Predator

Predator is the eleventh album on which Accept sounds its hard riffs and Udo Dirkschneider’s slashing voice with a more modern weight. The playing, stacking short, strong phrases, again clearly shows the band’s basic straight drive. It became the record capping the second Udo era. From the aggression of the opener “Hard Attack” and the groove of “Crossroads” to the weight of the title track “Predator” and “Diggin’ in the Dirt” and “Lay It Down,” every song carries a hard-edged appeal. Shifting its footing back from the gloom of the previous Death Row toward a more straight-ahead heavy metal, it also keeps a modern 1990s weight. A waste-free construction that wins on the sharp chop of the guitar and the powerful push of the rhythm section, rather than adding flashy decoration, is striking. It is a record that reaffirms Accept’s sturdy appeal when you want tense traditional heavy metal. Marking a break in the long collaboration with Udo Dirkschneider, it is a powerful, fulfilling work.