┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Accept - Russian Roulette + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Feb-02-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │ │║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2002 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........12 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.acceptworldwide.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Accept Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Russian Roulette Label : BMG ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Engaging in a debate over which album in a well ║ │ │║ known bandÆs extensive discography is the best ║ │ │║ can be an interesting endeavor. With certain ║ │ │║ bands like Sabbath and Maiden where there are ║ │ │║ several distinct eras with radical changes to ║ │ │║ boot, picking a favorite is as simple as having ║ │ │║ a preference for one era and then picking the ║ │ │║ one that has the most concentrated elements that ║ │ │║ makes that era your favorite. However, other ║ │ │║ bands that maintain a consistent line up and a ║ │ │║ consistent sound, perhaps with the exception of ║ │ │║ one or two outliers; make for a somewhat harder ║ │ │║ choice. But given all of this, the harder choice ║ │ │║ in determining a favorite is usually the less ║ │ │║ controversial because there tends to be ║ │ │║ consensus that the whole bandÆs discography from ║ │ │║ that period or their whole career is close to ║ │ │║ equal, whereas a cut and dry case such as ║ │ │║ ôVirtual XIö and ôNo Prayer for the Dyingö not ║ │ │║ being MaidenÆs best would often lead someone to ║ │ │║ meet with ridicule if they decided to contradict ║ │ │║ it. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In the case of Accept, there is a sort of middle ║ │ │║ ground as they have a very consistent ║ │ │║ discography, yet the general consensus is that ║ │ │║ certain albums are revolutionary while others ║ │ │║ were merely extensions of said revolutions. Most ║ │ │║ say ôRestless and Wildö holds the gold, a small ║ │ │║ group of detractors say itÆs ôBalls to the ║ │ │║ Wallö, and the occasional oddball might say ║ │ │║ ôBreakerö or ôMetal Heartö. Whether you choose ║ │ │║ one or the other depends on what you think is ║ │ │║ the greatest representation of AcceptÆs obvious ║ │ │║ influence on German power metal, which today ║ │ │║ still turns out its fair share of acts and ║ │ │║ maintains a solid battalion of veterans. I can ║ │ │║ sympathize with the ones who pick ôRestless and ║ │ │║ Wildö because ôFast as a Sharkö pre-dated the ║ │ │║ thrash metal genre and pioneered its European ║ │ │║ speed/power metal cousin. I can also recognize ║ │ │║ the love many have for ôBalls to the Wallö ║ │ │║ because the entire album is jam-packed with so ║ │ │║ many heavy end riffs by 1983Æs standards that it ║ │ │║ canÆt help but stand out. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Be this as it may, there is an album that ║ │ │║ represents a different point of view, one that ║ │ │║ makes perfect logical sense given AcceptÆs metal ║ │ │║ pioneer disposition. The album of course being ║ │ │║ ôRussian Rouletteö, and the viewpoint being that ║ │ │║ those who play a hand in creating a musical ║ │ │║ style also have the capacity to perfect it later ║ │ │║ on. Most tend to brush this album aside as ║ │ │║ either a good afterthought at the end of a ║ │ │║ brilliant era that started with either ôBreakerö ║ │ │║ or ôRestless and Wildö, or as a flawed attempt ║ │ │║ at maturing their sound. The truth is that ║ │ │║ AcceptÆs sound here is just as young and ║ │ │║ impudent as previous works, but the modus ║ │ │║ operandi that has been consistently observed ║ │ │║ several times has now yielded a one-hundred ║ │ │║ percent flawless and filler-free collection of ║ │ │║ songs. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The importance of the albums that came before ║ │ │║ this one goes without saying, but instead of ║ │ │║ clinging to the prototypes and dismissing the ║ │ │║ updated version 2.0s and 3.0s, a person who ║ │ │║ believes that metal still lives must admit the ║ │ │║ improvements that come with revisiting and ║ │ │║ expanding upon past ideas. This album takes all ║ │ │║ of the best moments of what came before it, as ║ │ │║ well as an improved sense of melody and an even ║ │ │║ more ambitious approach to song development, and ║ │ │║ puts it together into something that listens ║ │ │║ almost like an Accept greatest hits collection. ║ │ │║ If you can listen to ôT.V. Warsö cook through ║ │ │║ with its unyielding combination of fury and ║ │ │║ melody and not shout out that this song kicks ║ │ │║ ass harder than anything that was out at this ║ │ │║ time in Germany, including Walls of Jericho, ║ │ │║ something is not getting from point A to point B ║ │ │║ between your ears and mind. Likewise, check out ║ │ │║ a lyrically superior version of ôBalls to the ║ │ │║ Wallö in ôHeaven is Hellö, complete with a pipe ║ │ │║ organ for additional atmospheric affect. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The whole album perfectly walks the line between ║ │ │║ throwing out bone crushing riffs and hooking ║ │ │║ your tired throat in for another sing along ║ │ │║ session with an unending supply of classic ║ │ │║ choruses. All of these songs could pass for ║ │ │║ radio if the medium showed any concern towards ║ │ │║ giving its mind numbed addicts a chance at ║ │ │║ something better than the dribble they are all ║ │ │║ too happy to settle for. But no, instead of ║ │ │║ continually bringing back a real power ballad ║ │ │║ with balls like ôItÆs hard to find a wayö as a ║ │ │║ token 80s addition to the endless barrage of ║ │ │║ passΘ 70s classic rock and muddy ║ │ │║ grunge/alternative crap, we get treated to a ║ │ │║ slower and drier mainstream knockoff of the same ║ │ │║ sound in ôHysteriaö. If you doubt this, break ║ │ │║ out your dust covered jewel case and get out ║ │ │║ your cassette or CD copy of Def LeppardÆs 1987 ║ │ │║ commercial monstrosity and play the title track ║ │ │║ and picture it about 16 clicks faster, a rougher ║ │ │║ and more masculine vocal delivery, and with ║ │ │║ actual riffs instead of sappy minimalist ║ │ │║ melodies and you will literally have AcceptÆs ║ │ │║ lone love ballad on here. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Now the mainstream is always worthy of scorn, ║ │ │║ but unfortunately its alleged opposition fails ║ │ │║ to be much better when it comes to this album. ║ │ │║ IÆm not sure if itÆs the fact that this album ║ │ │║ has an obvious accessibility because of the ║ │ │║ attention to hooks given in the choruses or if ║ │ │║ itÆs the quality production, but every so called ║ │ │║ core metal head always finds some sort of lame ║ │ │║ purist excuse for putting this album lower on ║ │ │║ the scale than most of its predecessors, with ║ │ │║ maybe the exception of the first two. None of ║ │ │║ these reasons are valid if you focus on the ║ │ │║ music itself rather than dwell upon the year it ║ │ │║ was released and what this band and others had ║ │ │║ done before hand, which might lead one to ║ │ │║ believe that music is a secondary concern for ║ │ │║ some. ôHanger 18ö could be viewed as a newer ║ │ │║ variation on ôCall of Ktuluö, and itÆs superior ║ │ │║ to the latter because it took the same idea and ║ │ │║ turned it into a riveting thrash epic with all ║ │ │║ sorts of interesting twists and turns instead of ║ │ │║ an overly repetitive instrumental that relies ║ │ │║ almost entirely on an accomplished bassist ║ │ │║ playing lead to prevent it from being absolutely ║ │ │║ redundant. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ There is so much right with this album that itÆs ║ │ │║ difficult to sum up with one overriding reason ║ │ │║ why any self-respecting fan of German power ║ │ │║ metal should not be without it. UdoÆs voice is ║ │ │║ in top form, the riffs are all fixed perfectly ║ │ │║ in place, and the songs are instantly ║ │ │║ unforgettable. It is 100% indicative of the ║ │ │║ zenith that many of the earliest bands in metal ║ │ │║ reached in 1986 such as Iron Maiden and Ozzy ║ │ │║ Osbourne, as well as the up and coming greatness ║ │ │║ of newcomers at the time such as Crimson Glory. ║ │ │║ If you like Running Wild, Helloween, Iron ║ │ │║ Savior, Rage, Paragon, or the countless other ║ │ │║ throngs of heavier end power metal acts from ║ │ │║ Germany, this is the greatest offering of the ║ │ │║ band that inspired them to pick up the banner. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - T.V. War [03:29] │ │ 02 - Monsterman [03:21] │ │ 03 - Russian Roulette [05:23] │ │ 04 - It┤s A Hard To Find Away [04:18] │ │ 05 - Aiming High [04:24] │ │ 06 - Heaven Is Hell [07:13] │ │ 07 - Another Second To Be [03:18] │ │ 08 - Walking In The Shadow [04:26] │ │ 09 - Man Enough To Cry [03:13] │ │ 10 - Stand Tight [04:04] │ │ 11 - Metal Heart (Live) (Bonus Track) [05:24] │ │ 12 - Screaming ForA Love-Bite (Live) (Bonus Tra [04:26] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [52:59 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘