Accept

Accept
Accept performin in Finland
Background information
Oreigin	Solingen, Germany
Genres	Hivy metal, speed metal
Years active	1968–1989 1992–1997 2004–2005 2009–present
Labels	Nuclear Blast Epic/Sony PolyGram Passport
Wabsteid	Offeecial Wabsteid
Members	Mark Tornillo Wolf Hoffmann Uwe Lulis Christopher Williams Martin Motnik Philip Shouse
Past members	Michael Wagener Udo Dirkschneider Jörg Fischer Frank Friedrich Stefan Kaufmann David Reece Jan Koemmet Jim Stacey Gerhard Wahl Rob Armitage Michael Cartellone Herman Frank Peter Baltes Stefan Schwarzmann

Accept is a German hivy metal baund frae Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalie. Oreeginally assembled in 1968 bi Udo Dirkschneider, the baund played an important role in the development o speed metal, bein pairt o the German hivy metal scene tae emerge in the early tae mid 1980s.

Thay hae sauld ower 27 million albums warldwide.

Biography

Early years (1968–1982)

Accept's beginnins can be tracit back tae 1968 whan Udo Dirkschneider an Michael Wagener formit a local baund cried Band X, whilk hinnerly chyngit its name tae Accept. For mony year Accept gaun throu numerous line-up chynges. This instability essentially kept the baund on an amateur level, makkin sporadic appearances in festival concerts. Accept's professional career began in 1976, wi Udo Dirkschneider, Michael Wagener, Gerhard Wahl, Dieter Rubach an Frank Friedrich, whan thay wur invitit tae play at ane o the first rock an roll festivals in Germany — Rock am Rhein. Follaein the festival, the baund wis affered a recordin deal. Thair first recording wis the self-titled Accept album, at wis released in 1978.

The first stable line-up o Accept wis componed o vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarists Wolf Hoffmann an Gerhard Wahl, bassist Peter Baltes an drummer Frank Friedrich. Friedrich an Wahl quit the baund efter the release o Accept an wis replacit bi Stefan Kaufmann an Jörg Fischer. This line-up o the baund recordit I'm a Rebel in 1980. The title track oreeginally wis written for AC/DC but niver released bi them. The album brocht some media attention, the baund bein invitit tae mak a televised appearance.

In 1981, the neisht album Breaker wis released, an the baund employed manager Gaby Hauke. Accept joined Judas Priest's warld tour anaw an obtained attention ootside o Europe for the first time.

Restless and Wild wis released in 1982, awtho Jörg Fischer quit the baund a short time afore the recordin teuk place. Jan Koemmet wis hired as guitarist, but depairtit frae the baund afore the recordin o the album. Restless and Wild saw an evolution in the baund's soond, whilk incorporated characteristics definin the genre later dubbed speed metal. Gaby Hauke wis creditit as "Deaffy" on twa o the tracks.

Mainstream success (1983–1987)

Accept's next release, Balls to the Wall wis in 1983, nou wi guitarist Herman Frank (ex-Sinner). The album wis mair conceptual, an includit leerical themes aboot politics, sexuality an human relationships. "Balls to the Wall" refers tae slaves revoltin agin oppressin maisters, "Fight It Back" is anent social misfits fechtin agin conformity. Aw sangs wis creditit tae Accept an "Deaffy". Deaffy wis manager Gaby Hauke's pseudonym as the baund's leericist, awtho she didnae offeecially claim awnership till the baund haed braken up for the seicont time.

Durin a 1983 shaw in thair hametown the baund met Jörg Fischer bi chance an, on Hauke's insistence, Fischer rejoined the baund. A warld tour follaeed throu 1984, includin the Monsters of Rock festival.

Metal Heart wis released in 1985. Produced bi Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks, it presentit the baund's creative peak. Accept toured the warld supportin the album, an documentit the live shows wi the live mini-album Kaizoku-Ban.

The follae up Russian Roulette wis released in 1986. In 1987 Udo Dirkschneider decidit tae embark on a solo career. Supportin this decision, the sangwritin team in Accept wrote his entire solo album, released in 1987 as "Animal House" unner the baund moniker U.D.O.

David Reece period an first hiatus (1988–1991)

Parallel tae wirk on "Animal House", Accept stairtit tae audeetion vocalists. The baund treed oot a few sangsters, includin Baby Tuckoo sangster Rob Armitage, wham thay even featurt in promo photos an metal magazine interviews, an recordit demos wi an aw. Housomeivver, American David Reece wis chosen an this new line-up recordit an released Eat the Heat.

Accept's career cam tae a suddent halt whan Stefan Kaufmann sustained a serious injury tae his back mid-tour. He wis briefly replacit bi drummer Ken Mary for the remainder o the US tour. bi the tour end in late 1989, the baund decidit that athoot Kaufmann, an wi differences surfacin wi Reece, it wis time cease its activities for the time bein.

Reunion wi Dirkschneider (1992–1996)

Umwhile lead sangster Udo Dirkschneider (far richt) durin Accept's reunion tour in 2005

The live album Staying a Life recordit in 1985, wis released in 1990 as a souvenir celebratin thair career.

A few years later the ex members met wi Dirkschneider an decidit tae relaunch the baund wi core members Hoffmann, Kaufmann, Dirkschneider an Baltes.

The comeback album Objection Overruled wis released in 1993 an wis a qualifeed success in Europe an the USA. A warld tour follaeed, wi anither album entitled Death Row, which wis released in 1994. Kaufmann became unable tae play ance again due tae his recurrin back injury an Stefan Schwarzmann became the temporary replacement.

Predator wis recordit in 1996, in Nashville wi Udo's lang time (schuil) friend an producer Michael Wagener at the helm an wi Michael Cartellone (frae Damn Yankees) guestin on drums. Accept's tour supportin Predator, teuk in North Americae, Sooth Americae, Europe an Asie, wi thair last concert in Tokyo, Japan.

Seicont hiatus an brief resurrection (1997–2005)

Atween 1997 an 2005 aw members continued wirkin on thair awn projects. In 2005 Accept receivit an invitation frae various European promoters for a short simmer European Festival tour wi Accept's classic line-up (Hoffmann, Baltes, Dirkschneider, Frank an Schwarzmann). Thir festivals turned oot tae be a stunnin success, wi the last shaw on 27 August 2005, in Kavarna, Bulgarie at the Kaliakra rock fest.

Asked in Mey 2007 if Accept wur plannin on writin an recordin new material in the near futur, Dirkschneider repleed:

“	That would be a problem. You know, it's easy to play the old songs, because they already exist. Especially for me it was easier, because I still do those classics with U.D.O., but for some of the guys it was a bit harder. But everybody did a great job on stage. I understand that people want a new Accept album, but composing songs thegither would have been a disaster. That way we would destroy more than we would create. We have a good relationship now and it's best to keep it that way.	”
	— Udo Dirkschneider, Lords of Metal

On 14 Mey 2009 Udo Dirkschneider offeecially annooncit that he wad no be pairticipatin in the rumoured Accept reunion.

Return wi Mark Tornillo (2009–present)

Mark Tornillo (pictured in the middle) wi guitarist Wolf Hoffmann in Stockholm, 20 Mey 2010. Tornillo replacit Udo Dirkschneider as the baund's vocalist when Accept reformit in 2009.

At the end o Mey 2009 rumours again surfacit on a possible Accept reformation when bassist Peter Baltes revealed he spent a weekend at his hoose in Pennsylvania "shreddin awey" wi guitarist Wolf Hoffmann. "Something amazing is in the works," Baltes explained. "As soon as I can, I'll let everybody know. Let's make the 'Metal Heart' beat again."

A coincidental meetin atween Accept an umwhile TT Quick sangster Mark Tornillo at this informal jam session meant shortly efter Tornillo wis annooncit as the new vocalist.

A new album wis written an recordit wi Andy Sneap (o Megadeth, BLAZE, Exodus, Testament, Arch Enemy an Onslaught fame) as producer. Titled Blood of the Nations, it wis the first oreeginal Accept album in fowerteen years.

The new line-up made thair live debut on 8 Mey 2010 at the Gramercy Theatre in New York Ceety, thair first American concert in fifteen years.

On 21 Mey 2010 thair video for "Teutonic Terror" wis nummer 5 on the warldwide video chairts in aw genres on MySpace, toppin sic airtists as Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber an Christina Aguilera. The video topped the MySpace Global Metal Charts at Number 1 an aw.

Wolf Hoffmann wi Accept in Minsk, Belaroushie, 2011.

On 13 Juin 2010 Accept opened for AC/DC in Stuttgart, Germany, an on 25 Juin 2010 heidlined the Sonisphere festival in Romanie an Turkey. Wi a set o ower 2 oors, classics lik "Balls to the Wall", "Metal Heart" an "Princess of the Dawn" wur played alang wi the new album material. Blood of the Nations wis released in Europe on 20 August 2010 an made a chairt debut at Number 4 in the offeecial German Media Control Charts, the baund’s heichest chairt debut in thair career.

Blood of the Nations wis released 4 September in Japan, an 18 September 2010 in the Unitit States. Accept spent 80 days on a simmer tour travelin ower 65,000 km an playin for ower 450,000 fans. In October, the baund appeared at the prestigious Japanese Festival LOUDPARK ootside o Tokyo tae 40,000 fans alang wi Ozzy Osbourne, Motörhead an Stone Sour.

Athin a month o the release o Blood of the Nations, Wolf Hoffmann tauld "Metal Asylum" ; "We are already thinking about and writing for the next record. We've all missed doing Accept and we realized we missed doing this. Of course we are not 20 years old anymore and not ready to do just anything to be successful, we're not that desperate. [laughs] We are looking to do what makes sense and that's fun."

Accordin tae bassist Peter Baltes, Accept will wirk wi Andy Sneap again tae produce the new album, which he hopes will be completit bi early 2012. On 13 November 2011, it wis annooncit that the album will be cried Stalingrad an is due for release in Aprile 2012.

Lineup

Current members

• Mark Tornillo - Vocals (2009-) (TT Quick)
• Wolf Hoffmann - Guitars (1975-)
• Uwe Lulis – Guitars (2015-)
• Philip Shouse – Guitars (2019-)
• Christopher Williams – Drums (2015-)
• Martin Motnik – Bass (2019-)

Umwhile members

Vocals

• Udo Dirkschneider (1968-1987, 1992-1997, 2005) (U.D.O., The Alex Parche Project)
• Rob Armitage (1987-1988) (Baby Tuckoo, Jagged Edgy)
• David Reece (1988-1989) (Bangalore Choir, Sircle of Silence, Stream, Gypsy Rose)

Guitars

• Michael Wagener (1968-1970)
• Jan Koemmet (1981) (Bad Steve)
• Gerhard Wahl (1976-1978)
• Jörg Fischer (1978-1982, 1984-1988)
• Jim Stacey (1989)
• Herman Frank - Guitars (1982-1984, 2005-2014) (Victory, Sinner, Hazzard, Moon Doc, Saeko, Thomsen)

Bass

• Dieter "Rubi" Rubach (1968-1975) (Bad Steve)
• Peter Baltes - Bass, Vocals (1975-2018) (Deuxmonkey)

Drums

• Birke Hoe (1971-1976)
• Frank Friedrich (1976-1979) (Bad Steve)
• Stefan Kaufmann (1980-1994) (U.D.O.)
• Ken Mary (1989) (Fifth Angel, James Byrd, Alice Cooper, Chastain, David T. Chastain, Impellitteri, Strike, TKO, Randy Hansen, House Of Lords, Soul Shock Remedy)
• Michael Cartellone (1995-1997) (Damn Yankees, Lynyrd Skynyrd)
• Stefan Schwarzmann - Drums (1994-1995, 2005-2014) (Krokus, Helloween, Paradox, Running Wild, U.D.O., Voice, Cronos Titan, X-Wild, Herman Frank, Thomsen)

Discography

Main airticle: Accept discography

Studio Albums

• Accept (1979)
• I'm a Rebel (1980)
• Breaker (1981)
• Restless and Wild (1982)
• Balls to the Wall (1983)
• Metal Heart (1985)
• Russian Roulette (1986)
• Eat the Heat (1989)
• Objection Overruled (1993)
• Death Row (1994)
• Predator (1996)
• Blood of the Nations (2010)
• Stalingrad (2012)
• Blind Rage (2014)
• The Rise of Chaos (2017)
• Too Mean to Die (2021)
• Humanoid (2024)

Freemit airtins

• Accept's offeecial wabsteid acceptworldwide.com
• Offeecial wabsteid for Ken Mary - SonicPhish Arizona Recording Studio
• David Reece Interview @ Sleaze Roxx Archived 2008-06-11 at the Wayback Machine
• "Encyclopaedia Metallum - Accept". Metal-archives.com. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
• Complete discography @ MusicMight