Time Signature
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Genre: heavy metal
"Balls to the Wall" is a legendary metal album which is liked and respected by many metal fans and metal musicians. And that's not a coincidence. In many ways, it represents all the good things about 80s metal, and I think that's why it remains a classic to this day.
There's a tendency today to deride 80s metal for its general silliness, but "Balls to the Wall" is one of those albums that debunk this sort of criticism. Musically, every song is rock solid, and every song contains at least one guitar riff with balls (to the wall). The title track is no less than perfect, I think - it has everything: the riffs, the lyrics, the vocals, the chorus, the over-the-top solo; it's an instant headbanger. "Love Child" is musically a en epitome of good 80s metal with driving riffs, kick-ass guitar solos and a great chorus. On top of that it's a song about homosexuality and identity, a topic which was probably controversial for its time, and which is yet another example of how metal lyrics deals with lyrics that mainstream society is scared of. On top of the music, Udo Dirkschneider's vocals are absolutely wonderful. He has a distinct and unusual voice, and it is, in part, his voice that defines Accept's sound.
It's quite simple, the, any metal collection would be incomplete without this album.