiscent of the Metal Heart era. Meanwhile, “Symphony of Pain” taps the same ultra heavy vein as “Zombie Apocalypse”. “Not My Problem” almost closes the album on a raging mad note. I say “almost” because following it is a rather pointless instrumental, “Samson and Delilah”. Unfortunately, it takes away from the charm of “Not My Problem”, which in part bears resemblance to Accept’s Swiss cousins, Krokus.
Too Mean to Die is a mostly enjoyable listen. It’s yet another respectable entry in the Accept category. My only concern is that Accept has become too comfortable in their own skin. If they continue down this path, their next album may not even be “good”, but mediocre. I sure hope I’m wrong. I have faith in Captain Wolf Hoffmann’s abilities to steer this legendary ship away from such ruin.
6 out of 10
Label: Nuclear Blast
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Judas Priest, Saxon, Krokus