• Voto:
Non si può non dire che gli Accept siano dei predestinati del metallo.
Quella che è una delle prime macchine da guerra da tedesca nascono a Solingen, nella Renania, zona ricca di miniere e d'importanza cruciale per l'industria siderurgica e metallurgica, e direi che come premesse sarebbe già abbastanza per suonare Heavy Metal. Come se non bastasse è una città grigia, triste nella sua modernità, visto che le opere architettoniche risalenti al medioevo sono state rase al suolo dai bombardamenti alleati nell'ultimo conflitto mondiale e il boom postbellico ha dato la precedenza alla ricostruzione delle fabbriche. Dato il contesto non c'è da stupirsi che i nostri non siano nati come gruppo di folk pastorale o similia.
Dopo inizi leggerini e titubanti sotto il segno degli Scorpions e degli AC/DC, gli Accept vengono proiettati nell'allora giovane movimento metal col terzo album "Breaker", nel 1981 e danno quello che si può definire il loro capolavoro "Restless And Wild" un anno dopo. I nostri crucchi sono fautori di un sound adattissimo a ritrarre gli scenari di desolazione metropolitana di cui sono insieme aedi e testimoni: possente, squadrato, marchiato a fuoco da una sezione ritmica delicata come i colpi di un maglio sull'incudine di un'acciaieria, con riff ora fulminei e squarcianti, ora compatti e corazzati. A completare il tutto lo stile peculiare della chitarra solista di Wolf Hoffmann in bilico fra saettanti incursioni rumoriste e parti melodiche-neoclassiche dal flavour melodico e barocco, e la voce di Udo, un infernale latrato che suona come un Brian Johnson posseduto dal demonio (ho letto un parere sul suo cantato che veniva descritto come "il verso di un alieno che partorisce"...ecco, mi sembra che renda l'idea).
L'incipit dell'opener "Fast As A Shark" è spiazzante: 20 secondi circa di quella che dev'essere una canzone popolare tedesca, buona per fare la sigla di Heidi. Lo scenario bucolico viene interrotto da un urlo belluino su cui si staglia un riff inaudito, supersonico, che da solo ha creato il Thrash e il Power Metal . Un ritornello melodico e liberatorio lascia poi il posto a un assolo al quale sicuramente gli Helloween avranno dedicato studi e ripassi approfonditi: le loro "Twin Guitars" vedono la luce qui. Per farla breve: questa canzone può essere usata come definizione per Heavy Metal.
L'album nel suo complesso comunque riesce a non essere messo in ombra dal suo capolavoro: la title-track e "Ahead Of The Pack" hanno entrambi riff dinamici e violenti e sono marchiati a fuoco dai tipici cori da stadio di marca Accept nei ritornelli, "Flash Rockin' Man" e "Demon's Night" sono mid-tempo privi di scalfitture, con la prima che ha un riff che sarà saccheggiato a destra e a manca (Un esempio per tutti gli Iron Maiden con "2 Minutes To Midnight"), mentre "Get Ready" e "Don't Go Stealin My Soul Away" anticipano il corso della band nei lavori seguenti con un suono più misurato e di classe. Infine meritano una menzione speciale "Neon Nights" un tocco di poesia urbana col suo tocco notturno e decadente e "Princess Of The Dawn" fiaba fantasy dal retrogusto medievale, articolato nondimeno dal tocco martellante dell'arrangiamento.
Chi conosce e apprezza gli album successivi dei nostri tedeschi va sul sicuro, chi apprezza il metal e non conosce gli Accept si autopunisca in qualche modo e si procuri questo album di una delle band che ha contribuito a forgiare il nome di questo genere e che troppo spesso ingiustamente passa in sordina rispetto a nomi più blasonati.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Fast as a Shark (03:48)
Fog in the streets
A church clock beats
Midnight - darkness all around
You better beware
You better take care
Be prepared for the shock
The time has come
And he's the one
Who's breathing down your neck
Coming from behind
Now it's your time
A loser will die
Fast as a shark he'll cut out of the dark
He's a killer - he'll rip out your heart
On a one way track and you're not coming back
'cause the killer's on the attack
Surprise attack
Coming from the back
An expert of the deadly knack
Just take care
Just beware
Be prepared for the fight
Fast as a shark he'll cut out of the dark
He's a killer - he'll rip out your heart
On a one way track and you're not coming back
'cause the killer's on the attack
Watch out - watch out
Fast as a shark he'll cut out of the dark
He's a killer - he'll rip out your heart
On a one way track and you're not coming back
'cause the killer's on the attack
Fast as a shark he'll cut out of the dark
He's a killer - he'll rip out your heart
On a one way track and you're not coming back
'cause the killer's
'cause the killer's
'cause the killer's on the attack
02 Restless and Wild (04:11)
They're running wild
They're on a down hill ride
Like a rebel they look for more
Too young to die
Now you know your dreams are useless
And there 're lies You'll never tell
'cause you're so
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Star born lovers
Angels in the night on a highway
They don't look back
Everybody's lost the way - yeah
The little girl wants to be an actress
Young boys are easy riders
They live so
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Stay down - time will roll on
How do you feel when the night is gone
Stay down - time will come 'round
You are the man made for highway life
For the highway life
City lights moving on
No tomorrows - no destinations
Like a wheel turning on and on
You're a man born to run
Every world that you have seen was senseless
Keep moving on there's no other way
Cause you're so
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
Restless - restless and wild
03 Ahead of the Pack (03:24)
You gotta take it easy
You gotta live your life
Yesterday's heroes
They are born to die
The people always blame you
It don't matter what they say
You've got your own freedom
You've gotta go your way
Get up and roll on
'cause there is no future
And there'll be no past
Live for today
The going is going fast
Get up and roll on
Get up and go on
The going's going fast
You are
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
'cause you're ahead
Ahead of the pack
Don't you kill the feelings
Live to your heart
You're miles away
But you know where to start
Now you've got the muscle
To knock out a lie
'cause you're ahead of the pack
No one will spit in your eye
Get up and roll on
Get up and go on
The going's going fast
You are
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
'cause you're ahead
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
Never look back
Ahead of the pack
Ahead of the pack
06 Get Ready (03:41)
I say come on
Can you stand the heat
You feel the flames
Burning in the streets
Get it on - get it on
The stars of heaven
Will fall today
You'll know the devil you know
Had his day
Hell what a night - get ready
Hell what a night - hey
Take your pick - get the kick
It's gonna be hell tonight
Alright
A lightning blitz
Comes raging down
You go running
For higher ground
Get it on - get it on
Hear me tonight
Your blood runs cold
A killer guitar
Screams in your soul
Hell what a night - get ready
Hell what a night - hey
Take your pick - get the kick
It's gonna be hell tonight - yeah
Get it on - get it on
Get it on - get it on
It's coming on
Hell what a night - get ready
Hell what a night - hey
Take your pick - get the kick
It's gonna be hell tonight
Hell what a night - get ready
Hell what a night - hey
Take your pick - get the kick
It's gonna be hell tonight
It's gonna be hell tonight
08 Flash Rockin' Man (04:28)
They all know your name
They know you're a star
You've been around for ever
And you know who you are
They buy all your records
They come to the gigs
They wanna see you rock'n'roll
Your life is full of action
Your life is full of sound
A Rock'n'Roll magic man
Stamp your feet big man in town
You know you're an idol
The leader of the gang
A juvenile's hero
Turn on the lights
There's no end in sight
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
They wanna feel your volume
They wanna live your life
They wanna be like you
Every day and every night
You're walking down the alleys
You're a famous man
Immortal so damn holy
Turn on the lights
Show us tonight - yes tonight
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
You've been behind the scenes
And the fools laughed so loud
You are a well known man
But alone I n the crowd
Tormented and mistreated
Deal everyday
A servant of the yes-men
If the people knew what would they say
You know what it's like
So turn off the lights
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
Flash rockin' man
09 Don't Go Stealing My Soul Away (03:15)
Yeah, if love was money
I would always pay the price
While a million dollars
Will never ever change my life
It's an endless highway
The whisky bars and one-night stands
Lost in a cheap hotel
You know a woman needs a man
Can't you see it's all for you, yeah
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm giving it to you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm living just for you, for you
Alright
So every song I sing
Comes from a lonely heart on stage
But they're still together
More than a thousand miles away
Can't you feel my love for you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm giving it to you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm living just for you, for you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm giving it to you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm living just for you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm giving it to you
Don't go stealing my soul away
I'm living just for you
Living just in you
10 Princess of the Dawn (06:15)
There's rain on the mountain
A white frost on the moors
It's an epoch of eternity
Waters touch the holy shore
It's a land of mystery
The world of unseen eyes
You can feel the shadow of a princess
She waits for you inside
The guardians of God play the pawns
Beg for mercy - hail the queen
Princess of the Dawn
In the war of the dragons
Young blood ran it's course
They fell to his blade
The knight Iron Horse
A forgotten priest
Disappearing in the haze
A chamber of vestal virgins
Twilight is her slave
The Wizard of Oz moved the pawns
Life for satan - dust to dust
Princess of the Dawn
On the day of the testament
The seventh moon was raging fire
Heaven cried for the sacrifice
The midnight sun was rising higher
The Beauty and the Beast
Lies in her royal crypt
Her kiss is bitter sweet
Death upon her lips
The Holy Grail held the pawns
Kings and bishops bow to grace
Princess of the Dawn
The guardians of God play the pawns
Beg for mercy - hail the queen
Princess of the Dawn
A new day dawns for heaven and earth
A first sunbeam is killing the night
Once upon a time for ever more
The gloom with the spirit of that Lady in White
Princess - Princess - Princess of the Dawn
Princess - Princess - Princess of the Dawn
Princess - Princess - Princess of the Dawn
Princess - Princess - Princess of the Dawn
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di AR (Anonima Recensori)
Un terzo AC/DC, un terzo Judas Priest e un terzo sano metal teutonico.
Gli Accept quando decidono di alleggerire i toni riescono a dar vita a grandi brani come 'Restless and Wild' e 'Princess of the Dawn'.
