- Country: Germany
- Style: Heavy metal
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Release date: 6 April 2012
Stalingrad features Mark Tornillo on vocals, Wolf Hoffmann and Herman Frank on guitar, Peter Baltes on bass and Stefan Schwarzmann on drums, with Andy Sneap producing once again. It went to No. 6 in Germany and No. 5 in Hungary, and reached No. 81 on the Billboard 200.
The title track is the centrepiece, a six-minute war song with a gang-vocal chorus and some of Hoffmann’s most melodic lead work. “Hung, Drawn and Quartered” is a fast, efficient opener, and “Hellfire” is the heaviest thing on the album, Tornillo pushing his rasp right to the edge. “Shadow Soldiers” slows things down and is better for the space.
The second half is less consistent. “Revolution” and “Against the World” are fine Accept-by-numbers songs and little more. But when Stalingrad works, it shows a veteran band with real conviction, and Sneap’s production is loud without becoming tiring.
Best tracks:
Stalingrad
Hellfire
Shadow Soldiers
Hung, Drawn and Quartered
Author’s rating: 8.1/10
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