There is a scene in the seminal 1994 film Jurassic Park when, as the park is falling apart and the dinosaurs are running loose, Ian Malcolm says to John Hammond, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” Those words were the first that popped into my head when I heard about this celebration of 50 years of Accept.
Accept – Teutonic Titans 1976-2026
Release Date: 4 September 2026
Words:Â Paul Hutchings
Now, I love Accept. A formative band in my early Metal years, there are plenty of anthemic songs that form part of my base layer of Heavy Metal.
Even in recent times, they have continued to release decent albums and songs. OK, I will ignore that one about the Kool-Aid. And live, they remain great fun. But getting 50 guests to perform on this album? Just why?
For a start, this release only covers albums from 1980 to 1989. It ignores the 1979 self-titled debut and any album post East The Heat. Hardly a celebration of the band’s full work, and the songs selected are ones that mainly featured the 80s/90s line-up with vocalist Udo Dirkschneider.
For me, Udo’s unique vocal delivery was a huge part of the band’s appeal, and whilst Mark Tornillo has done a sterling job since 2010’s Blood Of The Nations, these songs are definitely part of the Udo legacy, as much as Wolf’s.
The title is as typically German as one might expect. Cringeworthy in every respect, we can only admire the thick-skinned style within which they operate.
But what about the music? Well, as you would expect, it is slick and well-produced. Each track is packed with superstars and a few surprises as well. There are plenty of videos on the band’s social media pages that explain the choices.
Each track is muscular, buoyed by the amount of testosterone floating around. By my reckoning, the only female contributor is Ava Rebekah Rahman, whose electronic violin on Metal Heart is one of the standout moments here.
Choice cuts? Opener Fast As A Shark is delivered in typically high tempo, with Mikkey Dee giving the hammer as expected to a song often credited as Proto-Thrash Metal, alongside Phil Anselmo, Kirk Hammett and Billy Sheehan.
Do we need Rob Halford on Balls To The Wall? As great as he is, I prefer the slower, brooding original. Chuck Billy pops in for a verse on Aiming High. It’s OK, although better when Tornillo takes over.
The reworking of Hellhammer from 1989’s Eat The Heat (which boasts one of the dullest album covers of all time) is perhaps one of the best here. Jason McMaster, legendary singer from Watchtower, works well with Tornillo and the current Accept line-up to bring a contemporary version of a track that featured David Reece on vocals. The original still wins in my book, though.
Elsewhere, it is all a bit back-slapping for back-slapping’s sake if you ask me. The songs are big, brash, and modern-sounding versions of tracks written and developed in the ’80s. Love Child sees Billy Corgan knock it out of the park. Sebastian Bach brings his own approach to London Leatherboys, but again, I prefer Udo’s menacing growl.
Ask me to choose three classic Accept tracks, and they are surely Fast As A Shark, Balls to the Wall and Restless And Wild. The latter closes the record with help from Chris Jericho, KK Downing, Billy Sheehan and Ray Luzier. Faster and more powerful than the original, it does not touch the 1982 version.
I am not a huge fan of this type of release, as you can probably tell. There is nothing wrong with the musicianship, the singing or the production.
There has been a huge amount of time and effort to arrange, record and produce this album. But I cannot help thinking that a new release to follow the solid 2024 Humanoid would have been a better place to celebrate their 50 years.
Accept release Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 on 4 September 2026. The album can be pre-ordered at lnk.to/Accept-TeutonicTitans/napalmrecords.
