Review by Daniel for Accu§er - The Conviction (1987)

I was first introduced to German thrash metallers Accuser through the underground tape trading scene back in the early 1990’s. They weren’t terribly well known at the time however I came into contact with their first two albums through a dubbed cassette I received from a European trader. The A side included the topic of this review in 1987’s “The Conviction”; a record that included just seven tracks with a few of them being quite lengthy for a thrash metal release. I don’t recall listening to “The Conviction” more than a few times but I do remember thinking that they were more than decent so I was interested to see how they’d fair a good three decades later.

Those of you who follow my listening habits would likely be aware that I’ve been revisiting a lot of very raw Teutonic & South American thrash metal in recent times so it was a pleasant change to find that “The Conviction” actually features a pretty clear production by mid-80’s German thrash standards. The rhythm section is very clear with the bass guitar in particular receiving enough grunt to be able to drive the material through with a consistent energy level. The rhythm guitar sound does vary a little between tracks which isn’t unusual for the time but it’s not a major concern & the record sounds pretty professional overall. But the production isn’t the only area with a little more polish than you’re likely used to. The musicianship is also very good & is world’s away from the early Kreator, Sodom or Destruction releases. The riffs are very tightly performed which gives “The Conviction” more of an American edge to its sound. If I’m overly critical I’d suggest that the guitar solos aren’t all that engaging but they’re not exactly inadequate either.

I’m not entirely certain as to whether Accuser have just the one vocalist as the style of delivery changes from track to track; at some points sounding very much like Accept’s Udo Dirkschneider while at others coming closer to the trademark raspy Teutonic thrash growl. I probably prefer the Accept style to be honest as I can’t say that the other styles are terribly engaging even though they’re more than tolerable. Thankfully though, it’s the instrumentalists that carry the band.

Stylistically “The Conviction” is very much a tale of two sides. The A side sees Accuser taking a predominantly speed metal approach with the pedal planted firmly to the metal & the riffs & guitar melodies taking a more traditional direction. The signature German speed metal sound is definitely in effect with early Iron Angel, Living Death, Holy Moses & the faster Accept material being good points of reference. You’ll also find several examples of melodic guitar harmonies that you wouldn’t normally find in a genuine thrash metal environment but are much more frequently seen on speed metal records like the first couple of Helloween releases. The B side however sees Accuser launching off into a more complex, modern & particularly US sounding thrash metal sound with Exodus being the obvious influence. Both styles are pretty well done & I have to wonder whether the A side was comprised of Accuser’s older material with the B side showcasing their newer thrash metal direction. If pushed I’d suggest that I slightly prefer the thrashier material (album highlight “Sadistic Terror” in particular) but that’s hardly a surprise now given my musical pedigree.

Overall I find “The Conviction” to be a reasonably enjoyable experience. The tight execution & the urgency of the riffs are definite drawcards for the band but it’s a shame that they couldn’t nail the song-writing to an extent that saw a few more highlight tracks. There’s a level of consistency about the tracklisting though with just the one blemish in the speed metal number “Screaming For Guilt”. Despite releasing a couple of reasonably successful first up albums, Accuser apparently drifted from my memory pretty quickly back in the early 90’s as I don’t recall checking out any of their post-80’s releases but perhaps I should rectify that now as there’s some definite promise here.

For fans of: Exodus, Living Death & the more aggressive Accept material.