Accept Reviews

Roseland Theater - PORTLAND, OR 09/23/2012‏ (Review by Suzie Cera)

I saw the ACCEPT Stalingrad Tour in Portland, Oregon at the Roseland Theater. Incredible energy and vocals were there! No holding back, was loud and aggressive ALL THE WAY THRU. ACCEPT gave us a huge Wilkommen! All of the members make u feel welcome and special and that is without even knowing them personally. That is what I must say I was so impressed with. Honestly it felt like being with old friends or family..a great time that never will b forgotten. And special thanks to Peter who I was standing in front of...TY for playing to the camera and being so cool! I got some nice pics and video...Memorable! Thanks from my Boyfriend Mike ( meine deutscher mann) who took me to the show also. We thank you for a great night.

Sincerely, Suzie Cera.

Metropolis - MONTREAL, QC 09/10/2012 (Review by M.Lafon)

Back in ’84, I saw ACCEPT open for KISS at the Montreal Forum and I thought it was good. In 2011, I saw the band at Club Soda in Montreal and thought they were great, but it was nothing like last night’s show (Sept 10th 2012) at Le Metropolis (in Montreal). The band was simply fantastic. One of the better shows I’ve seen this year. ‘New’ vocalist Mark Tornillo has added a spark to the band and has re-energized the old catalogue. Songs like ‘Restless And Wild’, ‘Losers And Winners’ and ‘Metal Heart’ sound fresh and powerful with Mark’s growl and how is it when speaking of guitar gods - does Wolf Hoffman get overlooked? He was blazing last night. The band also featured songs from their latest two albums (2010’s ‘Blood Of The Nations’ and 2012’s ‘Stalingrad’). ‘Teutonic Terror’ is by far their greatest song ever and to hear it live is simply killer. The band also treated fans to newer tracks ‘Hung, Drawn and Quartered’, ‘Pandemic’, ‘Bucket Full Of Hate’ and ‘Stalingrad’. It’s not often a band can change their lead singer and actually become a better band, but ACCEPT have done it and prove it without doubt at each live show. I’ll be coming back every time they’re in town. Oh, yeah - they also played their greatest hit ‘Balls To The Walls’ and yes, it had MORE BALLS with Tornillo singing! Thanks ACCEPT for another great show!

Islington Academy - LONDON, UK 05/26/2010 (Review by Mark Taylor)

I was foaming at the mouth when this gig was announced and when I was fortunate enough to be invited along to interview the band and listen to the playback of their first studio release in fourteen years, I was one happy little headbanger.German rockers Accept are in town to play a one off gig to promote the forthcoming 'Blood Of The Nations' album which will be out on Nuclear Blast at the end of August. The snarling pitball Udo Dirkschneider has decided not to take part in this reunion but Accept have found a great replacement in former TT Quick American singer Mark Tornillo, who has that classic razor blade throat voice which complement the Judas Priest on Speed riffs of Accept.Listening to the new album before the gig, I'm glad to report that Accept have made their best and most accessible album since 84's 'Balls To The Wall' and certainly most heaviest since 82's 'Restless And Wild'. All killer and no filler, this album will frazzle your brain.So what about Accept as a live act in 2010? (Their first in the UK since 1986.) Accept come on stage as conquering heroes storming into the anthem 'Metal Heart' and despite supporting AC/DC in Hannover the night before showed no signs of metal fatigue.'Restless And Wild' got me air V guitar-ing for the first of many times tonight along with many grown men. 'Son Of A Bitch', surprisingly early in the set, was a fist thumping crowd pleaser. Tracks such as 'Losers And Winners' and 'Run If You Can' were surprising additions to the set which brought back many teenage memories for me.Only two new tracks were performed tonight, in what I can only imagine is to stop the mobile phone bootleggers uploading the new material onto Youtube before the album is released.The already available tracks 'The Abyss' has a melodic epic heavy punch and 'Teutonic Terror' for which the band have made a computer crashing video clearly states where Accept are today which it's chorus line of ''Give 'em the axe!'' The classic twin attack of the V guitars is all there to see from Wolf Hoffmann and Herman Frank with original bassist Peter Baltes still looking youthful with his curly locks. Hoffmann later doing a guitar solo which featured snippets of 'Bolero' and 'Sabre Dance' The gig was turning into a metal marathon lasting over two hours with many head crunchers thrown in such as 'Bulletproof' from 93's underrated 'Objection Overruled' and the set ender 'Burning', the band were simply on fire and weren't about to be extinguished just yet. The gig was so orgasmic that it was easy to forget that the band hadn't yet played their best songs. Another surprise of the night was the inclusion of 'I'm A Rebel' a song originally turned down by AC/DC . 'Fast As A Shark' the pre thrash song included that famous German intro of 'Hi-de-hi-ho-da-da' was perfect beer swilling man hugging time. Sabbat's Andy Sneap, a long time Accept fan who also produced the new album, joined the band in a triple assault for 'Balls To The Wall' certainly plugged a bomb in everyone's arse where we all responded by showing the sign of victory. Oh! What a night! Get ready for the new album and don't miss them next time they do the tour proper. Metal at it's finest. Set list : Metal Heart / Midnight Mover / Living For Tonite / Restless And Wild / Son Of A Bitch / Losers And Winners / London Leatherboys / The Abyss / Run If You Can / Teutonic Terror / Breaker / Bulletproof / Neon Nights / Up To The Limit / Demon's Night / Turn Me On / Monsterman / Burning ....encores .. Princess Of The Dawn / I'm A Rebel / Fast As A Shark / Balls To The Wall.

Stereo Plaza - KYIV, UA 11/13/2012 (Review by Vladislav Tokmenko)

When i first heard about Accept show in Ukraine, i was pretty astonished. My favourite rock band first time in its history would come to Kiev. But there was 5 months left till November, i bought a ticket and started to wait. Price was 25$. Stalingrad tour 2012 was in its height, setlist was pretty good.

This fantastic day began with the Meets and Greets with the band in lobby bar of the Kiev hotel. Those fantastic moments are difficult to express by words. Peter and Wolf were so kind to sign all CDs and to take a lot of photos. Then i came to the venue, Stereo plaza club, there was a lot people singing songs, speaking to each other. Audience was pretty mixed, from 10-years old children to solid men over 50 with their wifes. Some hours waiting and i entered a hall, Wolf was just finishing soundcheck. Sound was great. I decided to stand in first row near barriers. After a short break, the lights dimmed, intro and taped part Hung, Drawn and Quartered played. A great intro for the band during Stalingrad tour. Then, cutting over the top was that familiar snapping snare from Stefan. The lights came up revealing Wolf, Peter and Herman bent over their guitars then Mark Tornillo walked on stage completeing the band, and the audience clapped and cheered, welcoming Accept in their very first show in Ukraine. The band ploughed through the first three numbers before taking a breath. Setlist was standart and pretty good. 4 songs from Stalingrad album, 4 songs from Blood of the Nations, other - only good old stuff from classic albums of 80's. While playing Stalingrad Mark came out with Ukrainian flag and then Herman broke string. What a powerful show! For me the highlights were Hung Drawn and Quartered, Stalingrad, Teutonic Terror, Monsterman, Princess of the Dawn. These 5 songs were worth the price of admission alone. Their speed and virtuosity simply blew me away. Wolf's guitar solo including Hall of the Mountain King was tremendous. During the bass solo in Princess, even barriers didn't stand for crowd's pressure and were totally broken. Peter saw this moment and asked people to move back and with smiling face continued to play for the extraordinary joy of crowd. Encores with Metal Heart, Teutonic Terror and Balls to the Wall were accompinied with five thousand voices singing and total madness. Wolf's guitar solo including Hall of the Mountain King was tremendous. By the way, it was total sold out and this fact added more pride for Kiev show. Everybody after the show was smiling and had a straining voice due to musical excitement. I liked new songs live, Mark is pretty good singer and frontman, Stefan, Herman, Peter, Wolf were fantastic. To sum it up, it was the best show i' ve ever seen and i thank Accept for it. Using the mobile application Accept by Mobile backstage i learned that guys also liked Kiev show and "definitely want to come back". That's fantastic and we are looking forward for a new show.

MY STORY - Unedited, personal stories written by ACCEPT Fans, 10/23/2012 (By Irfan Berk, Arizona)

The first time I saw Accept was in 83. I saw them 3 times in 7 days. I still remember sitting outside the concert hall in Heidelberg and talking to Herman and Peter. There was a hot chick dressed in all black. We thought she must be a groupie but in reality, she was Accepts manager.

At the last show in 83, we ended up between stage and barrier, I felt like I was a part of the crew. Over the next few years I saw Accept when I could here and there, and moved to the United States in 94. 96 a Fare Well Tour. Accept plays in my home town Berlin and I had to be there, I booked a ticket and flew to Berlin Germany to see Accept, friends and family. Last show ever, no Accept anymore?

In 2005, a rumor goes around that Accept is getting back together for a reunion tour. It would be festival tour and a few smaller shows in Japan. Festivals, no thanks, too many people. I was more interested in some of the smaller shows in Japan.

I planned my Accept trip to Japan. How do I get a ticket for a show in Japan? I found a ticket place here in Phoenix, booked my flight and hotel and off I went to the Diamond Hall in Nagoya, Japan. August, 2nd 2005, Accept is on stage, I can't believe it, I'm in Japan to see Accept one more time. I'm the tallest and whitest guy there. During the show, Herman looks at me, looks again and points at me. I salute back. Did he remember me after all these years?

The show was great, it is like old times and one more time I am rocking with Accept, headbanging to Fast, Son, Balls, Breaker, London Leather ..... all the songs I love. What a show, I enjoyed every second of it. I felt like I was 19 again. The show is over, the band bows to the fans and Herman points at me to wait at a door. Cool, I have time.

A few minutes later, Herman comes out the door. "I remember you, what the hell are you doing here?" We talk a few minutes and he takes me back stage.Here they are. Wolf, Peter ... and the hot girl from 83. We started talking and realize that Gaby, the girl from 83, is also from my home town Berlin. Cool. She gives me her All Access Pass for memories, they offer me food and drinks and Stefan gives me a drum stick. I had a great time in Japan with Accept, not because I ended up backstage, no, I always have fun with Accept.

I don't know if that is a record, well for me it is. A German guy, who lives in Arizona, travels to Japan to see Accept, a German band. Back in Arizona, a few weeks later I send an email to Accept and Gaby to thank her for taking care of me in Japan and for the pass. Over the next few month emails got sent back and fourth and we became good friends. I visited Gaby at her place, she met my wife Veronica and my son Jamon. I became part of her family and we kind of "adopted" each other. One day, I received an email from Gaby which says, "Check this out". A demo with two Accept songs. A few weeks later another mail, "We are back". What? Accept is back with a new singer. It's about time.

May 2010, New York, first show with Mark. Gaby invites us and off we go again. Another Accept show and for the first time, we have passes. Off we go. At the door, Gaby is there and greets us, I see Wolf, Peter and Herman is shocked to see me again. The show was fantastic. Mark's voice is great, perfect for Accept. ACCEPT is back, new CD coming out soon. YEAH.

April 2011, it's birthday month and Accept is on tour here in the US. This time Accept plays here in Phoenix at a festival but only for 45 minutes or so but it does not matter, I'm there. I see Gaby and the guys at the hotel.

A few days after the Phoenix show, I fly to Portland, Oregon. I take my son on his 8th birthday to an Accept show. On the way over there we practice Balls and Heidiheidoheida as loud as we can. Gaby is at the door and she takes us straight to the sound guy and board. Oh, he is German too but more important, and my son is safe. I hold him in my arms most of the time and we enjoyed his first Accept show together.

In 2012 a new CD and another tour. In April 2012 they play in my home town Berlin Germany, that means, I have to travel to Germany. I don't know how long the show was but it was long, at least 1 1/2 hours. I'm exhausted, my neck hurts. I have a pass and the sound guy takes me back stage. Another night with Accept. September 2012, the boys are in Anaheim. For me, it feels more and more like a family reunion. Here is the band, the merch guy, the sound guy, the only person which is missing is Gaby. Another great show!

Since 83 I have seen Accept numerous times, still have most shirts even though they don't fit anymore, my favorite shirt is the one from Japan and a signed from the 83 Tour.

As long as they are touring, I will be there.

Juke Box - BUCHAREST, RO 10/21/2012 (Review by Ana-Maria Gavrila)

Review of ACCEPT concert from Bucharest by Ana-Maria Gavrila (metalhead.ro) - ACCEPT hit the stage for a royal Teutonic Metal oriented somewhat around "Stalingrad". True, new songs can be as well received as those well known - are still in a promotional tour. Influenced by events in the history of the Soviet Union, war, hell social realities and rebel attitude that time, the concept is not necessarily one unusual (although I do not remember any other band so explicitly addressing this topic) and accept managed to create an album whose compositions are fantastic consistency - nothing seems exaggerated, resulted in extremely lyrics are inspired interpretation of Mark Tornillo - exemplary.

That happened on stage: Germans have maintained an atmosphere full of energy throughout the concert, since chaotic with two new songs "Hung, Drawn and quartered" and "Hellfire" guitarist Wolf Hoffmann while and has demonstrated skill, making all sorts of theatrical motion without even a moment to look at the neck, and Mark Tornillo interpret old songs with confidence in his own talent. I do not think I felt any moment need to make comparison between his style and that of vocalic Udo Dirkschneider - If "Losers and Winners" simply electrified the audience, "Princess of the Dawn" sounded undeniably brilliant.

And if I said above that they maintained a crazy atmosphere is because, during the concert, I had the feeling that most of the fun takes place - well - on stage, as the Germans would have been delighted to was on stage in Bucharest, playing in front of several hundred people. Few bands so easily transmit this feeling and this is felt in the reaction of those gathered in front of the stage.

When energy spreads in both directions have resulted in a successful evening: a game between the old and new of the Teutonic Metal from ACCEPT audience attitudes he left out "tough" by metalheads upset, even if you may need a circle pit . I'm glad the second night of Chaos Venue, a metal weekend proved to be one awesome: I accept put their heart and soul into the show and it was felt the most.

Juke Box - BUCHAREST, RO 10/21/2012 (Review by Sirn/m)

Sunday evening downtown the Bucharest, Romanian capital. A very good time for people to enjoy their free time walking, filling bars or...for real rockers to take part to a real heavy metal event together with the real German legend ACCEPT. After a too long hiatus they succeeded to get in Bucharest as headliners at 2010 Sonisphere festival and now on their own on the Chaos club.

After a greet and meet with the nice, peaceful guys from ACCEPT at 22.00 o’clock they turned into “bad” guys (in the good sense of term) on stage. In the front of it you can’t throw a needle because of the packed crowd, in the back people eagerly to see how could this band could perform. After a beginning full of energy but with artistic expressions given by Hung Drawn and Quarted, they kept on tearing up the stage, as fuelled by audience energy and the fire inside them. Not letting any representative album aside, they taught a the public a complete two hours set of a heavy metal lesson. Promoting the last album with the “Stalingrad” hit, the solid “Hellfire”, the lyrical “Shadow soldiers”, terrorizing us with the ferocious riffs of “Bucketfull of hate”, “Teutonic terror”, “No shelter” from the appraised Blood of the Nations, classicals “Restless and wild”, “Breaker”, “Neon nights”, taking headbanging to the limit with “Aiming High”, “Losers and winners” and “Monsterman”, oferring an intelligent conception sample like “Bulletproof”, give us a little break with “Up to the limit” and finally pleasing anyone no matter the taste with “ Princess of the dawn”, “Metal heart”, “Pandemic” (the song that links the past to the present) and “Balls to the wall”. You don’t know really what you like most: Wolf /Peter guitars/ bass solos or duels, Wolf’s mimic handling the guitar, Peter not letting anyone in the audience to stay still for a second, thundering riffs that coming to you like a hurricane, Stefan crushing drums all the way, Hermann keeping tight the rhythm under control, or Mark getting along unbelievable well with all the songs from the past and and present. After this performance all you can say is: how they can do it ? the show is really over ? why the stage seems too small ? Or the stay in the line to get another autograph from the heavy metal masters who became humans again.

A night always remembered with the hope of their coming back. They had to catch up regarding Romania. And the whole world.

Principal Club - THESSALONIKI, GR 10/19/2012 (Review by E. Angel)

hmmmm... For me, just 7 single letters: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !!!

ACCEPT is still the BEST Metal band in the WHOLE Universe! New, fresh, happy, enthusiastic, crazy and most of all, extremely professional band! You gave the BEST and you know how to ROCK the audience!! \m/

Wolf was like a little crazy boy, crazy with his guitar trying to organize the crowd like a bleacher's leader in a football (soccer) game/arena! ;)

I remember him back in 1994 in "Death Row" Tour, OK, Greeks were more "hooligans" those years and he was surprised from the fans, i was in front of him at the age of 20 in a short stage without security holding his left army-boot and in the beginning he was a little bit "inhibited" but after a few seconds he got so excited from the vibration of the metal atmosphere and was laughing all the time! :)

On Friday it was the opposite:

He was the "20 years old" Leader of the "Pack", together with Peter they spread ACCEPT's Metalheart pulse/vibration to the audience!! Peter was tremendous too.. Mark Tornillo:I always was a hardcore fan of Udo. Last time i've seen ACCEPT it was with Udo in 2005 in RockWave Festival. Udo was my God and ACCEPT my religion since 13 years old.

I think the same feeling was for the most old Greek fans of the band.

After "Blood of the Nations" and the sensational sold-out show of Athens on February 2011, reading opinions (i wasn't there) from younger fans in the internet, everybody was telling that Mark is his own man with a very big voice. He's a really GREAT vocalist and frontman too, he fits so much to the band that makes you forget there was a time where HE was not there.

Herman and Stefan are GREAT musicians too, very famous and familiar to the fans and to all metalheads of the world, they're doing great job! Overall, ACCEPT remains the BEST Metal band in the World. Teutonic Terrorists invaded Greece and took our brains and hearts as we say here in Greece.

6 out of 5 STARS for ACCEPT!!

As for the fans in Thessaloniki:

I'm always stringent/strict in matters with Metal shows and i was expecting more from my homemates, i'd like to be more Restless and Wild like old days but it's OK, it is 2012, not '90s or '80s, people changed a lot, music changed, Greece is a bankrupt country, unemployment is more than 30%, national psychology and mood is down.., although under these situations, Northern Greek fans honoured ACCEPT with their presence and they were quite good!

I give'em 4 out of 5 stars.

This is all i had to say about the show and for me it was a MAGIC night, best moment of my life since 2005, you're still AWESOME and i'm still in love with you guys! :)

I wanna thank ACCEPT again for everything and wish them all the best for the rest of European Tour!! :)

ACCEPT 4EVER and EVER!!! \m/

Fuzz Club - ATHEN, GR 10/18/2012 (Review by Sakis Nikas, Rockpages.gr)

There are certain things in life that cannot be changed. Call it fate, call it destiny, call it karma...you can call it whatever you want. Here in Greece, we call it ACCEPT! You see, one has to live in Greece to understand the difficult times that this proud nation is having and how painful it is for the vast majority of the population that is trying to make ends meet. So, when ACCEPT announced the two shows in Athens and Thessaloniki, I had absolutely no doubt that the Greek fans would found a way to purchase a ticket and get lost in the magical world of ACCEPT and quite possibly forget their worries and troubles just for a while. When I arrived at the club, I knew that my initial gut feeling was right. Hundreds of people were waiting impatiently outside the venue in order to find their way onto the club. More than 1000 people packed the venue and the vibe was similar to the monumental 2010 show that the band had put on for us.

At exactly 10:00 the lights went out and the first notes of "Hang Drawn and Quartered" rushed from the speakers upon a frenzied crowd who welcomed ACCEPT like some short of a rock n' roll saviors! Without any delay, the band continued with "Hellfire" and the crowd was singing along to the new songs from the excellent "Stalingrad" record like there were released decades ago. It was plain clear that at least 4-5 songs from the last couple of records can be easily considered classics!

Wolf Hoffmann was the undeniable key figure; the leader, the mastermind behind the sonic attack! As I told him before the show, I am amazed at how he remains so fit during those tiring road tours. Right next to him, Peter Baltes was giving his own show making all those orchestrated stage moves together with Wolf and Herman who was steadily accurate as the rhythm guitarist. Stefan Schwarzmann was as thunderous as ever behind his gigantic white drum set while the band's frontman Mark Tornillo -now on his second world tour with the band- proved once again why he is a catalytic element to ACCEPT's resurrection (both for his voice and his stage presence).

Apart for the aforementioned two new songs from "Stalingrad", the band chose to perform the title track and "Shadow Soldiers" from the latest record while they pull out 4 songs from the superb "Blood of the Nations" (Teutonic Terror", "Pandemic", "No Shelter", "Bucket Full of Hate"). As for the rest of the gems from the vbacka catalogue, well how can anyone complain when he is treated with such timeless hits as "Restless and Wild", "Neon Nights", "Fast As A Shark", "Breaker", "Balls To The Wall", "Up To The Limit", "Metal Heart", "Monsterman", "Losers and Winners", "Aiming High", "Bulletproof"?

All in all, it was a night to remember and...don't forget! Remember that ACCEPT will always be a much beloved band in Greece and definitely the ultimate heavy metal ambassadors from Germany. Remember that this is a band that will never fail to deliver a great show for us all. As for what we forgot that night...we forgot all our problems for a couple of hours and took home some of the most precious memories that will forever follow us! This is the power of heavy metal; this is the power of ACCEPT! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, guys!

Blondies - DETROIT, MI 10/08/2012 (Review by Let it Roar)

German metal veterans Accept just blew threw the Windy City and as expected, they left a serious wreckage in their wake.

Accept are a band that were sorely missed on the metal scene and as the saying goes "don't know what you've got, 'til it's gone". But thankfully Wolf Hoffmann and his cohorts decided to pick things up again in 2010 and released undoubtedly the comeback album of the year, if not the decade, "Blood Of The Nations". This year, they're back with the equally powerful "Stalingrad". To see Accept in action, is to see what the definition of true metal is. The band poured through a set that included such classics as "Losers and Winners", "Restless and Wild", "Fast as a SharK" and of course arguably their trademark track "Balls to the Wall" but their newer tracks stood out just as much. Songs like "Hellfire" and "The Galley" from "Stalingrad" as well as "Pandemic" and "Teutonic Terror" from "Blood of the Nations", indeed show that the band have not lost one step through their brief hiatus, much less over the last thirty plus years. It's amazing that a band can still write, perform and maintain the same level of quality and consistency as they did decades ago.

One perfect example of Accept's professionalism came when, about an hour into their set during "Up to the Limit", the stage lights lost power and went completely black. Mind you, most bands would have stopped the show until it was figured out what had happened. Accept did not miss one note, did not stop the show for one second. Guitarist Hoffmann and vocalist Mark Tornillo did indeed look at each other with puzzled faces but still remained in stride continuing on with the title track from 1985's "Metal Heart". Stage lighting was finally restored for the encores of "Fast as a Shark" and "Balls to the Wall" but honestly, band and fans alike hardly even noticed the distraction of the lights coming back on. It was indeed full metal onward!

The only bad part of seeing Accept live, is the long wait seeing them return!

Accept are currently on the road in North America through mid October with fellow German veterans Kreator, in a skull crushing coheadlining package that also includes Finnish doom metallers Swallow The Sun.

By Jeff Clayton...

ACCEPT blew the roof off of Tremont Music Hall tonight!!!!

I was grinning from ear to ear!!!!!!!!!

Starland Ballroom - SAYREVLLE, NJ 10/06/2012 (Review by Eric Fliegelman)

Having been a HUGE metal fan, and Accept fan for many years, this being my first time seeing the German Metal legends LIVE filled me with a lot of anticipation and excitement. I arrived at the venue early enough to meet up with the Accept Fans Worldwide group outside of Rolling Thunder, an RV owned by Stephan Soto, the group founder. Peter, Wolf, Stefan, Wolf and Herman all stopped by to visit the fans, and say hi. This pleased all of the members who were there!

We headed inside prior to Accept taking the stage, and host of That Metal Show, Eddie Trunk warmed up the crowd! Accept hit the stage right at 10:30pm and from the beginning notes of Hung Drawn and Quartered from their latest release, Stalingrad…through their closing encore song…Balls to the Wall from their fifth studio album of the same name…Accept had this large New Jersey crowd in the palm of their hands. This was a headlining show where the band had the opportunity to perform a full TWO HOUR set packed with 20 songs from their lengthy career!

This was a high energy show with these rockers who have been together fo decades, performing as if they were still in their teens…full of energy, excitement, and happiness! They followed up Hung Drawn and Quartered with Hellfire, my personal favorite from Stalingrad…and went into Restless and Wild from the album of the same title, the 4th in their recording career. This 20 song concert with songs spanning their lengthy career disappointed no one. This was a crowd filled with fans old and new, and many of whom were there to see the return of Mark Tornillo, former T.T. Quick vocalist.

You could not escape the infectious jubilation that the band had with each other performing on stage, and looking around the crowd, you saw the same. Accept has a way of engaging with their fans in the crowd, that makes you feel like they are performing those songs for YOU, as an individual.

Around 1230am, the band finished their performance with an awesome version of Balls to the Wall, the lights came up, and all in attendance were in agreement that this was one amazing night.

Having been my first Accept concert, I certainly was blown away by their energy, diversity in their set list that spanned their career, the amazing light show and sound, and engagement with the crowd. I have Accepted the fact, that this will not be my last Accept show.

The Grove - ANAHEIM, CA 09/27/2012 (Review by Eric Fliegelman)

We headed inside prior to Accept taking the stage, and host of That Metal Show, Eddie Trunk warmed up the crowd! Accept hit the stage right at 10:30pm and from the beginning notes of Hung Drawn and Quartered from their latest release, Stalingrad…through their closing encore song…Balls to the Wall from their fifth studio album of the same name…Accept had this large New Jersey crowd in the palm of their hands. This was a headlining show where te band had the opportunity to perform a full TWO HOUR set packed with 20 songs from their lengthy career!

Around 1230am, the band finished their performance with an awesome version of Balls to the Wall, the lights came up, and all in attendance were in agreement that this was one amazing night.

I have Accepted the fact, that this will not be my last Accept show.

The Avalon - HOLLYWOOD, CA 09/26/2012 ( Review by Avinash Mittur)

Accept hit the stage and blasted into “Hung, Drawn and Quartered” off their 2012 release Stalingrad. Immediately it was obvious this was going to be a special night. There are a couple of aspects of an Accept live show that make it an experience to not be forgotten. First you have the music; straight up Heavy Metal – the new music is as good as the classics – every tune rocks!! Second you have the stage presence – not many can hold a candle to Accept. From Wolf Hoffman’s, Peter Baltes and Herman Franks’s constant smiles, frequent in-unison head-banging and in-sync guitar/bass motions to Mark Tornillo’s electrifying vocal delivery there isn’t a dull moment during their performance.

The band played a perfect mix of classic Accept songs along with soon to be classics from their 2010 comeback album Blood of the Nations and four songs from their 2012 release Stalingrad. It’s hard to believe that Accept has been around since the early 80’s by watching their performance – the energy delivered in their current show rivals that of their younger days. Proof is in guitarists Wolf Hoffman’s guitar solos and the fact that this guy cannot stand still for more than 5 seconds . . . He is without a doubt the king of silly guitar faces.

Longtime fans seem to have welcomed vocalist Mark Tornillo (replacing original vocalist Udo Dirkschneider) with open arms based on the crowd reaction to songs new and old throughout the night. Highlights included “Stalingrad”, “Teutonic Terror”, “Fast as a Shark” and the last song of the night, a fantastic version of their biggest hit “Balls to the Wall”. Accept delivered an epic night of Heavy Metal to the lucky fans in attendance . . . 80 minutes of music to warm your Metal Heart!!

The Grand Ballroom - SAN FRANCISCO, CA 09/25/2012 (Review by Cdglmagery.com)

I admit it. ACCEPT was a band that for one reason or another I ignored during the metal heyday of the 80's, and continued to dismiss over the next 25+ years. Sure, I enjoyed "Balls to the Wall" when it was inevitably played over the PA system prior to every rock concert in the 80s, but I never owned a single album. Then, in 2010, with new vocalist Mark Tornillo at the mic and on the pen, the band released a shockingly stellar metal assault called "Blood of the Nations". It was not only a comeback album of epic proportions, but arguably the best metal album of the year. In 2012, they equaled the previous effort with the remarkable "Stalingrad" release. Both albums deliver song after song that drive hard with a rare combination of intensity, aggression, top-shelf musicianship, killer guitar tone, massive melody, and perfectly matched lyrics & vocals.

On Sept 25, ACCEPT rolled into San Francisco's Regency Ballroom amidst their extensive North American Teutonic Terror Attack 2012 tour (co-headlining with Kreator). I anticipated that it was going to be a great show featuring a setlist showcasing a majority of the new songs (how many times has anyone said that?), but I was unprepared for just how compelling the performance would be. Accept were stunning. The songs surpassed the studio versions in intensity, Tornillo is a beast on the mic, and the musicians delivered with supreme showmanship, crowd interaction, and sonic precision. Each member, despite their exhaustive touring schedule over the past several years, were clearly enjoying themselves on stage (or doing a damn fine job of faking it).

The Grand Ballroom - SAN FRANCISCO, CA 09/25/2012 (Review by Jeff Cross)

Alright, I'm up. What a night!

I took BART into the city so I wouldn't have to deal with the hassles of traffic. Went to the venue and found Wolf signing autographs and Stephen carrying on a never-ending conversation with some crazy woman (though I don't know which one of them is crazier). I couldn't even introduce myself they kept going back and forth. Then Mark came out of the bus and I asked him if he recognized me and he did. He signed stuff for some fans and we chatted. He had to go so I headed to Tommy's Joynt for the best turkey sandwich ever.

After that I hung out in the merchandise area. I went down front and stayed there for the first half. Every song was spot-on. Super tight showmanship and because of the limited time, Mark did not really talk between songs. This means it was one lashing after another until they had the audience bleeding. I love these kinds of shows! I will add Shadow Soldiers started with a different vibe and I wasn't sure about it being in this set until they sang the choruses- they were so strong! One of the highlights indeed. In fact, the new songs were really the highlights. It was also great that BttW was stripped down to it's core (finally!).

So as mentioned, I was standing next to Frank at the soundboard for the second half and during BttW, Frank waves his hand high in the air as a challenge to Peter. Next thing something hits me on the chest and on the ground is Peter's pick! A 30 yard shot all the way to the back of the hall!

So I said hi to Frank and said I would see him out back. I hung around with the simple intention of saying hello to everyone and not even bothering with autographs. Then Frank opens the bus door and calls me over to invite me aboard! I step in and Peter's waiting for me. I took a seat on the couch and we talked about San Francisco (I went to culinary school a block away), politics, the state of the music industry as well as the state of our youth. Wolf popped in and it finally clicked who I was once I asked about the thank you posters we made last year. His is hanging in his studio. Mark then came in and joined the conversation. Then Morgan and her husband came in to do an interview consisting of fan submitted questions. She had some good ones until she dared ask "The Question!" I warned "Don't go there" just as Peter and Wolf refused to answer. After she was done I added a couple of my own- ones that I keep meaning to ask:

To Wolf, who were your influences growing up? He answered Ritchie Blackmore, Uli Jon Roth, Queen, Michael Shenker, AC/DC, Status Quo, Uriah Heep and a few others.

To Peter, do you still go to concerts anymore? Short answer is no and we all discussed why. They both put it that as professional musicians, they get bored very quickly watching other bands. Wolf said he can mabye watch 2 songs at a festival and then feels the need to move on. I guess watching your contempories just is not the same as the fan-musician relationship.

So after an hour and a half we called it a night. I will say that Accept and crew are still very appreciative of all their fans. We are all fortunate for having each other. They are very hard working men. I did not put this together until I realized, when they are not doing Accept, which in the last 3 years was nearly impossible, they are very busy doing all kinds of things! As for me, I would like to express my deepest thanks for their hospitality. Your music has been the soundtrack of my life for 28 years and it makes me very happy to call you friends.

Rickshaw Theater - VANCOUVER B.C., CA 09/21/2012 (Review by Metal Titans)

Metal through and through is what you can expect from the one and only ACCEPT. Oh was I thrilled to see these guys for the first time. The floor was crammed with people, you couldn’t move, people pushing and shoving to get right up front for full access.

And their set was absolute perfection, so mind blowing. Songs that you could sing along with (always an added bonus). The energy, was unbelievable, never slowing down for a second, which also kept the crowd just pumped. With all those bodies on the floor it was one intense hot show, but no one complained, we were all there to observe one of the greatest bands perform. I am still in awe as I write this. And believe it or not, I was still able to stand up front at the bar, holding on for dear life mind you, but not willing to give my spot to anyone. They played a variety of songs, from old to new, and Mark Tornillo on vocals did an unparalleled job.

Wolf Hoffman, had everyone’s attention, his playing ability, his movements on stage, whether by himself, or with the other members, was phenomenal. But in all fairness, each and every member on stage, were exceptional, and very camera friendly. When they played the renowned song “Balls to the Wall” there was not a single person who was not singing along, we all knew the words, and the crowd went crazy for this song. ACCEPT has left a lasting impression on me. An amazing group of guys who obviously love what they do, and it shows when they are playing to a crowd. If you missed seeing these guys, you missed out on the best performance to date in Vancouver. Don’t make that mistake again, next time they come to town, be there, support ACCEPT, I know that’s where I am going to be. Hope they return soon. There truly are no words to really tell you how fantastic this set was. I didn’t do them justice at all, but damn, they kicked some major ass in Vancouver on Friday night.

Newport Music Hall - COLUMBUS, OH 09/14/2012 (Review by Bill Peters)

ACCEPT stormed the Newport Music Hall stage in Columbus for their only Ohio 2012 tour appearance with "Hung, Drawn and Quartered", the opening track from their latest "Stalingrad" album. The band received a hero's welcome from the fans, many of whom traveled hundreds of miles to see the German metal legends (including dozens from this writer's hometown of Cleveland - a longtime ACCEPT stronghold). There was no need for flashy pyrotechnics or onstage gimmickry. Vocalist Mark Tornillo (ex-TT QUICK), who replaced the iconic Udo Dirkschneider, kept his between song banter to a minimum and owned the stage with confidence the entire evening like he had been fronting the band since its inception. ACCEPT's 75-minute, 15 song set was evenly balanced between old and new material. It was much easier to balance the set on this tour with two Tornillo albums now under their belt. "Losers And Winners", from the the best selling and most popular "Balls To The Wall" album, was a pleasant surprise. The rest was the standard fare of classics, including the extended sing-a-long favorite "Princess Of The Dawn" (those 'whoa' parts still get me singing every time!). Guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was the undisputed star of the evening, entertaining the crowd with both his playing and commanding stage presence.

When he ordered the crowd to clap - they clapped! When he ordered the crowd to sing - they sang! When he ordered them to stop - they stopped! Hoffmann is one of heavy metal's most underrated guitar players. His classically influenced leads, precise rhythms and on cue low range backing vocals are always a highlight of any live ACCEPT show. Even after all this time he still looks like he is having as much fun onstage as when he first formed the band some 30+ years ago. Judging from the crowd response, "Shadow Soliders" should be a set staple for years to come. The song is Hoffmann's personal favorite from the latest "Stalingrad" album and has the sound and feel of pre-"Restless And Wild"-era ACCEPT. It's slower tempo provides a nice contrast and mixes in well with the heavier numbers. With the set loaded with a healthy selection of some of the greatest songs written of all-time from the Udo years, it's ironic pre-encore set closer "Teutonic Terror" from the band's more recent "Blood Of The Nations" album generates the biggest and loudest fan response of the evening. It's a true testament to ACCEPT's current songwriting abilities and fan's acceptance (no pun intended) of vocalist Mark Tornillo to create a song that already ranks with the best of anything from their past catalog. The band hasn't missed a beat in recent years and tonight's show more than sends this message home loud and clear. Encores "Fast As A Shark" and "Balls To The Wall" leave the crowd in a frenzy, closing out a near perfect evening, sans a sorely missing Hoffmann guitar solo and a rarity or two for the diehards from the band's extensive back catalog. ACCEPT are a tough act to follow. ...

Howard Theater – WASHINGTON, D.C. 09/05/2012 (Review by K.B.)

Accept took the stage at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC., a venue that normally caters to R&B and Jazz artists. Well, Accept blew the roof off the place; but that's just a normal thing at an Accept concert. Energy. Precision. Fan participation. Beyond the actual songs...they always add these extra elements when they perform live.

There is no such thing as a bad Accept show. Because they put 150% into their live performances and although their albums are top of the line, I'll take seeing them live over listening to a CD anyday. Why? It is because they possess this magical presence onstage...like no other band I have ever seen in my life. It is just their stage presence, the way they interract together, the perfection of every note they play, and the extra solos they throw in, and most of all their interest in the fans watching them.

There is the constant audience participation. Accept constantly pays attention to the audience members who are close, shaking hands, taking a second to pose for photos and they just seem to thrive off of the energy of their adoring fans. They always egg them on to participate in their trademark 'chants'; getting them to sing along, making them feel like part of the show. And you always do when you go see Accept.

Accept albums are great, but there is nothing like the live Accept experience. I know, because I have been going to their shows for near to 30 years now.