Accept Strikes Back With Album 17 – Humanoid!

HUMANOID is the 17th studio album from German rockers Accept. It’s produced by Andy Sneap.

Accept continues to rock the world, even long after the distant memories of the 80s. When classic vocalist Udo Dirkschneider parted ways with the group, it’s unlikely anyone thought the group would be relevant again, let alone musically great. But with the arrival for American TT Quick vocalist Mark Tornillo, the fires were burning once more, proving the naysayers horribly wrong.

Accept’s lineup for this release consists of Tornillo on vocals, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann, guitarist Uwe Lulis, drummer Christopher Williams, and bassist Martin Motnik. With the departure of classic bassist Peter Baltes a few years back, the only classic member still in the group is Hoffmann. This marks the sixth studio album with Tornillo on vocals.

Accept is nothing if not consistent. Since Mr. Tornillo joined the band, the group has continued to release new albums at a fairly steady pace; the most recent release from the group prior to this 2024 album was 2021’s TOO MEAN TO DIE. I certainly had my reservations about bringing a non-Udo vocalist into the band 15 years or so ago; the last time this was attempted was with David Reece on 1989’s EAT THE HEAT, one that’s not too well revered by longtime fans. But Tornillo has proven himself a surprisingly strong fit, and the riffs courtesy of Mr. Hoffmann are as strong as ever. It doesn’t hurt that Andy Sneap is in the producer’s chair, who’s sort of become a go-to guy for hard rock and heavy metal over the years.

So how does HUMANOID fare as an album? Let’s face it. At this point, Accept is basically like AC/DC. You’re not getting anything shocking, surprising, or unexpected on each new album, but you know each new release will be good, making you bang your head and rock out, reliving the glory days. HUMANOID is no exception to this trend, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. So many bands over the years wimp out, go soft, and seem content to release low-grade trash over and over again. Not Wolf and company. When you hear the solos on tracks like “Frankenstein” (not a cover of the Edgar Winter Group classic) you’ll have plenty of those “age is only a number” moments; that this guy can be a king of shredding at his age is truly remarkable. My personal favorite track is the one that breaks from formula, “Ravages of Time,” which slows things down and takes them in a more melodic direction; I’d love to see the band attempt something like this more often in the future. It’s tough to say if the songs on HUMANOID will stand the test of time, but right now, I’m having a great time headbanging.

Mark Tornillo-fronted Accept has yet to top the trifecta of their first three albums, BLOOD OF THE NATIONS, STALINGRAD, and BLIND RAGE. HUMANOID can’t touch that holy trilogy, but it’s still a damn good album that won over this long-time headbanger. For fans of hard rock and heavy metal, it’s hard not to recommend this one.