accept, predator

Far from perfect, but vastly misunderstood and underappreciated – 90%

Frederick, August 1st, 2023
Written based on this version: 1996, CD, RCA

Predator is a controversial album in Accept’s discography that has received more than its fair share of hate over the years since its release, much of which it does not deserve. “Controversial,” not in the sense that it is terribly bad or poor, as it is often claimed, but because it is “different” and misunderstood. Understand “different” as “dissident from the classic sound of ‘Restless and Wild’.” And dissidence doesn’t always sit well with the normative world of classic metal fans. At least to some extent, it often raises a mix of incomprehension, prejudice, and hasty misguided condescending judgments. Some of the metal fans’ community is not always as flexible and open as they think they are when it comes to stylistic diversity – to say the least. The case of “Predator’s” reception is quite revealing in that regard. So yes, “Predator” stands out as the black sheep of Accept’s discography, which is unsurprising considering its bold departure from their classic sound.

But what exactly makes it so “different”? I address this superfluous question first because this may not be immediately apparent to everybody. I mean, many of those who comment on music primarily rely on the vague sensations it evokes in their own feelings, without always possessing the analytical distance or technical knowledge to fully understand what’s going on in the music itself. The truth is, Accept added new ingredients to their musical language, and as I will elaborate further, it is generally this aspect that actually sparks contention, even if people aren’t always fully aware of it. To add some context, you have to remember that in 1995, the year when the album was written, the music scene was dominated by the grunge movement, and the prevailing narrative was that heavy metal was dead. It was a challenging time for classic metal bands that found themselves marginalized for ideological aesthetic reasons. Like many others, Accept tried to adapt to the changing times. Since their style was considered irrelevant, they embarked on a quest for reinvention. They sought to venture into uncharted territory, incorporating diverse external influences into the album. As a result, you can hear many unusual elements, by their standards, in this album.

For example, Oriental-scale melodies can be heard in tracks like “Crossroads,” “Making Me Scream,” and “Lay It Down on Me.” Furthermore, “Hard Attack,” “Crossroads,” and “Run Through the Night” showcase acoustic guitar interludes, bridges, or folk-like outros. The album also features tribal percussions on both “Predator,” “Primitive,” and the outro of “Crossroads.” One could also mention Wolf’s exotic use of his emblematic electric sitar on “Crossroads” to emphasize the Oriental character of its melodies. Embracing experimentation, they even explored a new wave type of drum machine and bass-driven groove in “Primitive.” Intriguing voice processing effects can also be found in “Making Me Scream” and “Primitive.” Additionally, Baltes contributes with clean vocals on four songs, contrasting with Dirkschneider’s vocals, adding another layer of variety. Not to mention the subtle psychedelic, funky, and bluesy touches that are infused into “Lay It Down On Me,” “Predator’s” solos, and “Ain’t Over Yet.” They also distilled some of their earlier hard rock/blues-rock influence (“Don’t Give a Damn”). On that matter, one could also mention the strong AC/DC vibe in the song “Hard Attack.” They also explored some alternative metal and hardcore flavor (“Digging in the Dirt,” “Crucified”), as well as delving into various experimentations on guitar tones and effects like the wah-wah pedal and overdubs. They even experimented with rap singing on “Digging in the Dirt.” It’s worth noting that the blues scale and the pentatonic, although common tools in Hoffmann’s bag of tricks, are heavily showcased in this particular album, along with the major Phrygian dominant scale (and its variant the Oriental Hijaz maqam/gypsy scale), ie. another one of his favorite modes. While their classic repertoire relied more on Aeolian and classic minor Phrygian scales (although blues, pentatonic, and Oriental major Phrygian were already present too), many leads on this album prominently feature the two aforementioned scales, which also contribute to creating this dominant flavor/color too, turning it rock-bluesy and strangely exotic.

Needless to say, the list of these elements is already a lot to take for the average metalhead whose musical horizon is most of the time restricted to the classic heavy metal’s usual formulas and standards of the 1980s. So yes, many of these alien things may probably appear incomprehensible. To be clear, as I already said, I doubt many fans even noticed all these unusual elements consciously, but subconsciously, it probably impacted their visceral mixed reception in the back of their mind. And I think it’s important to highlight it because ignorance is the driving force behind prejudices and preconceived ideas. Simply mentioning all these style names incorporated in this album would certainly be perceived as blasphemous words among the strictly univorous traditional fans of metal. Mind you, I even mentioned the unholy word “rap,” The-Genre-whose-Name-Must-Never-Be-Spoken inside the space community of metal purists. These stylistic explorations are nothing short of an abomination for the most narrow-minded fundamentalist fringe of their fanbase that cannot conceive any deviation from their cherished routine. This touches on one of the main problems. The album’s underrated status can be attributed to a certain extent to being judged against misguided expectations and irrelevant criteria. Many people evaluate it based on what it is not meant to be – a mere extension of their earlier classics – which clouds fair judgment and prevents them from fully appreciating the album on its own specific terms. This bias is reflective of a significant portion of the classic heavy metal scene, where some fans have become intolerant purists over the years, unwilling to embrace any deviation from their cherished routine, longing solely for the comfort of familiarity. Part of the issue indeed lies with a significant portion of the classic heavy metal scene, where some fans have transformed into intolerant purists over the years. As they age, their mindset becomes more reactionary and close-minded, drowning in nostalgia for the good old days. Any deviation from the norm triggers anxiety, suspicion, discomfort, or even a perceived decline in the genre’s purity. They refuse to give a chance to anything that dares to defy the boundaries of their well-worn routine, longing solely for the comfort of familiarity. So yes, if you expect another “Restless and Wild” or “Balls to the Wall”, you will be disappointed because that is not the point. You have to address the album according to the specific standards it shaped for itself and not in comparison with the old classics. Comparing it to them is like comparing oranges and lemons – they are related, but it’s irrelevant to some extent as the taste is different. But if you listen to it with an open mind, you may understand it better.

Having made this point, let’s refine the picture because one cannot hide that many fans also enjoy this album to a certain extent. It showcases that things are not always as simple as the particular attitude I previously described. They are many nuances in the responses to this album. In fact, it is not like it was completely misunderstood and dismissed. So, let’s delve into more precise observations. Yes, I did mention certain innovative stylistic incorporations in this album, but reading the previous remarks, you might get the wrong idea. Some might imagine Accept has completely changed their style and is now playing some cross-over metal. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. “Predator” remains rooted in classic heavy metal/hard rock, albeit with a special flavor. It still retains the essence of their original hard rock/heavy metal roots, and they didn’t abandon heavy metal altogether to embrace an entirely new genre. The traditional Accept trademark is still present – powerful riffs, emblematic gang vocals, Udo’s typical voice, and flashy solos – but they incorporated new elements meant to spice up the surface of their classic sound. So, it is not like we had to handle a drastic change of style; the changes I mentioned actually take place on the surface of the arrangements, not much on the deep structural construction of the songs. But this in-between position, both classic and expanding, is probably what makes its legibility even less clear for casual fans. As a matter of fact, the music constantly puts familiar elements in motion, giving the impression of charted territory, which might lead listeners to judge it based on familiar landmarks. However, on many occasions, it steps aside, thwarting expectations raised by these familiar references. This may be perplexing, frustrating, especially for those lacking distance or the musical perspective to fully understand what’s going on. Embracing this paradox takes flexibility and patience, qualities that many seem unwilling to possess, choosing to remain within their comfort zone. So, the typical reaction of many fans will then be as if, some things are okay – actually the familiar classic elements of the band, and some things are ‘crap’ – the unusual things that step outside their musical landmarks. For the average metalhead, the sensation that something perceived as unusual steps aside their comfort zone and expectations is immediately converted in their mind as ‘this is crap’ without further ado. This is one main factor, I believe, that explains to a certain extent the incomprehension about this album and the mixed reception among certain other parts of their fanbase.

Now, is the purpose of this analytical defense speech to present “Predator” as the ultimate underrated masterpiece? No, it’s not. The question doesn’t require dealing in absolutes. Defending its disregarded merits doesn’t necessarily mean presenting it as a perfect accomplishment. Just like many situations, there are various shades of grey between black and white. For that matter, nuances and perspective are key. Yes, the album is much better than it is generally appreciated, but it also has its flaws, which won’t be hidden in this review. Some ideas are indeed better than others. Certain songs like “Run Through the Night,” “Lay It Down on Me,” “Crossroads,” “Making Me Scream,” or “Take Out the Crime” are more efficient than others. However, some have their flaws. For instance, songs like “Lay It Down on Me,” “Digging in the Dirt,” or “Predator” have excellent riffs and musical ideas, but certain disruptions, like their solo sections attempting to create surprising contrasts with uninspired psychedelic directions, may diminish the powerful vibe initiated by the song. It feels as if the guitar suddenly embarks on an off-topic digression despite the initial vibe of the song. Disruption is not a bad thing per se, but it depends on the context. While they can sometimes surprise and delight listeners, in this case, those solo sections appear more like formal exercises toying with guitar effects, lacking any clear melodic purpose. They seem to impose unnecessary ponderousness that the songs didn’t demand. On other occasions, these disruptions work very well; for example, the solo section of “Making Me Scream” suddenly modulating from a Phrygian E key to a classical D minor, with its lyrical dreamy melody. That solo is probably one of Hoffmann’s best achievements on this album (I’ll delve more into that later).

At times, their experimentations may sound a bit awkward, and some interesting ideas are not always fully explored, as if they were unsure of how to develop the initial spark of those ideas. Let’s take the example of their most controversial and hated song among fans, “Primitive.” It had a unique spark and the potential to be a strong, unusual song. The idea of a repetitive bass-driven riff supported by a drum machine, reminiscent of Sister of Mercy’s new wave/goth rock groove in songs like “Lucretia my Reflection,” was a bold move never seen before in Accept’s work. However, it feels like they didn’t really know how to fully develop it, sticking instead to a repetitive and bland formula that eventually became quite monotonous. Additionally, the experiment of adding weird distortion effects on the lead vocals in the last verse was intriguing but ultimately didn’t work well. Despite these flaws and the excessive hate it received, “Primitive” is not such a bad song overall; the riff certainly lacks relief, but the groove’s idea was interesting, and the classic gang vocals are still efficient. The mischievous character of the solo is enjoyable too, but the song lacks further development to make it a truly memorable track; it’s just an average tolerable track.

So why is there so much visceral hate about this particular song, which has even become the emblem of the album’s failure? Aside from the experimental arrangement, one key element of explanation is possibly its use of a drum machine. In the normative world of heavy metal based on some ideological conception of ‘authenticity’, using a drum machine is frequently considered the highest mark of heresy. The truth is this position is often more symbolic than practical, as many average non musician fans cannot always discern when they hear a drum machine. Interestingly, as a comparison, the iconic case of U.D.O.’s later ’90s album and the departure of their drummer Stefan Schwarzmann shed light on this matter. Fans who had always claimed that using a drum machine was heresy were perfectly fine with UDO’s drums, not realizing that U.D.O.’s records entirely used programmed drums, as revealed later that Stefan Schwarzmann actually didn’t play the drums; they were indeed programmed by Stefan Kauffmann in the studio. In other words, the same individuals who blamed “Primitive” for using a drum machine were actually praising U.D.O.’s programmed drums for being real, true, and authentic. This exemplifies how people’s hasty judgments are often based on biases, impressions, and beliefs more than on effective perceptions. Many mixed reactions about this album, while not completely unjustified, seem to be rooted in prejudices, confused impressions, incomprehension, and lack of flexibility in the face of stylistic variations that shift out of their comfort zone. All of this is not digressive as it may seem; it just exemplifies once again the earlier observations that many reservations about the album actually do not always concern its actual artistic content per se but are unconsciously influenced by biases about perceived differences.

In any case, although not everything about this album is necessarily flawless, it displays a strong enough main substance. There are plenty of aspects that make it a creative and compelling work of art. The album’s riffs are generally catchy, and the melodies are engaging, accompanied by appealing hooks and atmospheres. Speaking of the latter, it’s worth noting that the atmospheric elements may have been another factor contributing to the polarized reception of “Predator.” Over the years, I’ve observed that some Accept fans seem uncomfortable with some of the more atmospheric songs in their repertoire. The idea of immersing listeners in a song’s atmosphere rather than bombarding them with relentless riffs somehow seem to be incomprehensible to some of them. Yet, atmospheric elements are a frequent presence in Accept’s music; songs like “Making Me Scream,” “Lay It Down on Me” (intro), “Ain’t It Over Yet,” “Run Through the Night” (bridges), or the previous album “The Beast Inside” have explored various atmospheric aspects. One could also mention the case of classic songs like “Neon Nights”, the opening of “Metal Heart,” “Cold Winter Nights,” or “Wargames,” or the interlude of “Heaven is Hell.” This aspect of Accept’s creativity has often been overlooked because it seems like many fans don’t really get it or don’t perceive it, as focused as they are on the more action-packed aspect of the music. And yet, these atmospheric elements are also powerful, vivid, and immersive. However, for those just seeking high-speed riffs and straightforward anthems, it may remain incomprehensible or monotonous. Now, the issue is that they are quite present in this album. And these atmospheric elements explored by the band hold some of the most interesting and captivating aspects of the album, exemplified by the nightmarish landscape of “Making Me Scream.” Quite interestingly, among the elements that help set this atmosphere, the reverb effects applied to the vocals, reminiscent of a comet’s trail, lend a ghostly, dreamy feel that perfectly enhances the song’s mood.

Regarding the solo performances, it is fair to say that they do not always reach Hoffmann’s best standards, and even some of the longer elaborated solos, like on “Diggin in the Dirt” with its various key changes, may come across as mere uninspired improvisations on the blues scale. The album’s solos are sometimes lacking the characteristic power, lyricism, and melody of Hoffmann’s usual style, and instead, deviate into uncertain and purposeless digressions. Although you may occasionally find decent solos like those in “Hard Attack” or “Run Through the Night,” many of them remain at best average. However, exceptions lie in the solo of “Crucified” where Wolf’s flair for melodic lyricism is back, and in “Making Me Scream,” which exhibits one of the most grandiose, oneiric, tragic, and epic solos he’s ever made. This solo revisits the melodic contours of “Princess of the Dawn’s” solo but approaches it differently through alternative harmonization and a different scale (employing the harmonic minor scale instead). As for Udo’s performance, despite his initial reservations about the album’s direction, he nevertheless delivers a very professional and expressive vocal delivery. For example, on songs like “Predator” and “Make Me Scream,” his vocals possess a vicious and menacing quality that perfectly complements the lyrics and the songs’ moods. Udo’s professionalism and integrity must be stressed and credited, considering how much he was unconvinced by the orientations that Peter and Wolf chose for this album.

A mention about the lyrics too: it is clear that they are probably far from being the strongest point of this album, especially when compared to the previous standards set by their once author, Deaffy (Gaby Hoffmann), in the earlier releases. The lyrics generally lack substance, interesting subjects, or thought-provoking stances. For example, a song like “Take out the Crime” surprisingly presents a simplistic anthem to mindless repression of crime without consideration for context, misery, or social factors contributing to crime. This stands in total contradiction with the band’s and the author’s strong social stance displayed in their previous albums. Of course, one could yet mention the Orwellian theme of “Primitive,” which gets closer to Deaffy’s traditional privileged thematic areas, but here it remains quite superficial and not so thought-provoking. These lyrics appear like a mindless excuse to put words to music, and it’s a bit disappointing, particularly when considering the high-quality texts they used to accompany their music before, including their previous album, “Death Row.”

A word on the production too. Producer and co-founder of Accept, Michael Wagener, is in charge of the mixing, just as he was for the classic albums such as “Breaker,” “Restless and Wild,” and “Balls to the Wall.” While the raw, pared-down sound is generally the trademark of Wagener, as exemplified on all of Accept’s albums he collaborated on, which many fans cherish, I, for my part, didn’t find myself fully captivated by his approach. He’s competent and professional, and even legendary in his domain, no question. However, his creative input generally takes on an austere and crude approach that doesn’t particularly seek to sublimate the sound of the album, but rather stays true to its original intent. That’s a quality that musicians generally appreciate, as they prefer to avoid extensive processing of their sound. While his work remains sincere on this album, I don’t think it adds any additional soul. As with all the albums he produced, most of the creative side is entirely left on the musicians’ hands. His input is generally transparent in comparison to the sophisticated interventionism of producer-arrangers like Dieter Dierk. So yeah, the production is straightforward but not particularly memorable per se.

In conclusion, “Predator” is an album that deserves more credit and appreciation than it has often received. While it differs from Accept’s earlier classics, and some of its experiments may not have fully hit the mark, there is a lot to enjoy here, and many of the innovations added to the classic sound are actually quite enjoyable. It’s important to note that these additions are not as bad as they are often perceived. On the contrary, it is precisely these departures from the norm that make the album interesting and worth exploring. Furthermore, these experimentations do not harm the core sound of the band most of the time; despite a few occasional uncertain explorations, most of the time, they rather appear as subtle welcome touches meant to liven up and expand certain aspects of it. In doing so, they breathe fresh air into the old dusty habits they were rooted in. The more marked use of the oriental scale and occasionally of the classical harmonic minor scale in this album, for example, contributed to adding many unusual interesting colors to their sound. Yes, I know that even the main songwriters, Wolf Hoffmann and Peter Baltes, eventually grappled with self-doubt and came to repudiate this album under the weight of so much hate from the fans. However, I still remember how they once said they were proud of their achievements and how they had opened their own horizons when the album was released. As Wolf Hoffmann said: ‘We needed to do it exactly as we wanted to be. Let’s not be afraid to break the rules! Sometimes, you prevent yourself from trying certain things because, you know, you’re not supposed to. Well, too bad! Now on, if we want to put acoustic parts or some tribal percussions, we do it! And this is also the reason why Peter, our singer, sings three songs. These songs needed something special […] and we really wanted these songs. They enabled us to bring Accept to another dimension, if you know what I mean. That is why, in my humble opinion, Predator has such depth. And I hope our boldness will bring us new fans.” (Olivier Rouhet, “La chance aux teutons – Interview avec Wolf Hoffmann,” Hard Rock Magazine, #9,‎ January 1996, p. 68-69).

This is the genuine image that I will always keep amidst the various contradictory discourses, i.e., when their perception was still fresh and close to the creation process, not yet contaminated by various subsequent heated reactions and the negative moods of haters that eventually distorted a fair appreciation. The album exemplifies a specific mindset prevailing at that time: the band’s willingness to step outside their comfort zone, take risks, and explore new musical territories. There is an array of creativity and musical exploration on this album that is worth discovering and appreciating. For those willing to embrace change and broaden their musical horizons within the band’s own standards, “Predator” offers an interesting experience worth exploring. Note that, although I tried to analyze the sometimes excessive, irrational reactions to it, it must be added that I’m not blaming those who don’t have the distance to their own reactions. You cannot blame people for what is conditioned by ignorance, unconscious norms and lack of perspective. But it was essentially done to put distance from the distorted and sometimes misguided image they may sometimes convey about the unusual sensation the album may generate. If you have this resource, if you are capable of setting aside stylistic norms and expectations for a while and keeping an open mind, you may find yourself enjoying a somewhat interesting and intriguing album. While it may not reinvent the wheel or stand as their greatest career achievement, it remains an interesting and commendable effort that deserves more consideration than the hate and incomprehension it received.