Album Review: HERMAN FRANK - Fight The Fear

01. Until The End
02. Fear
03. Terror
04. Sinners
05. Hatred
06. Hail & Row
07. Hitman
08. Stay Down
09. Rock You
10. Don't Cross The Line
11. Are You Ready
12. Wings Of Destiny
13. Waiting For The Night
14. Lost In Heaven

Ex-Accept guitarist Herman Frank is a huge talent. He quit Accept for the second time in 2014 because he wasn't allowed to contribute to the writing process, which is a decision that I still don't really understand. OK, the writing duo of Hoffmann and Baltes was the sound of Accept, but surely if Herman had a few tunes that sounded like Accept too, then why not let him contribute? Sadly, it's Accept's loss.

Fight The Fear is Herman's fourth solo album. I remember buying his second album Right In The Guts a few years ago and loving it. It sounded like a mix of Accept, Whitesnake, Deep Purple and Judas Priest. Fortunately, this new album is in the same musical direction. Sometimes, pure unadulterated Heavy Metal is exactly what you need in your life, and Herman Frank has delivered just that yet again.

Fight The Fear is a very accomplished album. The production is fantastic, the songs well written, and the musicianship is top-notch. Choosing favourites isn't easy, but I'll go for Stay Down, Fear, Rock You and Waiting For The Night. This album is packed with killer riffs and swagger, from start to finish, and the fact that Herman has made a traditional Heavy Metal album sound so alive, fresh and exciting, is testimony to his craftsmanship and understanding of the genre.