Review Summary: A pivotal release for Accept that helped establish them as a real contender in the early 80s metal scene.
BREAKER was the pivotal album that finally portrayed Accept as a true contender on the burgeoning Metal scene. Engineer Michael Wagener captured some truly energized and unrestrained performances which place the band on a completely different level than their tepid early albums. While commercial success would require a few more albums, Accept were finally establishing their own unique identity.
This was no accident, as the band were now firmly resolved to make the record they wanted to make after two misfires they'd created under the guidance of their producer Dirk Steffens and record company. The song "Son Of A Bitch" addresses this record company meddling in a refreshingly direct and unapologetic way. (However, the British label wasn't so keen on the profanity and were able to convince the band to record a much tamer version called "Born To Be Whipped", which appears on some versions of the album.)
From the opening riffs of "Starlight", it's clear that this album was going to be a much more metalized affair. Wolf Hoffman's intricate guitar solo for that song is a fine example of the neo-classical style he would become known for. While it's likely that Michael Schenker was an influence upon him, Wolf seemed to have his own unique sound and never seemed like he was following anyone's vision but his own. His polished and inspired playing on this album and later releases would become very important to honing Accept's distinctive approach to heavy metal.
The title track "Breaker" is a thrashing bruiser of a song that is propelled by Stefan Kaufmann's double bass kicks. It also provides another great opportunity for guitarists Hoffman and Fischer to engage in some really exhilarating guitar interplay.
"Run If You Can" takes the tempo down a notch with an infectious, but sinister sounding guitar riff. I've always loved this song, although it doesn't seem to have received much attention from the band in concert.
The ballad "Can't Stand The Night" initially sounds like something Peter Baltes might have tackled on the first two albums. However, Udo's rendering seems much more dynamic than anything Peter would have done and winds up working rather well.
The first half of the album ends solidly with the aforementioned "Son Of A Bitch", which is now a classic Accept song that balances unrestrained anger with a bit of tongue in cheek. I love Wolf's subtle neo-classical guitar melodies throughout this song.
"Burning" is a turbo charged rock & roll shuffle that showcases Udo Dirkschneider singing his head off with great energy. This song sounds like it was either recorded live or altered to sound that way.
Despite its very un-metal title, "Feelings" is actually a heavy rocker that may have even fit on the BALLS TO THE WALLS album. The same could be said for the final track, "Down And Out", which is quite enjoyable as well.
The least impressive tracks to me are "Midnight Highway" and the unnecessary Peter Baltes ballad "Breaking Up Again". These both sound like outtakes from their first two albums and only serve to diminish what would otherwise be a perfectly excellent album.
BREAKER is a great record that I revisit regularly because it is still less familiar to me than their landmark releases, yet possesses the aspects of Accept that I most enjoy. While their songwriting would continue to improve, the high energy of this album makes it a worthwhile spin.
