Hellbound @ Tuska Open Air 2017 in Helsinki
Once again I find myself in Helsinki to attend the Tuska Open Air Festival, which has become a staple in my yearly concert plans….
Udo
Could Udo without Accept possibly be any better than Accept without Udo? I’m about to find out…
So when U.D.O. first announced his North American solo tour back in January, I knew I had to be there. I’ve had the opportunity to see Accept three times since their 2010 reunion, but I’ve never seen the original voice of Accept. And that’s no knock on Mark Tornillo, who has filled in admirably in both the vocal and the height department…
Accept – Stalingrad
What we have on our hands is another classic 21st century record from one of my favourite 80’s metal bands, and I sure as hell ain’t complaining!
U.D.O. – Rev-Raptor
While it’s not the coinciding North American tour that was threatened around the time Accept announced its reformation without their former singer, Udo Dirkschneider’s latest “solo” effort hits shelves exactly one month after his former band graced the Mod Club stage in T.O.. To say I’m a little underwhelmed would be an understatement.
ACCEPT: In Conversation With Wolf Hoffmann
“Well, it is really one of those funny stories in life which started as a big coincidence. The short version is that, about a year and a half ago we met Mark Tornillo and loved the way he sang. It wasn’t planned out at all. We were not auditioning for a singer or anything. We just happened to meet during a jam session. Peter (Baltes) and I were spending a day just jamming some old riffs. Somebody suggested we call Mark and have him sing along with some old songs. We realized he has a killer voice which was suited perfectly to our old material. The idea to reform was born in that moment. Within about a minute and I half Peter and I just looked at each other and we knew we had to do something.”
Allan Grusie in conversation with ACCEPT guitarist and founding member Wolf Hoffmann about their reformation and the excellent Blood Of The Nations comeback album.
This Week in Metal!
King Diamond and Nergal going under the knife (all of us at Hellbound wish them all the best and a speedy recovery), Metal Film Festivals, Year End lists and more make up “This Week in Metal”, a weekly feature that features what has gone by the past week.
Accept – Blood of the Nations
Despite my quibbles with the lyrical content, this album is a great piece of throwback metal, Andy Sneap harnessing the classic 80’s Accept sound and bringing it into the 21st century. Their last Udo-less effort may not have aged well, but Blood of the Nations is timeless.