Only a year has transpired since Teutonic heavy metal legends Accept were last in London but another appearance at the roomy (for a metal act) Forum suggests they have certainly not overstayed their welcome on these shores. With a spat of songs beloved by any metalhead worth their salt, this is a bold highlight in the calendar of those with a penchant for classic metal.
Support tonight comes from England's own Hell, formed in 1982 but only releasing their debut album in 2011 following a lengthy hiatus. Their brand of heavy metal is particularly colourful and very contemporary in sound. Vocalist Kev Bower has a theatrical singing voice and his stage presence matches as he commands the stage while donning a crown of thorns. The setlist revolves around sophomore album 'Curse and Chapter' with heavy metal hymns such as 'The Age of Nefarious', 'Blasphemy and the Master' and 'Land of the Living Dead'. With such a thoroughly entertaining set, it appears challenging for the audience to resist headbanging and singing along where they know the lyrics, most notable on concluding with popular number 'On Earth as It is in Hell'.
German heavy metal veterans Accept burst out on stage with new song 'Stampede', which instantly whips the audience into a frenzy. Despite having been active since the seventies, the Germans are lively on stage and the fans feed of their abundant energy. Vocalist Mark Tornillo replaces the original voice of Accept Udo Dirkschneider and the split was certainly not amicable. In spite of this, Tornillo is a solid replacement with gruff higher pitched vocals echoing his predecessor fairly and replicating the classics commendably.
Proving they are more than a nostalgia act, the quintet perform five songs off last year's album 'Blind Rage', including 'Dying Breed', 'Fall of an Empire' and 'Final Journey'. Naturally it is the eighties songs that inspire the most robust reactions in the fans and the likes of classic heavy metal sounding 'Flash Rockin' Man',the slower 'Princess of the Dawn' and free-wheeling 'Restless and Wild' flawlessly evoke triumphant heavy metal vigor. The taped intro to 'Fast as a Shark' signals the end of the main body of the set before the Germans vacate the stage. Before too long, they are brought back to appease the fans, their encore launching into the iconic 'Metal Heart'. This is followed by the newer 'Teutonic Terror' and then the classic 'Son of a Bitch'. The highlight of the evening though is 'Balls to the Walls' with Hell guitarist and famed metal engineer Andy Sneap joining the headliners on guitar. Excellent.
Heavy metal has enjoyed a resilient revival over the past few years and Accept have seen a marked increase in audience numbers. Hopefully this encourages them to return to the capital again soon as it is near impossible for a metalhead to tire of such an outstanding live performance.
FUTURE GIGS
sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.