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 Accept's finest hour Aug 09, 2009
Recorded between October 1985 and January 1986 at Dierks Studio in Cologne (where fellow Germans the Scorpions had previously worked), "Russian Roulette" was Accept's seventh studio album and to me remains their strongest and most consistent offering to date. Usually people cite 1982's "Restless and Wild" or '83's "Balls to the Wall" as their best and while those are decent records, I feel the band only really started to come into their own on 1985's "Metal Heart," which introduced some unbelievably strong melodies into the veteran group's brand of speedy power metal. "Russian Roulette" continues this streak and even improves upon it, making the mid-'80s Accept's true glory years.
I find it to be their strongest release because it contains some of the band's most classic and memorable tracks. Opener "T.V. War" is an Accept signature tune, a fast and catchy number that you will be compelled to play at earth-shaking volumes on your stereo. "Aiming High" is a tune that is a great example of a classic driving power metal riff combined with a memorable chorus. Side 2 of the original LP opens with "Heaven is Hell," which at over seven minutes long is a metal anthem of epic proportions with mindblowing lead work from guitarists Wolf Hoffmann and Jorg Fischer, along with the unforgettable vocal lines of the inimitable Udo Dirkschneider. My absolute favorite song on the LP though has to be "Man Enough to Cry," which contains one of Accept's all-time greatest riffs along with a great radio-friendly chorus and lyrics that introduce some (dare I say it) sensitivity into the usual themes of bravado of heavy metal. Finally, there is closer "Stand Tight," which is a call to metal brotherhood in league with Saxon's earlier anthem "Denim and Leather," which dealt with a similar theme. I still jam out to the original Portrait pressing of this CD (I have the vinyl too) and even it its early, un-remastered form, the digital/analog mix displays a clear production that demonstrates the kind of precision that could have only originated in Germany.
All in all, I can't say enough good things about this record. Classic Accept and one of the best power metal albums of the mid-'80s.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
As Good as "Restless & Wild" and "Balls to the Wall" Sep 27, 2006
Accept was a German metal band that sounded like a cross between Judas Priest and AC/DC with a troll as lead singer who sounded like an over-the-top mesh of Bon Scott and Brian Johnson.
Accept released ten studio albums during their career; most cite "Restless & Wild" (1983) and "Balls to the Wall" (1984) as their best recordings. This is true but I feel 1986's "Russian Roulette" stands on a par with these two earlier releases.
Here's a run down of the songs on "Russian Roulette:"
1.) T.V. WAR (3/5 Stars): This is an energetic and fun metal rocker reminiscent of "Fast as a Shark" but not quite as good.
2.) MONSTERMAN (5/5 Stars): "Monsterman" is brief at a mere 3:24, but it's catchy as heck. The bridge is melodically potent and the chorus is uniquely inspired. You'll never hear anything else like it. Who knows what the lyrics are about, who cares?
3.) RUSSIAN ROULETTE (4/5 Stars): This titular song eerily starts off with a militaristic drone and riff before kicking into a mid-paced slice of 80's non-hair-band metal. In light of the chorus lyrics, one wonders why they didn't call the song "Wargames."
4.) IT'S HARD TO FIND A WAY (4.5/5 Stars): This is a catchy pop rocker with an incredibly hook-laden chorus. It should have been a hit on the radio. Some cried "Sell out!" but, come on, it's just ONE song.
5.) AIMING HIGH (3/5 Stars): This isn't a bad piece of filler between the better songs.
6.) HEAVEN IS HELL (5/5 Stars): This is the second masterpiece of the album. It's structure is very reminiscent of "Balls to the Wall," although it doesn't sound like that song. The lyrics are an intriguing commentary on religion and religious people with the conclusion that we experience (or make our own) heaven or hell during our life on this earth. I strongly agree with some of their points and disagree with others but, regardless, the lyrics are not presented in an offensive way. Here's one stanza that I agree with:
I'm sure we all know them
Those perverts, they're everywhere
Mmh, we're talking straight about facts
You know deep inside what's right or wrong
And the world stinks, and the paradise is now a sewer
And they sell sh*t for gold
And you have to take what you've got
As you can see the words are honest, overt, slightly ambiguous and completely brilliant all at the same time.
7.) ANOTHER SECOND TO BE (3/5 Stars): Another brief enjoyable ditty.
8.) WALKING IN THE SHADOW (4/5 Stars): Emotionally potent and intriguing tune that deals with a person struggling to live on in face of the 58,000 that died during the Vietnam conflict. Whether the guilt is over one combat victim or all 58,000 is a mite unclear.
9.) MAN ENOUGH TO CRY (4.5/5 Stars): Great short piece! The title somewhat reveals the mature subject matter, but the lyrics maintain an esoteric element.
10.) STAND TIGHT (5/5 Stars): This is a creative and aggressive number with a melodic bridge and ultra-catchy chorus with cool backgound vocals. It has militaristic vibe and is the third masterpiece of the album.
Some have criticized that Accept were trying to go pop rock on this album but nothing could be further from the truth. "Russian Roulette" features the same diverse song-writing of both "Restless & Wild" and "Balls to the Wall." Yeah, one or two songs would've fit well on the radio, so what?
One thing this CD proves is that Accept had perhaps the best background vocals in all of metal at the time and even to this day (!).
"Russian Roulette" is quite a bit better than the good-but-not-great "Metal Heart," which was released in 1985. The song-writing on "Metal Heart" just wasn't as good, plus Udo (the singer) went overkill with his irritating screaming, which no doubt turned off potential life-long fans. Hence, when "Russian Roulette" was released the next year not many took notice. They should have.
My five favorite Accept albums are as follows:
"Restless & Wild," "Balls to the Wall" and "Russian Roulette"
"Predator" (1996) -- their last studio album, inexplicably underrated.
"Metal Heart"
Check 'em all out.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Accept's the best release!!!! May 08, 2005
Frankly, the best of the rest. I am longing for Accept's past especially Metal Heart and Russian Roulette. This is military strong CD!!!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Mature Work by the Masters Apr 17, 2005
I love this album, it brings back many memories of my turbulent youth!
2 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 "Killed in action" Apr 15, 2005
Russian Roulette (1986) was Accept's sixth album. It supposedly marked a move toward a more aggressive sound after the attempt at a more mainstream album in 1985's Metal Heart (produced by Dieter Dirks who had also produced fellow German band the Scorpions). It also was the last Accept album with vocalist Udo Dirkschneider of the 1980s. The screeching little metal maniac would leave to start his own band U.D.O. Accept is one of my favorite metal bands, but Roulette does not come close to their previous masterpieces Restless and Wild & Balls to the Wall and is a big drop from the excellent Metal Heart.
Although Russian Roulette is a disappointment, it is still a decent 3-star album. Half the tracks are excellent. The rest are really bad which surprised me when I first heard it because Accept's previous 3 albums are very solid. First the good stuff: The cover artwork is awesome. I love Cold War imagery. I have a promotional poster featuring this cover and the slogan "Face the Music. Dare to Play Russian Roulette." on my wall as I am typing this. Though Udo and the gang may not have been the most attractive metal gods in the world, their photo definitely makes for a more appealing album cover than Balls to the Wall. Now the best of the music: "T.V. War" is an excellent opening track. It is typical blistering, fast metal fans expect of Accept and works well with the cover imagery. The title track and "Heaven and Hell" have that "Balls to the Wall" intensity. I like the lyrics to these as well. From "T.V. War": "enemy missiles have penetrated our airspace. Impact is estimated in a matter of minutes. Good evening!" "Another Second to Be" is a fast and furious track. The last song "Stand Tight" has an anthem quality to it. Just these tracks on an EP would be 5-star.
But, this album offers more...unfortunately. While Metal Heart was supposed to give Accept a more commercial sound, I think Roulette puts forth more of an attempt at a mainstream sound and it turns into a sappy mess. There is no "Screaming for a Love Bite" here but there is "It's Hard to Find a Way." The opening sounds like "Hysteria" by Def Leppard. The rest of the song has a hair band quality (ugh!). The chanting chorus on "Aiming High" is just bad. "Monsterman" and "Man Enough to Cry" are difficult to listen to. They are just junk. I recommend Roulette only to the serious 1980s metal completest (and fans of Accept, of course). Selective 1980s metal collectors should probably skip this one and just get Restless and Wild, Balls to the Wall and, maybe, Metal Heart.
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