SHOW REVIEW: ACCEPT AND KREATOR ALLOW FANS TO INDULGE THEIR INNER EPIC GERMAN

Another night, another show at the Palladium. I’ve said pretty much all I can say about this particular venue several times over so… nope. Can’t move on. Palladium, turn on the air, tell your security people to stop being dicks, and mop the floor every once in a while. You make going to shows an ordeal rather than a fun night out. There, now I’m done. Until the next show.

Accept have got to be one of the happiest bands in metal. Every single member of the band had a huge smile on his face for the duration of the show. And I know it’s not a rare occurrence because they had the same almost-comical grins last time I saw them. Goading the audience to match them in volume and energy, they spent their entire set pounding out classics like “Restless and Wild” and “Princess of the Dawn,” as well as some of the best songs from their last two records, including “Pandemic” from Blood of the Nations and the title track from Stalingrad. They’re like the best possible mix of the Scorpions, Judas Priest, and Motorhead, and they’re damn loud. I love them. You should, too.

I like a good stage show. I don’t need fire and explosions (though they don’t hurt) every time, but I do appreciate an ambience. Billowing smoke and blue spotlights? Not seeing anything but the outlines of the Kreator dudes while getting pummeled by their music? Good ambience. Though the sound was a little off at first — the vocals and drums were perfectly audible while the guitars were mush — Kreator still matched Accept both in volume and Teutonic conviviality. Phantom Antichrist, their newest release, is pretty much at the top of my best of list for the year, and most of their set, which included “Mars Mantra, “From Flood into Fire,” “Death to the World,” “Civilization Collapse,” and the title track, was made up of songs from that album. The rest of the evening was a sampling from their almost thirty-year reign, including “Extreme Agression,” “Pleasure to Kill,” and “Flag of Hate,” during which they came out with… a Kreator flag. Which was backwards. But it only made me go “Awww,” like a proud mom of a very special child.

If you get the notion, indulge your inner epic German and catch these bands on tour. Support comes from Swallow the Sun; you can get dates here.

-LF