The gold metropolis-style boxset artwork is way better than the original.

What a hideous and stupid AI mess of a video.

Yep, that Hulk video is marginally worse than their "Frankenstein = the creature" equation.

I don't dislike the composition though. It's one of those unpretentious and typical Accept tracks, neither old-fashioned nor current. A bit mousy but many Accept tracks are like that.

EDIT: Apparently, the chorus reads:

"I'm alive, so alive
Break these chains, Frankenstein
I'm alive, I'm so alive
Forever free, Frankenstein"

So I take back the criticism because "Break these chains, Frankenstein" seems to be a plea to the Dr. which means that the speaker and the sayee aren't identical. During the first listen, my brain only registered the second half of the chorus which could be taken for an identification ("I'm alive, […] / [I'm] forever free, [I'm] Frankenstein").

EDIT No. 2:

Now I'm confused. Although the lyrics don't seem to be disagreeable, apparently, the band equate the Doc with the creature:

"The story of Frankenstein is old and yet still relevant. The monster is created without being asked. Frankenstein is a human being and yet he is hated and feared by everyone."

Dear Accept, have you actually read the book? Well, I have. I can even remember my lunch break on Mary Shelley's grave in Bournemouth a couple of years ago. Check!

Solid but modest and predictable collection of songs. Accept aren't even trying to surprise or impress you.

"Blood of the Nations" sessions: "Hey, this idea is great, let's ride it into the sunset."
"Humanoid" sessions: "It's already 1 a.m. and pitch-black. Can you make out any motions we could go through?"

I still really like the title track though and am generally glad there's some new Accept to listen to.

Man, this is just so rote... it's not bad background music but there's just not a lot to give a shit about. Tornillo just gurgles through it without much of interest and the riffs never rise above passable. Hoffman's leads sound nice and I can respect the professionalism, but it sounds like a case where they're just coasting, not really inspired... or the inspiration just doesn't come through in the material anyway.

Credit where it's due, I like "Ravages of Time."

yes the guy with the short blond hair and flying V is Philip Shouse, who's been an official third guitarist since 2019. Doesn't seem to be credited on this album, although he was on Too Mean To Die. Anyway I really liked that album, but on a first listen have got very little out of this new one

The new one is just 'ok'. It's been a case of diminishing returns since the highwater mark (IMO) of their reunion, "Stampede".

New Dickinson, Saxon and Priest blow this out of the water.


Edit: After multiple listens, the melodies sink in. The first three songs are pretty strong, as is the ballady song. I like this more now than I did earlier, but the aforementioned releases by three other legacy bands are better.
Lyrics are silly andtrite, but it’s to be expected with Tornillo.

After a listen, I think this one sticks with me a bit more than To Mean to Die did, though it's still another modern Accept album and I can hear a handful of songs that retread the same territory they've been hitting since Blind Rage. All the use of AI stuff sucks too, though I guess Wolf likes anything that lets him skimp out on money and have absolute control over every aspect of the band and album creation process.

My least favorite Tornillo albums are Blind Rage and Rise of Chaos....I'd put this over those, not too enthusiastic about that though.

No real nasty burners like "Too Mean To Die" or "Not My Problem" on this one.

Because I love Tornillo-Accept, I'll keep listening so maybe it's a grower.

For me the main problem with this album is that it's too concise, too boiled-down. Often bands say "It was hard work to trim the fat" but "Humanoid" sounds as if there had never been an ounce of fat since the first day of composing the thing. On the one hand, this leanness exemplifies that Hoffmann knows exactly what he wants and what goes where. On the other hand, it leaves no room for the musicians to show that they enjoy what they're doing.

The fact that "Blood of the Nations" had songs with jammy sections / prolonged solo parts was the crucial aspect that drew me back to Accept. There was just a lot of music to get your teeth into, music that showed that these old men could play: That bass! Those guitars! The enthusiasm! Six minutes of awesomeness! It wasn't just a competent Tuesday morning routine.

im with you on those two records. i thought Blind Rage was a little too heavy on the lighter songs and was a little rough around the edges in the other departments. Rise of Chaos was just undercooked. nothing really grabbed me except for Koolaid.

this one is solid Accept. that triumphant energy from Blood of the Nations or Stalingrad isnt really there anymore, but at least there are some solid hooks in this one. Accept is firmly disinterested in pushing the envelope anymore, but much like bands like Saxon, if they can keep delivering catchy riffs and choruses, it'll be OK.

also songs like Man Up are really funny. there's been a shift lyrically over the past few records, between songs like that one, Life's A Bitch, Overnight Sensation, and Analog Man of them turning into grumpy old men.

Oh no! C3-PO's gone MAD!

Yeah, THIS. This new song is OK, but that early stuff is LEGENDARY.

Also recommended: Objection Overruled, And UDO- Animal house (which was originally going to BE an Accept album, but the hired the commercial singer and made "Eat the Heat" for some godforsaken reason.).

Yes, except SATAN. Maybe that huge break was really good for them!

Anyway, the second new song was better than the first! And I agree with everybody about how stoopid that Frankenstein video looks!

You know, Accept turned into Anvil so gradually I didn’t even notice.

I know Accept has never been a “lyrics band” even at their peaks, but the combination of these blunt titles and grumpy old man lyrics combined with the made to order song structures have really made them less endearing over time. This album probably is a little better than the last couple but that would also require me to revisit them to make sure. Still nothing that hits the highs of BOTN or Stalingrad. Or even Blind Rage for that matter.

I think Saxon and especially the new Priest show how deficient Accept is by comparison - this kinda manufactured, machinelike metal, you really need to have some fun, catchy material, and both of the former bands really did it better this year to my ears.

I can handle the grumpy old man stuff when it's still caustic and biting....like "Not My Problem".

"Analog Man" kills me because it was already a famous sentiment when Joe Walsh did it in 2011.

Older dudes should lean into "You're all fucked" more and less with the lecturing.