Accept

Born alongside Scorpions, Accept quickly left their languorous slows behind to set about renewing heavy metal in tornado fashion. With each of their appearances, the earthquake is not far away, and gusts of wind rise to the sound of leaden rhythms, drums that seem to be hit with great blows of hammers, and the heart-rending voice of its singer. 

Because this band, which has seen many departures, arrivals and controversies, has always risen above adversity to deliver its popular, powerful, supercharged heavy metal on stage or on record. With both fingers in the pie, they are for many the inventors of speed metal, accelerating the tempo like frantic devils on the now mythical Fast as a Shark, and not afraid to mix genres that many would like to see separated. Beethoven as album opener? Why not! Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake galvanized into an electric guitar version? Sublime! Mixing metal and traditional song? Done and done! The band doesn't deny itself anything, and through their break-ups and acquisitions, they dare to do anything, while remaining faithful to their fans and the unbearable solos that have made them famous. 

Their lyrics also stand out in a world dominated by demons, witches and other terrifying serial killers. What speaks to them, and what they deliver with frenzied riffs and shattering rhythms, are their reflections on racism, social resistance, human rights... It's incisive, it's powerful and it's been piercing to the heart for almost 50 years. When you see them live on stage, you envy the spirit and energy of their earlier years. Wolf Hoffmann is still the young wolf with the piercing solos, accompanied by his lifelong friend, bassist Peter Baltes, and now by Mark Tornillo, Uwe Lulis and Christopher Williams, who bring a breath of fresh air to the still legendary Accept classics.