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Review Summary: No step on metal snek Accept’s sixteenth full-length album has come with some serious upheaval. Longtime bassist Peter Baltes is gone, leaving guitarist Wolf Hoffmann as the last classic member left, and the band has taken a page from the Iron Maiden playbook by adding a third guitarist to their ranks. Those internal affairs have been unable to stop the momentum that has been chugging along since 2010’s Blood Of The Nations but one can sense the shifted dynamic on Too Mean To Die.
While the musicians’ performances come with their usual tropes, there are some subtle tweaks in the musicianship. While the guitars remain centered around hard rock struts and heavy metal chugs with a tone that’s as beefy as ever, the extra players lead to more developed leads and solos. The bass also maintains a hefty presence though the backing vocals don’t have the same fire as when Baltes was in the band. Fortunately, Mark Tornillo’s shrill bark still sounds great on his fifth album though the lyrics delve deeper into boneheaded boomerism on par with Anvil.
Speaking of which, the songwriting is still rather pedestrian despite the occasional frills. The band’s classic templates are out in full force as “Zombie Apocalypse” and the title track are charging speed metal numbers while “Overnight Sensation” and “Sucks To Be You” utilize their crass AC/DC framing and “The Undertaker” is a creepy, mid-tempo anthem. There’s plenty of energy to work with but the hooks end up with the same sense of lacking as those on 2017’s The Rise Of Chaos. On the bright side, “The Best Is Yet To Come” may be one of the band’s best ballads and the closing “Samson And Delilah” has the most intricate usage of the triple guitar format.
Overall, Too Mean To Die manages to be another solid late era-Accept album despite a few chinks in the armor. The band is able to coast by on energy alone and the lineup changes make for a couple neat quirks, but the songwriting continues the trend of diminishing returns that have come with their ultimately samey formula. One can hope that the band will find more creative exercises for their new dynamic, but more of the same looks to be the most likely. The band may never top Blood Of The Nations or Stalingrad, but fans should still find something to enjoy.
Highlights:
“The Undertaker”
“Samson And Delilah”
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cute snek =)
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Quite disappointing for me, but I'm glad it had a positive review. Wolf is a legend.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off
Yeah, this just didn't do it for me. Post-2010 Accept can do, and have done, way better. Compared to Blood of the Nations or Blind Rage, this just doesn't compare.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
lyrics
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Yep this is pretty ok, honestly didn't expect much.
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You can't release classics or even superb albums for ever. If this is anything higher than a 3, i will be surprised
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Biggest "meh" of the year so far.
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I still get a kick out of pretty much every Udo Accept record, even from the 90s, but Tornillo Accept is proof that sometimes being just okay is the most boring of sins
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Post-Blood Accept has ran out of gas.
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snek < 3
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
album is solid
Mark Tornillo is one hell of a replacement vocalist imo
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
as generic as it might be I just can't get this out of my head honestly. might bump my score up
| | | Album Rating: 2.0
Fire Andy Sneap and try to write some half-decent lyrics, for god sake.
| | | Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off
Man this is so bog average, what a plodder of an album. Makes me think of the generic kind of wafer thin, lifeless production on Dystopia & Redeemer of Souls. Very boring.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
A couple of stupid tracks & some questionable lyrics in places, but overall it was fun enough.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
kicks ass
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
phone bad
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I am surprised this one has gotten so many poor or average reviews. I think this is the second strongest of the excellent Tornillo years. Good album.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
North America tour:
9/29 Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
10/1 Houston, TX @ The Concert Pub North
10/2 Fort Worth, TX @ Rail Club
10/4 San Antonio, TX @ The Espee Pavilion
10/5 El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse
10/7 San Luis Obispo, CA @ The Coach House
10/8 West Hollywood, CA @ Whisky A Go-Go
10/9 Las Vegas, NV @ Vamp'd
10/11 Denver, CO @ The Venue
10/13 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave Ballroom
10/14 St. Charles, IL @ The Arcada Theater
10/15 Westland, MI @ The Token
10/16 Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix Theater
10/18 Vineland, NJ @ Landis Theater
10/20 Jim Thorpe, PA @ Penns Peak
10/21 Patchogue, NY @ Stereo Garden
10/22 Peekskill, NY @ Paramount Theater
10/23 Teaneck, NJ @ Debonair Music Hall
10/25 New York City, NY @ The Gramercy
10/26 Derry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall
10/27 Harrisburg, PA @ XL Live
10/29 Columbus, OH @ King Of Clubs
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