ACCEPT To Release 'Blind Rage' In July; Cover Artwork Unveiled

German/American metallers ACCEPT will release their new album, "Blind Rage", on July 18 via Nuclear Blast. Like its two predecessors, 2010's "Blood Of The Nations" and 2012's "Stalingrad", the new CD was helmed by British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ARCH ENEMY and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE.

"Something happened to us, something subliminal and impetuous," commented ACCEPT guitarist and main composer Wolf Hoffmann. "It is wild and scary and it’s called 'Blind Rage'!"

He added: "The cover artwork done by Daniel Goldsworthy shows the beast coming over us — in blind rage — all over the planet. Wherever we go, whenever you turn on the TV — there is blind rage in the works — either natural catastrophes or man-made madness."

In a recent interview with journalist Mitch Lafon, ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo was asked whether fans of the band's first two albums with Tornillo on vocals — "Blood Of The Nations" and "Stalingrad" — will be happy with the musical direction of the new ACCEPT album. "Yeah, I would say," he said. "It's more of the same, but even more of a classic feel than the other ones, I think. There's some songs on this one, I think, that when you hear the opening riffs, you're gonna go, 'Wow! This could have been on 'Balls To The Wall'. This could have been on 'Metal Heart'.' It's just very classic-sounding stuff, classic-sounding ACCEPT stuff. But with a lot of very diverse things on this record as well. I mean, you've got the heavies and the double basses, but some things that, I think, are a little different."

Regarding whether the songwriting process for the new ACCEPT album was more comfortable for him, having done two albums already with the band prior to this one, Tornillo said: "It is more comfiortable for me. I think it's a little more comfortable for everyone. 'Stalingrad' was the one, I think, that threw us all for a loop, more than anything, because we had set the bar so high with 'Blood Of The Nations'. And we were really searching for a niche with 'Blood Of The Nations' still, searching for an identity for the band. So 'Stalingrad' was actually more of a challenge, I think, than this one was. We really kind of settled in with this one and are not afraid to take a chance here and there now too. So we'll see what happens. I'm loving it. So I'm just hoping the fans will feel the same way."