Could there really be ACCEPT without Udo Dirkschneider by the microphone? If so, could they really live up to the standard we all are used to when it comes to ACCEPT? I admit I was skeptic when Wolf, Peter and the rest announced they were back with TT QUICK singer Mark Tonrillo filling Udo's place.

Will the result "Blood Of The Nations" of what they've been up to hold the ACCEPT standard? To start with, Andy Sneap has worked miracles with the production because most of the times nowadays there's always too much of everything, the sound is too thick and massive. Here that old feeling of the 80's even if the production sounds modern. There's air in the sound and the instruments are separated perfectly.

There's no doubt that Mark Tornillo is a great singer, he has absolutely a really wide range, perhaps he hasn't really showed off his capacity in the rockier TT QUICK. From time he actually sound a lot like Udo and his way of singing is quite similar to his predecessor without copying him. Udo too was much ore than brawling out "hi di hay da hay da". The melodic side of Udo's voice has gotten more exposure with his own band though than in ACCEPT but when he actually sings he delivers with great passion. Mark is right there with him, in "Feel The Pain" he really sounds amazing and it's actually rare for bands to pull off power ballads these days.

Neither "Teutonic Terror" nor "The Abyss" which was released as tastes before really got stuck at me at the first few listenings, but especially the first one grows for each spin. It has a really catchy melody and the chorus line is almost a little too good to be true, especially for live situations, then it's absolutely perfect. It's very hard to pick one favorite of the album, "Beat The Bastards", "Locked And Loaded" and "No Shelter" are three fast ones with classic ACCEPT styled riffs and great melodies, it could probably one of those. Then, on the other hand, "Bucketful Of Hate", "Teutonic Terror" and "Rollin' Thunder" are like the midtempo classics. In fact, all songs on "Blood Of The Nations" holds extremely high standard, it has no low points even if a few songs didn't struck as hard as others. There's only one thing that comes to mind that's a little bit negative is that the really raw edge from the older albums is missing, everything could have been a little more booster or filthier, a little more edge.

So, hell yeah, ACCEPT has proven that they could make it with a new line up. There can absolutely be ACCEPT without Udo!

Now, here's another chance for us to check out whether we love the music or the musicians: a grand Metal legend, ACCEPT, is back on the streets omitting the services of the monumental voice of Udo Dirkschneider and a brand new album is now unleashed as we speak. The discussion regarding the decision of the band to move forward without the 'trademark' throat of Udo obviously grew bigger and bigger since the day it was announced that ACCEPT is back for the attack and - if someone cares - the opinion of a longtime core fan is that Udo correctly thought it should not be fair to interrupt/leave his 20-year career with his personal vehicle only to interfere with a (possibly) time-dependant ACCEPT reunion/album(s)/gig list. Questions like "ACCEPT cannot exist without Udo" or "why did he spoil our dreams saying no?" are raised in every traditional Metal fan's mind but cannot escape the clear truth: ACCEPT does not owe us anything; on the contrary, all us Heavy Metal fans owe enough (or all, for some) of our metallic identity to this German band but mainly to their all-time classic songs, which are engraved and shall never leave no matter who comes and goes. Let aside the fact that...

...Mark Tornillo is possibly the best replacement ACCEPT could have ever come up with. The ex-TT QUICK singer (search for their "Metal Of Honor" impressive straightforward American Metal album, released in 1986 - many fans will now will, thankfully) surely had to face enough of criticism even prior to his first official rehearsal with the band (also omitting Stefan Kaufmann's participation, being in U.D.O. as well) but whoever has noted TT QUICK's deeds in the 80s surely painted a great smile, afterwards confirming such an approval by the excellent performance of Tornillo in the first ACCEPT gigs. Imagine the euphoria the fans worldwide will be fed with after listening to this new Heavy Metal thunder called...

..."Blood Of The Nations", the first album for the German Metal pioneers after 14 years of studio absence. I'm pretty sure this new CD may sound typical and way too traditional for younger metalheads but that's the good news for the ACCEPT fanbase on the other hand: the songs here - summing it up to a total of 67 minutes, with a special North American mailorder edition containing the bonus track "Time Machine" - are all based on the Heavy Metal principles delivered by the band since their 70's incarnation and 80s heyday. The production is as tight as we would love it, living not much other option than banging nonstop, while the trademark riffage/neoclassical solo pieces of Hoffman and the choir refrains & bridges shall nail you down if a lover of the trademark pieces that pushed ACCEPT to the metallic alps' top all these ears. I witnessed a portion of 'darkness' covering some songparts - which or where, it doesn't matter... - but the vast majority still remains this rollin'-thunder in-your-face Metal madness with this particular backing rhythm section pounding mid-pace of fast tempo aiming to your soul, no questions asked. And, not to forget, any prior objections pointing at Mark Tornillo's presence here shall hopefully drown to the river of no return.

When times are hard and labeling music becomes a priority in choosing what you may buy once in a while, it's bands like ACCEPT and albums like "Blood Of The Nations" that still deal with the devil in producing nothing more or less than good Heavy Metal music. I wonder what kind of impact this album shall have on teenager Metal fans, really, but for any other longtime follower let's just say (without of course expecting an equal rival to the 80s sublime days) it's some kind of security knowing there's a new ACCEPT album around; the Metal dream's not over (plus now we have both ACCEPT and U.D.O. to feed our lust with, haha).