Objection Overruled

Objection Overruled is a reunion record on which, after Udo Dirkschneider’s return, Accept again powerfully presents its core: steel riffs, choral hooks and a straight rhythm. Wolf Hoffmann’s guitar cuts sharply, and the bass and drums keep a low center without decoration. The appeal of the golden era is powerfully revived. From the aggression of the opening title track “Objection Overruled” and the speed of “Protectors of Terror” to the lift of “Slaves to Metal” and “I Don’t Wanna Be Like You” and “Bulletproof,” the songs are full of hard-edged appeal. Udo’s gritty voice gives the songs’ outline a particular aggression and sure humanity. Rather than conforming to trends, it carefully re-polishes the band’s long-cultivated weight and immediacy, reaffirming the unwavering strength of traditional metal. Not ending as mere revival, the high precision with which hard rhythm and memorable hooks join stands out. Loftily announcing the full revival of golden-era Accept, it is a powerful, fulfilling reunion record.