Breaker (Accept album)

Breaker is the third studio album released by German heavy metal band Accept. It was once again recorded at Delta-Studio in Wilster with Dirk Steffens producing, and was the first Accept album engineered by Michael Wagener. Bassist Peter Baltes sings lead vocal on "Breaking Up Again," and the bridge vocal on "Midnight Highway."

Breaker
Studio album by
Accept
Released16 March 1981 (1981-03-16)
RecordedDecember 1980–January 1981
StudioDelta Studio, Wilster, Germany
GenreHeavy metal
LabelBrain (Germany)
Passport (US)
ProducerDirk Steffens
Accept chronology
I'm a Rebel
(1980)		 Breaker
(1981)		 Restless and Wild
(1982)
Singles from Breaker
  1. "Burning" / "Down and Out"
    Released: February 1981
  2. "Breaker" / "Breaking Up Again"
    Released: April 1981 (Japan only)
  3. "Starlight" / "Feelings"
    Released: December 1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal8/10[2]
Sputnikmusic[3]

After the unsuccessful attempt at commercialism on I'm a Rebel, Accept decided not to allow any more outside people to influence the band. Pulling together in the midst of a very cold winter,[4] the band members concentrated on making the album they themselves wanted to make. Udo Dirkschneider remembers: "Following our experiences with I'm A Rebel we made it our goal not to be influenced musically by anyone outside of the band this time."[5] Udo believes Breaker is among Accept's best records and marks the beginning of the band's golden era which lasted up until 1985[6] - the album title would later become the name of Udo's own record company, Breaker Records.

Wolf Hoffmann concurs: "Maybe we knew that the old approach from the record before didn't work very well. So we were saying 'fuck it, let's just do what we think is right. Let's not try to be somebody else, let's not try to have a radio hit anymore.'" The lone possible concession to commercial interests was the upbeat rocker "Midnight Highway", which Wolf described as "sort of a semi-commercial attempt" and "a little too happy for my tastes."

Much of the rest of the album is angry and defiant in tone, especially the profanity-laced "Son of a Bitch". Udo describes that song's lyrics as "absolutely anti record company."[5] Wolf explains why this particular song was the only one to not have its lyrics printed inside the album: "On the initial release we thought it would be a good idea to just put 'Censored' on the liner notes for the song to avoid any controversy. Well, it turns out it caused more controversy that way with everyone wanting to know who censored it."[4] An alternate version titled "Born to Be Whipped" was recorded with tamer lyrics. Wolf explains: "We had to change it because the British were so uptight about this kind of stuff that you couldn't possibly release the record over there with a song called Son of a Bitch."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Accept

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Starlight"3:52
2."Breaker"3:35
3."Run If You Can"4:48
4."Can't Stand the Night"5:23
5."Son of a Bitch"3:53
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Burning"5:13
7."Feelings"4:48
8."Midnight Highway"3:58
9."Breaking Up Again"4:37
10."Down and Out"3:44
Total length:43:51
Russian edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Breaker" (Live) 
2."Midnight Highway" (Live) 

Credits
Band members
Production
  • Dirk Steffens – producer, arrangements with Accept
  • Michael "Overload" Wagener – engineer, mixing
  • Stefan Böhle – cover photography
  • H.G. Bieringer – photos
  • Studio Icks & Accept – cover design
  • Accept – sleeve design

References
  1. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Accept Breaker review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  2. Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 7. ISBN 978-1894959315.
  3. g, manos (22 August 2014). "Review: CD Accept - Breaker Album". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  4. Hoffmann, Wolf. "Breaker". Wolf Hoffmann official website. Archived from the original on 3 February 1999. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  5. Henderson, Tim (2005). "Hard News Page 2". Hard Radio.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  6. "Interview with Udo". Heavy Metal Magazine. March 1996. Archived from the original on 8 April 2004. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
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