Balls to the Wall

iTunes Editors’ Notes

Using the relentless riff of “Balls to the Wall” as a battering ram, Accept broke through to the mainstream with its 1983 album of the same name. The title song was, is, and will always be a monster. It could be considered a more malicious and militant rejoinder to AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” Udo Dirkschneider often sounds like a more unhinged version of Bon Scott, especially on “Fight It Back” and “Turn Me On,” two of the album’s best songs. “Losers and Winners” is such a fiercely energized piece of metal that when Dirkschneider squeals “Write her a letter … you’ll feel better when it’s done,” the listener can't be sure that he’s talking about the postal service. Between the homoeroticism of the cover art and titles like “London Leatherboys,” Accept caught a lot of flak for promoting what some saw as “gay metal.” While the speculation was pointless (and false), Accept said it was interested in all marginalized sectors of society, including gay culture. Certainly, “Love Child,” written from the perspective of an alienated gay man, should be credited as one of the bravest songs in a genre often dismissed as socially regressive.