Sometimes an album battle isn’t about two records that sound anything alike. Sometimes it’s about two completely different moments in heavy metal history.
Accept’s “Restless and Wild” arrived in 1982 and helped push heavy metal toward the speed and aggression that would soon explode into thrash.
Iron Maiden’s “The X Factor” arrived 13 years later, entering a much darker chapter for one of metal biggest bands.
One has Udo Dirkschneider screaming over some of the fastest riffs of its era.
The other introduces Blaze Bayley as the new voice of Iron Maiden.
So if you could buy only one?
Accept – Restless and Wild
Released in October 2nd, 1982 in Continental Europe, “Restless and Wild” is one of those albums where you can hear heavy metal getting faster right in front of you.
And then comes “Fast as a Shark”.
That opening track is widely regarded as an early speed-metal landmark, with Stefan Kaufmann rapid double-kick drumming arriving before the debut albums of both Metallica and Slayer.
But the song starts in one of the strangest ways imaginable.
Before the guitars explode, listeners get a cheerful German folk tune “Ein Heller und ein Batzen”. Then suddenly…
BOOM.
The metal begins.
The band reportedly thought the song was almost too fast and crazy to play.
“Restless and Wild” was also the first Accept album on which Udo Dirkschneider sang every track, giving the record that unmistakable Udo attack from beginning to end.
Then there’s “Princess of the Dawn” the haunting album closer. Wolf Hoffmann created its unusual mandolin-like guitar sound by recording the guitar at half speed and playing it back at normal speed.
Even the ending wasn’t quite what they had planned. Hoffmann later described the sudden finish as an idea that simply didn’t work as well as they hoped.
The album also marked several other firsts for Accept, including manager Gaby Hauke, credited under the name “Deaffy” receiving songwriting credits.
And the guitar situation was unusual. Although Herman Frank had joined the band by the time the album was released and appeared in the credits, the guitar heard on the finished recording was played by Wolf Hoffmann alone.
The lineup was:
Udo Dirkschneider – vocals
Wolf Hoffmann – guitars
Peter Baltes – bass
Stefan Kaufmann – drums
And then there’s that album cover burning guitars, pure 1980s metal attitude.
“Restless and Wild” became Accept first album to chart in the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands, although it didn’t chart in the United States.
For Udo, the record remains especially important. He has called it “surely the most important Accept album.”
Iron Maiden – “The X Factor”
Now jump forward to 1995.
Iron Maiden had lost Bruce Dickinson, who left after the previous tour to pursue his solo career.
Enter Blaze Bayley, formerly of Wolfsbane, making his first appearance with the band on “The X Factor”.
And this was not simply a vocalist change.
The whole atmosphere was different.
The album had a much darker, heavier and more somber mood than Maiden earlier records, influenced in part by personal issues Steve Harris was dealing with at the time.
It was also the first Maiden album since 1981 not produced or co-produced by Martin Birch, who had retired after Fear of the Dark. Steve Harris worked with Nigel Green instead, with the album recorded at Harris own Barnyard Studios.
Even Eddie looked different.
The striking cover by Hugh Syme showed Eddie being subjected to a gruesome procedure, and its graphic appearance led to a reversible sleeve being used for the release.
Musically, the album gave us several songs that would remain important to Maiden’s live history, including “Sign of the Cross”, “Man on the Edge” and “Lord of the Flies”.
The songs also drew inspiration from outside the world of metal.
“The Edge of Darkness” was based on Apocalypse Now and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.
“Man on the Edge” drew from the movie Falling Down.
“Lord of the Flies” came from William Golding’s novel.
And “Sign of the Cross” was inspired by Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose.
Interestingly, Maiden recorded 14 songs during the sessions but used only 11 on the album. The remaining three “I Live My Way”, “Justice of the Peace” and “Judgement Day” appeared as B-sides.
The album was Maiden tenth consecutive UK Top 10 studio album, although it stayed on the chart for only four weeks.
The lineup:
Blaze Bayley – vocals
Janick Gers – guitars
Dave Murray – guitars
Steve Harris – bass
Nicko McBrain – drums
Two Very Different Sides of Maiden and Metal
“Restless and Wild” captures Accept pushing heavy metal toward something faster, louder and more aggressive.
“The X Factor” captures Iron Maiden entering one of the most unusual chapters of their career.
One starts with a cheerful folk tune before launching into “Fast as a Shark”.
The other opens a darker era with Blaze Bayley behind the microphone.
So forget the idea of a winner.
Imagine you’re standing in a record store and have money for ONE album.
Which one are you buying?
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