So this is the record that made Accept famous and popular worldwide, making them join the 80’s mainstream heavy rock first division, touring with other acclaimed groups like Dokken, appearing on TV with that unforgettable promo video…good times for these guys who certainly enjoyed the sweet taste of success, luxury and the rest of stuff that comes along with fame. That was 1983, the metal scene was in a vital period of transformation: thrash arrived, the NWOBHM became a parody, glam and hairspray became the main trend, so what would Accept do? Stay loyal to themselves and attempt to beat Restless & Wild? Or join Joey Elliot, sexual ambiguity and musical decadence?Fortunately, Udo and the boys didn’t sell out yet and kept their characteristic vibrant hard rock in most of these songs, all quite heavy, inspired and solid. They still construct a majority of them by powerful rough riffs which lead the pack and determine their nature and configuration. The classic opening title-track and the following “London Leatherboys” (inspired by T. Rex’s also fetishistic tune “London Boys”?) are the perfect example of Accept’s song-writing competence and correct instrumental execution, including a few Hoffmann pattented riffs that won’t shock anybody if we refer to their difficulty and development, though they sure rock hard. Rhythms are mostly midpaced and weighty, providing their music of considerable intensity, as you can check on “Turn Me On”, for instance. So expect no vigorous speed metal like “Fast As A Shark” this time. Although yeah, “Fight It Back” and “Love Child” include some loose tempos and rapid sequences that don’t focus that much on velocity and aggression exclusively, on other hand. As I said, their material is pretty quiet and heavy, getting so melodramatic and melancholy on “Losing More Than You’ve Ever Had” and “Head Over Heels”, on which Mr. Dirkschneider’s tortured voice becomes the main attraction. Melody is present in those, an important element to define other cuts as well, like “Guardian Of The Night” specially. It seems Accept’s intentions aren’t that straight forward and violent as before, now they even try much inoffensive compositions as “Winter Dreams”, on which you can even hear jingle bells in the background. However, the energy of guitar lines are constantly tough and give this stuff a very consistent presence, even on those songs whose nature is rather romantic and mellow. So in conclusion, these 10 intend to offer something slightly different and fresh, instead of attempting to emulate the previous album sound. Good choice, guys.The less aggressive work of the big 3 albums of Accept’s discography (guess which are the other 2), although the most varied, diverse and versatile. This one features a new member in the band: Herman Frank, who whatever rumors say, didn’t take part on the previous LP recording. He supports Wolf’s parts, contributing enormously to give the 6 string section strength and solidity. Hoffmann definitely needed some help, as you can notice in some of the previous release weak guitar lines, and Mr. Frank had the proper potential to satisfy this music humble requirements. Rhythmic section is convincing and precise as always too, Peter Baltes’s crude bass hits like a hammer during the whole record while Kaufmann’s drums are fine, proper, though clumsy when he makes use of both bass-drums. Udo’s vocals are stronger and better defined, with emotional modulation and a lot of sentiment. From romance to lust, he performs those cool lyrics accurately (with his obvious limitations). And those lyrical themes aren’t that generic and predictable as before, now controversial and kinky, taking the attention of people for good or bad. Production is a positive element here as well, superior to any the group ever had. I guess they could afford something better this time and the result speaks for itself: Guitars in particular are so harsh and rough; bass and drums so consistent and loud, with no lack of balance between any section. Although there’s some weak spots we can’t forget about, starting with the much more mellow nature of the cuts, which lack intensity and aggression so much, getting so cheesy at times (the final tune is nothing but a Xmas carol). Some of the riff series are also too repetitive and insisting on the same for long, similar between each other and finally, what can I say about that cover painting…So this still rocks hard and features some of the finest Accept anthems ever conceived. An essential release for any classic German metal fan, kinda iconic 80’s heavy rock record, the most remembered and successful they ever did. Dirkschneider and so. started getting commercial and certainly found their sensitive side. Sadly, once fame and money arrive, fun disappears and all musical purity is profaned in heavy metal. With the next disappointing album, Accept joined Saxon, Def Leppard and the rest of NWOBHM victims into a journey to mediocrity.