ACCEPT's 'Stalingrad' Cracks U.S. Top 100

"Stalingrad", the new album from reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT, sold around 5,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 81 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, "Blood Of The Nations", opened with around 2,900 units back in September 2010 to land at No. 187.

"Stalingrad" has registered the following first-week chart positions so far:

Germany: #6
Switzerland: #17
Czech Republic: #25
Austria: #32
France: #50
USA: #81

"Stalingrad" was released on April 6 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was once again helmed by British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY),who worked on the band's critically acclaimed comeback effort, "Blood Of The Nations".

"Stalingrad"was made available in the following formats:

* Limited CD+DVD
* CD
* 2LP (red) in gatefold
* 2LP (white/red) in gatefold - exclusive Nuclear Blast mailorder edition

"Stalingrad" track listing:

01. Hung, Drawn And Quartered
02. Stalingrad
03. Hellfire
04. Flash To Bang Time
05. Shadow Soldiers
06. Revolution
07. Against The World
08. Twist Of Fate
09. The Quick And The Dead
10. Never Forget (bonus track)
11. The Galley

DVD contents:

Official Bootleg

Live at Bang Your Head!!! 2011

01. Princess Of The Dawn
02. Pandemic
03. No Shelter

Live at Masters Of Rock 2010

04. Teutonic Terror
05. The Abyss

Video clips

06. Teutonic Terror
07. Pandemic

Commented ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffman: "ACCEPT and Andy Sneap have the perfect synergy. This was so clear with 'Blood Of The Nations' and we are excited to continue on that path. Andy is not only an amazing and prolific producer but also a very good friend who has long become a member of the ACCEPT family."

Regarding the musical direction of ACCEPT's new album, Hoffmann told The Rock Pit last year, "We're just gonna have the same attitude, the approach; we're just gonna do more of the same, you know, without it being the same. More similar-style stuff, hopefully fresh new ideas. And I mean, we're not gonna… The intention is not to change it right now. I mean, why would we? . . . But I have to say, it's always easier said than done. It's incredibly difficult to write songs that are sort of reminiscent of the past but they're not, you know, rip-offs of your own music. That sounds incredibly very simple, but it's really not, especially if you have a sort of history of 15 albums or whatever we have. Then there are always similarities that you have to avoid. It can't be too close, but it can't be too far away from it. So it's a pretty fine line that you have to walk sometimes, but, you know, hopefully we'll manage again."

ACCEPT 2012 is:

Wolf Hoffmann: Guitar
Peter Baltes: Bass
Herman Frank: Guitar
Mark Tornillo: Vocals
Stefan Schwarzmann: Drums