Accept are one of the oldest German metal bands. They can be traced as far back as the early 70's, but it was not until around 1976 the band seriously started to be noticed. This is one of those classic bands that I just don't remember how I got into. My brother listened to a lot of different metal albums, and Accept tunes were always on his compilation cassettes. It was great. After hearing classics like 'Metal Heart', 'Restless & Wild' and others, Accept grew to be one of my favorite bands. But after their vocalist Udo left, (and later returned), I lost interest in them. I haven't even heard their latest releases.

ACCEPT (1979, 2000) NUCLEAR BLAST/BREAKER

Look at the year this album was first released. In 1979 the NWOBHM wave was still almost unheard of. And still Accept, from Germany, released their debut album on CBS this very year, and recorded it the year before. Sure, their self titled first offering isn't as blatant a metal album as the bands more known efforts, from the mid-80's. But this is a darn heavy album from that particular year. I'd say that only Judas Priest, and maybe Motörhead, were rivals in heaviest act back then. They are also the 2 bands I'd say Accept sounded the most a like. Them, and a stroke or two of Thin Lizzy. This album is also notable for more then the picture of Udo with hair. It also contains some out-of-character ballads, like "Seawinds" and "Glad To Be Alone", where Udo sounds very unlike his usual raspy self. He actually sings more here, using different sounds and techniques. He is also sharing vocal duties with Peter Baltes (on "Sounds Of War" for example). "That's Rock 'n Roll" is like an updated 50's rock song, only with blistering dual guitar-work. You can still hear that this is Accept though, and that is much thanks to the guitar-attack from Wolf Hoffman and Jörg Fischer. Wolf really is a monster player, and he is showing it from the get go. 'Accept' remains the humble beginnings from a legendary band. Today this album might be mostly know for the single, "Lady Lou". But listening to it in 2007, I find it to be a charming piece of metal history. I own the 2000 digipak reissue, released on Nuclear Blast. The cheap packaging comes without a booklet. The album has also been re-released with different artwork, but mine has the original women-with-chainsaw cover.

Killer tracks: Lady Lou, Tired Of Me, Seawinds, Take Him In My Heart, Glad To Be Alone

I'M A REBEL (1980, 1992) CASTLE COMMUNICATION

I'm A Rebel Save Us No Time To Loose Thunder And Lightning China Lady I Wanna Be No Hero The King Do It

Line-up: Udo Dirkschneider - Vocals Wolf Hoffman - Lead Guitars Jörg Fischer - Rhythm Guitarss Peter Baltes - Bass, Vocals Stefan Kaufmann - Drums

Accept's second album is not a as bad as I thought it would be. I'm not sure why, but I imagined an immature and not fully grown band. There are some songs here with a raw and naive sound, but as a whole I think 'I'm A Rebel' has stood the test of time quite nicely. This is one of heavy metal's earliest albums, and that makes it a milestone. The title track is penned by one George Alexander, a pseudonym for none other than George Young, older brother of AC/DC's Angus and Malcolm Young. My version is a re-release from 1992, but the album was originally released in 1980. It has been reissued many times, and I also believe I've seen it released using a different cover.

Killer tracks: I'm A Rebel, No Time To Loose, China Lady, The King

 RESTLESS AND WILD (1982) BRAIN

I have some good memories from this album, so it is nice to finally get it on CD. But time has played a little trick on me, and I have forgotten most of the tracks on this record. It's a classic piece of heavy metal, indeed, but there are actually more fillers than top notch songs here. The opener, "Fast As A Shark", is still a gigantic favorite, and the title track is great also, but then the album falls down a bit, in my eyes (or should I say ears). And it doesn't really pick up again, until the now newly discovered "Don't Go Stealing.....". Then again, what a finale we get in the awesome "Princess Of The Dawn"! But why on earth haven't they fixed the little mistake from the vinyl edition? The track still stops brutally, as the vinyl B-side ran out of wax! You would have thought they fixed this when they recorded it onto CD. Maybe it's the original tape that ran out, and the problem never was with the vinyl? Hope they have fixed it on the remastered series, because now I got to hunt for that one.

Killer tracks: Fast As A Shark, Restless And Wild, Neon Nights, Princess Of The Dawn

BALLS TO THE WALL (1983, 2002) BMG/RCA (Remastered)

Accept were on a roll in the early to mid-eighties, and here is another killer album from them. 'Balls To The Wall' is almost like the blueprint for German 80's metal. The album starts of with the classic title-track, and it doesn't really slow down after that. I don't care as much for the last 3 tracks, but the rest are all metal-history! The 2 extra tracks on this remastered edition are, as far as I can see, picked from the 'Kaizuko-Ban' EP. The live rendition of "Head Over Heals" is outstanding! A MUST!

Killer tracks: Balls To The Wall, London Leatherboys, Head Over Heals, Love Child

METAL HEART (1985, 2002) BMG/RCA (Remastered)

This just sounds like Accept to me. Udo's unique vocals, combined with killer songs, become a winning combination. Most die hard fans feel this was a more commercial record. But when I grew up, and at age 12 listened to this record, these labels weren't in my vocabulary. I just knew what I liked and what I didn't like. And no one can deny that this album has it's share of classics. "Screaming For A Love Bite" is the first song I think about if someone mentions the name Accept. I got the remastered version, with 2 more live tracks featured.

Killer tracks: Screaming For A Love Bite, Midnight Mover, Metal Heart, Too High To Get It Right

LIVE IN JAPAN (1985, 1992) BMG ARIOLA

This live album (or EP?) was originally only released in Japan back in 1985. The original release had a different title ('Kaizuko-Ban') and artwork. My version is a German reissue. As a live recording, this CD is excellent. The sound is good, the band is tight. The only thing missing is MORE SONGS! Just look at the set-list; what Accept fan wouldn't love this?

RUSSIAN ROULETTE (1986, 2002) BMG/RCA (Remastered)

This is the first Accept album I can remember listening to. I think I heard other songs from the band prior to listening to it, but this is the first complete album. And of course I think it rocks. Again people tell me that this is too commercial, but no one can tell me that songs like "Monsterman" and "Another Second To Be" aren't just great! After this record the vocalist quit, and I lost interest in the band. I've secured a remastered version, with 2 more live bonus-tracks (actually, if you have all the 3 remastered version, you also have al the live-tracks from 'Kaizuko-Ban' on CD).

Killer tracks: Monsterman, Another Second To Be, Man Enough To Cry, Aiming High

EAT THE HEAT (1989) EPIC

X-T-C Prisoner Love Sensation Chain Reaction D-Train Generation Clash Turn The Wheel Mistreated Stand 4 What U R Hellhammer Break The Ice (bonus track)

Line-up: David Reece - Vocals Wolf Hoffman - Guitar Peter Baltes - Bass Stefan Kaufmann - Drums Jim Stacey - Rhythm Guitar Additional musicians: Jacky Virgil - Backing Vocals on 3 U.D.O. - Backing Vocals on 7 Mark Dodson - Backing Vocals on 7

Accept sans Udo was not a success. In came two American newbies, most noticeably David Reece (Bangalore Choir, Sircle Of Silence) on vocals. But I'm not sure he was the real "problem" with this disc, although he has in hindsight gotten all the blame. The fact is that he is a great singer, and he fits the music on the disc perfectly. The problem is that the music doesn't sound like Accept. If the album had a different name on the cover, this disc might have been a stellar debut from a new band. A band which sound was just right at the time of the release of this album. 'Eat The Heat' delivers some solid melodic metal, but so few of the tracks give us the idea that we're listening to one of the classic German heavy metal acts. It sounds like an American band, with power ballads and all. "X-T-C" has later been "covered" by U.D.O., and during the reunion with Accept and Udo in the 90's, the band re-recorded "Generation Clash". The album came with a different cover in Europe, and an extra track.

Killer tracks: X-T-C, D-Train, Generation Clash, Mistreated, Hellhammer

OBJECTION OVERRULED (1992) CMC INTERNATIONAL

I always thought that Accept ended with 'Russian Roulette', and that the albums released after that one sucked. I guess it was about time to get rid of preconceived notions like that, because they are often dead wrong. I can't honestly say that this albums ranks as high as 'Metal Heart' or mentioned 'Russian Roulette', but it's still a darn fine metal album! You just gotta love Accept's pure heavy metal, no need for sub genres what so ever. As they themselves so adequately puts it, they are "Slaves To Metal"!

Killer tracks: Objection Overruled, I Don't Wanna Be Like You, All Or Nothing

Accept also appear on:  

V/A - 'Hear 'n Aid: Stars'

Udo Dirkschneider guest appearances:

Accept - 'Eat The Heat'

HammerFall - 'I Want Out' (single)

HammerFall - 'Renegade' (single)

HammerFall - 'Masterpieces'

Lordi - 'The Arockalypse'

Related artists:

U.D.O., Sinner, Running Wild, Helloween, Paradox, Don Dokken, X-Wild