Accept - Humanoid (Album Review)
Accept – Humanoid
Released: April 26, 2024
Line Up
Wolf Hoffmann // guitar
Mark Tornillo // vocals
Uwe Lulis // guitar
Martin Motnik // bass
Christopher Williams // drums
Online
I don’t know that too many would’ve had 2024 down as a banner year for classic metal albums but that’s exactly how the first third has shaken out. From Saxon to Judas Priest, metalheads have been blessed with great releases from bands we know and respect. German legends Accept return with their seventeenth LP, Humanoid, which despite the futuristic title is more of the balls to the wall metal that the band are known for. Seeing the Accept branding at the top of an album cover should mean quality and they’ve rarely let anyone down when it comes to fan expectations. Humanoid is no exception.
There’s a middle eastern flair to the intro for ‘Diving into Sin’ but rather than signal fresh influences, it gets down to the business of ballsy, scream fest with Mark Tornillo in the driver’s seat. Wolf Hoffman and Uwe Lulis get their licks in too with some great leads. Tornillo offers his views on the man-vs-machine debate on the title track ‘Humanoid’, which is equally moody and bombastic. It’s a very dramatic tune that’s more serious than some of the later tracks. They’re certainly covering a lot of different topics, though technology is also touched on with their retelling of ‘Frankenstein’. Things go up a notch on the biblical themed ‘The Reckoning’ with the storytelling working along a sweet driving rhythm. They’ve nailed the hooks, knowing exactly what will work with their audience when they play some of these tracks live.
I find Accept are at their best when they go hard, but they do offer up some more melodic tracks to balance things out. ‘Nobody Gets Out Alive’ has Tornillo singing along in a very Brian Johnston (AC/DC) style. The guitar work emphasises the melody too. They drop right into ballad territory for ‘Ravages of Time’, a song that deals with ageing and life experience. I really wanted to enjoy this song, but some of the lyrics were too cheesy. The vocal modulation from verse to chorus feels off too, with Tornillo’s clean singing not quite gelling with his screech. Fans of a certain vintage might be cool with it but this song misses me, which is a shame because I really enjoyed ‘The Best is Yet to Come’ from their last album Too Mean to Die (review here).
There’s more than a touch of AC/DC to Humanoid. For most fans, this will be totally fine, though it’s also the part where I feel the album is spinning wheels a little bit. Tunes like ‘Man Up’ and ‘Unbreakable’ are the kind of testosterone fuelled anthems that plenty of hard rock bands have explored before. ‘Unbreakable’ is a nice tribute to the bond between fans and band, which clearly they don’t take for granted. ‘Straight Up Jack’ is a straight up drinking song, one that offers plenty of advice on how to order and consume. The solo work here is rooted in blues, which is appropriate to the bar band vibes.
It strikes me on reflection that Humanoid is quite a dynamic album despite staying in the Accept lane we know and love. As much as I dislike the ballad and am indifferent to the hard rock tracks, songs like ‘Mind Games’ are a great jam. ‘Mind Games’ feels like a throwback to their 80s heyday, with an anthemic chorus and power chords to match. Equally thrilling is the album’s closer – ‘Southside of Hell’. There’s a galloping riff and sick leads that scream from the speakers before the tempo picks up. Producer Andy Sneap really helps bands get their guitar song right (he is the touring guitarist for Judas Priest) and it shines through the changes in riffs. The guitar solo harmony is delightful.
What to make of the seventeenth Accept album? There’s some definite tracks that hit hard, a few misses and a couple of filler songs. If you love Accept and classic, no frills metal then get Humanoid into your ears.
Accept – Humanoid Tracklisting
1. Diving Into Sin
2. Humanoid
3. Frankenstein
4. Man Up
5. The Reckoning
6. Nobody Gets Out Alive
7. Ravages Of Time
8. Unbreakable
9. Mind Games
10. Straight Up Jack
11. Southside Of Hell
Rating: 6.5 / 10
Humanoid is out April 26, 2024 via Napalm Records. Pre-Order here.
Review by KJ Draven (Twitter X and Instagram).
