Accept-I'm a Rebel (Platinum Edition)

AFM Records

2017

 

"I'm A Rebel" was the second full-length from Germany's Accept. Along with the group's self-titled release,  1981's "Breaker", and 1982's "Restless And Wild" it is getting the platinum treatment from AFM records. I've already posted my review of  "Accept" (Platinum Edition) and unless something dramatic happens, AMF Record's reissues of "Breaker" and "Restless And Wild" will be covered in the same manor. Initially released in the summer of 1980, Accept's second album is a huge improvement over their self-titled debut. It was the first album to feature Stefan Kaufmann on drums and it found the group working with producer Dick Steffens. Opening with the insane title track* (a instant classic and essential Accept number!), "I'm A Rebel" shows the band moving in the direction of a more consistent sound. Along with that consistent sound, Accept suddenly had quality material to perform and a handful of song lyrics that actual made sense! Udo was starting to come into his own and Accept was starting to sound like a band that could get things done. Honestly, the HUGE leap in talent between "Accept" and "I'm A Rebel" is like nothing else out there. This 1980 LP was so good that it almost makes you forget all about it's predecessor! Whereas "Accept" had only one song that was worthy of recognition ("Lady Lou"), "I'm A Rebel" is a record with a heartbeat and a vision. There is a lot to love about songs like "Save Us", "Thunder And Lightning", "China Lady", "I Wanna Be No Hero", and "Do It". They are all slightly different and yet they all rock in their own right. "I'm A Rebel" is an album full of catchy material. It doesn't really matter if it is rock, hard rock, or heavy metal music that Accept is playing on this album. No matter the exact genre, Accept had it covered. Everything about the album is an improvement over "Accept". Udo's voice is better and so is the guitar playing. The bass parts are heavier and more Stefan Kaufmann's drumming is consistent. Even the two ballads work. They are "No Time To "Lose" and "The King". Just like he did on Accept's debut album, bassist Peter Baltes handles the vocals on these softer moments. As much as I love Udo's work on this album (and man do I ever!), Peter does an admirable job as a front-man. The two ballads on "I'm A Rebel" show off the melodic side of early Accept and they offer a nice contrast to Udo's gruff voice. Ultimately, "I'm A Rebel" is a really solid release on it's own. It's essential for Accept fans no matter how you slice it. That being said, AFM's exclusive digipak edition is a nice upgrade on the 1980 album. Due for release on the 14th of this month, I'm a Rebel (Platinum Edition)  comes with a live version of the title track. This bonus cut was recorded on the latest “Dirkschneider” tour and it is legitimately awesome! For as old as Udo is now (65?) he still sounds incredible!  Yes, it is a shame that he isn't fronting Accept anymore. These things happen. Does it take anything away from this disc? No. If anything it just makes this 2017 edition that much more special. It serves as a constant reminder of how the legend of Udo got started and how Accept became every one's favorite German metal band. Both of those events are worth celebrating and what better way is there to do that than picking up a copy of AFM's Platinum Edition of "I'm A Rebel"? 

*"I'm A Rebel" was written by Alexander Young (the older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young)

Pagan Altar-The time lord

Cruz Del Sur/Shadow Kingdom
2012

This is a re-issue of a release that originally came out in 2004, but the material goes back much further than that as two of these songs were recorded in 1978 and the other three were done in late 1980 or early 1981. This band gets thrown in with the NWOBHM scene. That's well enough due to the time and place they came from, but Pagan Altar were initially into early 70's proto-metal and then early doom. "Highway Cavalier" has a massive yet amazingly simple approach as it launches on sounding like Steppenwolf colliding with very early Motorhead. "The time lord" has the band following more of a winding path not far off from early Judas Priest as they stretch out the passages and the punchy rhythm section sets the pace. The sound still reflects a style that was done a number of years before this was recorded. However they do it justice and serve it up fresh. After this the next three tracks have the band settling into the doom sound that they were most known for. "Judgement of the dead" is a dark march that stays along one main tempo but the thumping bass and swirling guitar notes add depth to it. "The black mass" takes a few pages from early Black Sabbath's playbook, but Pagan Altar take it, twist and make it theirs. This song has a spontaneous feel to it like they were knocking out for the first time. Closing out the album is "Reincarnation" which is the longest most complex track offered up here. They step up the pace a notch and ride with it. Again they stick with a raw feel and excel at it. Pagan Altar created a powerful chapter in the book of doom metal, but they don't always get the notice they deserved. This re-issue has a different cover from the previous release. Even though I have heard some of these tracks before I was again in awe at how good this band could be.

Atomic Rooster-s/t

Angel Air
1980/2011

Atomic Rooster formed in the 1969 and quickly set into knocking out albums. They were an early proto-metal time band. The heavy bits were scattered and there amidst funk bits and organ blasts. However there was enough fuzzed up chunks to lump them into the realm of early semi-metal acts. They put out five albums between 1970 and 1973 finishing the funk oriented "Nice n' greasy". Two years later they called is quits. Several years later guitarist/keyboardist Vincent Crane revived the act pulling guitarist/vocalist John DuCann back into the fold and they welcomed newcomer drummer Preston Heymon. This line-up knocked out the 1980 self-titled album. In 1980 other older acts like Black Sabbath and Budgie were re-inventing their sound to keep up with the times. Not the case there though because even though it was the 80's this new version of Atomic Rooster sounded like it was still 1972 and I mean that in good way. Many of the tracks are similar to Deep Purple style organ rock only with quirky vocals and less jams. I can't imagine a lot of fans of NWOBHM acts like Maiden and Saxon being thrilled by this album in 1980, but that's their loss. This was a solid slab of slightly off kilter heavy rock with enough bursts and odd ideas to keep it interesting. Certainly an overlooked album. This re-issue includes two bonus tracks. Definitely one of the better re-issues of the year so far.

Alien 2 on earth

DVD
Midnight Legacy
2011

In the early 1980's there was a small trend in Italian horror movies to give them titles that might imply they were sequels to much more known (and larger budget) non-Italian horror flicks. This is one such case, but trust me this film is no relation to Ridley Scott's 1979 film "Alien" although this film does "borrow" some ideas from "Alien". The agonizingly long opening scene uses lots of stock footage and we are told of spacecraft returning to earth mysteriously missing it's crew. Meanwhile shiny rocks are popping in California. Our main character Thelma is haunted by something, but it's all so oddly done that we don't quite know what's bothering her. Eventually she and a bunch of colleagues head outside San Diego to explore caverns where these shiny, blue rocks have showed up. Since most of these colleagues have not been seen until now so we know they are destined to be Alien bait. Indeed that's exactly what happens. One explorer finds a rock, it begins to pulsate and something resembling a wet,red sock puppet attacks her. Later is she is found laying still. The camera pans over her and a more impressive red alien bursts from her..face (I'll bet you were thinking stomach. Actually this effect is decent. After this shiny rocks start shaking all over the place and red aliens began bursting out of the rocks. Soon the cave explorers very slowly get killed off. Some of the death scenes particularly a decapitation are fairly well done. It's just that the film has likely lost your attention by this point. I won't spoil the ending except to say it's rather unspectacular. The writing is all rather scattered. Many scenes seem overlong as the camera spends way too much time focusing on a still boat or a closing garage door. Maybe they thought this was artistic or perhaps they were just trying to add time to the film. The pacing is dreadful and will make you feel really tired about halfway through. How does it look? Now that's where this movie succeeds to some extent. The transfer is beautiful with all the colors looking perfect particularly in the cave scenes. The audio however is not quite as consistent. Not a great film by a long shot, but a good job by Midnight Legacy in making it look very presentable. Special Features include a Dutch VHS trailer and special effects outtakes.

Top 5 re-issues/re-releases of 2010

I'll be doing my top 25 albums of 2010 next year, but am knocking a few other other best of lists this week. Here we go with re-issues and re-releases.



1-Quartz-Stand up and fight
Always heard good things about this NWOBHM classic, but finally got to hear it with a bonus track to boot this year.
2-Poobah-Let me in
Early 70's fuzzed out goodness that I never heard before this year.
3-Blind Illusion-The sane asylum
Not much in the way of bonuses on this re-issue, but a veru good and overlooked late 80's thrash album for sure.
4-Savage Grace-Fall from grace/Ride into the night
The two Savage Grace I hadn't heard were put on one set with bonus tracks. Nice package.
5-Darkness-Defenders of justice
I missed this one in the 80's, but got to hear it this year. Great old style German thrash metal.

Fist-Turn the hell on

Metal Mind
1980/2010

Somewhere down the list of NWOBHM bands are Fist. They formed in 1978 and rather quickly landed a record deal with a major label in the form of MCA records. Their debut "Turn the hell on" came out in 1980. The sound isn't far off from other bands in the movement and I am thinking mainly of Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang and Quartz. The biggest difference being that Fist are far more upbeat. That's not a trait that all metal fans would take to and admittedly it I was a surprised by it at first. After a few plays it soaked in more and I think that mood compliments their groove driven, rhythm heavy songs. Melodies are obviously quite important to their sound and they utilize them well enough. There are a few songs that are very dated and have not aged well. The vocals are a little higher than I was expecting and on a few tracks the rhythm section is so much in the foreground that it drowns out the vocals to an extent. This isn't the most consistent album for quality, but it is most certainly decent. Fist went on for a few years after this, but then gave up. Like many other bands from the scene ther re-formed years later. This isn't a must here and it is obvious why they didn' get a great deal of notice during this crowded scene three decades ago. However it's an album with some fun songs and genuine energy so there is enough here to make it worth checking out. The re-issue includes a bonus track, lyric booklet and band biography.

Quartz-Stand up and fight

Metal Mind
1980/2010

The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was such a massive movement that it's no surprise that I have not every band from that time and I may never hear all of them. Quartz originally formed as Legs in 1974. A few years later they got a record deal and changed the name to Quartz. After than Black Sabbath's manager Albert Chapman took them on. Also Tony Iommi became a fan and insisted he produce their debut. Shortly after Quartz keyboadist/guitarist Geoff Nicholls was lured away to play keyboards for Sabbath. Quartz decided to go on with just one guitarist and began preparing material for their sophomore effort. The band moved to a bigger label in MCA and released "Stand up and fight" in 1980. It's obvious that the band's brief association with Sabbath had some influence because there are definitely Sabbath type riffs in several songs. The music as a whole is far more upbeat and groove oriented. This album is a combination of late 70's hard rock and the early 80's NWOBHM sound. Quartz also remind me some of Diamond Head and early Saxon. The opener is title track and it's one that combines a Sabbath type riff with the bands knack for a tight and punchy attack. "Can't say no to you" shows the band's ability to handle the slower hard rock style songs. "Stoking up the fires of hell" is a fine example of Quartz taking a mid-tempo track and making it heavier than it could be. They manage to squeeze a lot into a short time span and that's one of their real strengths. "Stand up and fight" is a definite stand out even amongst the crowded NWOBHM movement. This re-issue includes the 1977 track "Circles" which features Brian May contributing some guitars and Ozzy doing some backing vocals. Also included are a lyric booklet and a band bio. Obviously I missed out by not hearing these guys until, but this re-issue will allow me to make up for lost time.

Iron Maiden s/t- A reflection

Hard to believe that Iron Maiden's debut is thirty year's old this year. It wasn't one of their first that I heard though. I believe that I had heard The number of the beast, Piece of mind and Powerslave before finally hearing the debut in late 1984 as a fellow Maiden fan taped it for me. It would be another few months before I would hear Killers. My opinion at the time was I am sure much different than those lucky fans heard this album when it exploded in 1980. By 1984 Bruce Dickinson's stamp had been put on the band's sound and they were off and running a direction that was fairly different from where they were with Dianno at the helm. For 1980 the whole New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene was exploding and Maiden were one of the scene's real leaders. So let's take a look at each song

Prowler-That twisting riff comes on and you know this is something different. Dianno's voice is prefect for this one and is obviously completely comfortable ripping his way through it. Love the part leading up to the solo just before the halfway point.

Remember Tomorrow-It's slows down a bit and the mood changes gears. The pace picks up to a furious explosion around the halfway point again and then goes slows back down and picks up again. Love the solos on this one.

Running Free -A staple for early Maiden and Dianno makes the most of this him. This song plays to his strengths and it's one of his best moments. It's very basic by comparison to where this band would be in a year or too, but a fine song no doubt.

Phantom Of The Opera-I imagine this one blew some minds when they first heard it. Understandably so because that riff was well ahead of where your typical metal band was at the time. The band has as a whole really takes off on this song. It's the strongest example on the debut of the kind of potential that the band had.

Transylvania-Powerful instrumental with a solid pounding sound. Each band member really shines and gets their time to contribute. Love the bass licks towards the end. This song is a good example of Maiden's ability to show how good of musicians they were, but yet you never feel like they are showing off.

Strange World-The opening notes come on right after Transylvania for another slow one. It's one of the more dated tracks for sure. A decent attempt at a slightly different sound, but just alright overall compared to the rest of the album.

Sanctuary-Another song that plays to Dianno's strength as a vocalist. It's also the kind of slightly rough edged hard rock that would would be gone from the band's sound by Killers when they headed in a different direction. Like Running Free it's kind of basic, but the energy is contagious on this one.

Charlotte The Harlot-A Dave Murray penned tune with a punchy kind of rhythm guiding it along. We get a surprising slow down before the two minute mark and I think it helps the song overall. The band tears it up around the three minute mark. Not the kind of lyrical content they would hold onto for much longer, but a tight song for the time.

Iron Maiden-A great closer as the band has a whole just puts forth all kind of energy. Fantastic guitar sound and some tight playing from everyone.

Overall still a fine album that holds up very well. Changes were soon going to be made with Adrian Smith coming into the fold and the sound on Killers were take on a slightly more serious and complex approach. The passion, the power and the ideas were very much put out there for all to hear on Maiden's debut. Right away they established themselves as one of the band's going.

Mass-Angel Power

SPV

1980/2010



Wow, ummm this album is kind of well... rough to be quite honest. It sounds a very raw and very early rehearsel. However this was actually the band's forth album. The prodction is weak the vocals being twice as loud as the music, but still very fuzzy. The music is too far in the background with an incredible lack of backbone for a hard rock release. Maybe the band had little control over that I can understand that. The music itself is not a whole better. There is just a complete lack of grooves and hooks. They hit upon some initial riffs to get going, but 15-30 seconds in the band as a whole seems overwhelmed by the task of having to create a 3-4 minutes song. So they stumble through to the bitter end dragging our poor eardrums down with them. Even if I heard this when it first came out in 1980 my view would not have been much favorable. Listen to this and then then listen to something like Iron Maiden's debut or Saxon's Wheels of steel. You would immediately be aware of just how much work Mass needed to get up to acceptable level. The re-issue includes one bonus track.

Judas Priest-British Steel 30th anniversary edition

Sony
2010

Many fans consider British Steel to be a landmark album of sorts for Priest. That's probably true more with the band's popularity and appeal on this side of the Atlantic. The band obviously think highly of the album since they celebrated the anniversary a year early with their tour in order to have this CD/DVD in our hot little hands when the actual 30th anniversary hit. The first part of the set is the Legacy edition disc from 2001 with the bonus tracks of Red, white and blue and a live version of Grinder. I didn't buy the 2001 version because I already my old copy that I purchased back around 1989 or 90. Oftentimes and album can say it's re-mastered, but you may not hear much of a difference in sound quality. Not so this time around as the quality is remarkably clear. Every beat, guitar lick and word hits harder than ever. The album as a whole took half a step up in my estimation just do to the know fiddling that was done here. This is new, but not to most people. The majority of fans who have this set on their shopping lists are buying this because of the DVD. Recorded live in Florida last year on their British Steel Anniversary tour this disc has the band churning out British Steel in it's entirety plus a few old favorites at the end of their set. The film quality is spotless with steady camera work and a good variety of camera angles. The sound quality is also everything it should be which means it's loud and bone rattling. The music itself is crushing and the British Steel tracks have certainly aged well for being thirty years old. Grinder still crushes, Steeler is a brain melter and You don't have to be old to be wise allows the entire band to attack your senses. My only really problem with this disc is that Rob Halford seems like his just isn't in it. His voice is there for sure, but he just seemed tired and often just goes through the motions. I know he has been at it for a long and perhaps he has some physical pain, but his stage presence seemed sorely lacking on this show.The crowd were certainly wound up tight and ready to explode. Not perfect, but a good way to celebrate a fine album.