Top 10: Accept Songs

While Scorpions may be the undisputed kings of German metal, an equally talented five piece gave them a run for their money in the early 80s. Armed with a four on the floor rhythm section, twin axe attack, and the shrill vocals of Udo Dirkschneider, Accept embodied true heavy metal. They didn’t just sound the part. They looked it too, even if it raised the eyebrows of Middle American parents. In this week’s Top 10, we pay tribute to these Teutonic titans. Who’s ready to get “Restless and Wild”?

10. “Son of a Bitch”

Kicking off our list at #10 is the profanity laden powerhouse, “Son of a Bitch”. Breaker (1981) was a much angrier sounding album than its predecessors. The hard rock influences present on the self titled debut (1979) and I’m a Rebel (1980) were nowhere to be found, especially on this track. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to be on Udo Dirkschneider’s bad side!

9. “Another Second to Be”

By the time Accept released Russian Roulette in the spring of 1986, the traditional metal ship had sailed. Denim and leather clad headbangers moved on to the thrashing sounds of Metallica, Slayer, and Kreator. It’s really a shame because Russian Roulette is a hidden masterpiece. Realizing they may have strayed too far into pop metal territory on Metal Heart (1985), Russian Roulette saw Accept’s return to the big Eurocentric sound of Balls to the Wall (1983). It was heavy enough for the metalheads and poppy enough for the DJs, yet did nothing for either. An album of standout tracks, it’s “Another Second to Be”, with its massive chorus and razor sharp riffs, that stands above all.

8. “Living for Tonite”

Once Def Leppard struck multi-platinum with Pyromania, every hard and heavy act the globe over wanted a slice of the pie. Accept was no exception. 1985’s Metal Heart was the band’s attempt at further capitalizing on their newfound success and infamy in America. It was as every bit ingenious as past albums, but aside from “Midnight Mover” and “Screaming for a Love-Bite” being minor rock radio hits, it didn’t do much in terms of sales. Perhaps the biggest mistake was not releasing our #8, “Living for Tonite”, as a single. Listen to this song and imagine Klaus Meine’s voice instead of Udo’s. “Living for Tonite” is truly the best song never written for Love at First Sting.

7. “Don’t Go Stealing My Soul Away”

“Don’t Go Stealing My Soul Away” predates “Living for Tonite” by a few years and is much more primal in nature, but there’s one thing both songs have in common: They should’ve been massive hits. For every relentless rager Accept had in them, they had a brilliant pop song like this. Sure it’s simple, but who said every song needs to be a technical wankfest? “Don’t Go Stealing My Soul Away” has been a personal favorite of mine for years. The chorus is addictive, the riffs boast the same hard rocking charm as AC/DC and Scorpions, and most importantly, there’s cowbell! Everyone knows you can never have too much cowbell.

6. “Loser and Winners”

Everything about Balls to the Wall was more refined than Restless and Wild and Breaker. The songwriting, musicianship, and production reached a new peak. It had anthemic arena rockers (“Balls to the Wall”, “London Leatherboys”), dreamy power ballads (“Winter Dreams”), and no nonsense barn burners like our #6, “Losers and Winners”. Get a load of that guitar sound! They don’t produce records like this anymore.

5. “Princess of the Dawn”

Each album side of Restless and Wild closed with a long, dark epic. Side A’s “Neon Nights” (no relation to Black Sabbath’s “Neon Knights”) almost made this list. But its side B’s grand finale, “Princess of the Dawn”, that comes in at #5. I always imagined this was Accept’s way of letting Maiden know they weren’t alone in the “5+ minute pseudo-prog suite” category. And if that ending isn’t the metal equivalent to The Sopranos final scene, I don’t know what is.

4. “Balls to the Wall”

I’ve always held the belief that most bands’ biggest hits achieve such status because they’re palatable and radio friendly. Seldom do they represent the full scope of a band’s collective abilities. However, there are some exceptions. “Balls to the Wall” is one such exception. I don’t even think Accept themselves expected this war cry for human rights to become the defining song of their career. Thanks to its shout along chorus and gargantuan lead riff, “Balls to the Wall” became exactly that. A memorable music video and homoerotic album cover only further stoked the flames of success.

3. “Metal Heart”

This album and song hold a very special place in my heart (no pun intended). I picked it up at an antique shop on a family vacation. I must’ve been 11 years old. At the time, my knowledge of Accept was limited to “Balls to the Wall” and “Fast as a Shark”. This opening post-apocalyptic sci-fi tale made me a diehard fan from that day forward. The buildup alone is so magnificent and larger than life. It hurt not to put “Metal Heart” at #1, but read on and you’ll understand why.

2. “Breaker”

“Breaker” is everything heavy metal should be: loud, fast, raw, angry, unapologetic, unrelenting…am I missing any other adjectives? It’s one of those songs that makes me want to burn up the highway at 250 MPH. The problem is finding a vehicle that can reach such speeds without self combusting. Furthermore, let’s talk about the excellence of the lyric, “Icicle brains, bicycle chains”. I still don’t know what the hell it means, but the best lyrics make no sense at all.

1. “Fast as a Shark”

The year is 1982. You’re in your basement with your best friends, beer in one hand, joint in the other. You’ve just picked up the new Accept album, Restless and Wild. The needle drops and you do a double take. “What the…” You may be buzzed, but you’re sober enough to know that is indeed a German children’s song coming out of your speakers. After a brief 20 seconds of confusion, you’re greeted by the skull splitting shriek of Udo Dirkschneider and the fastest riff you’ve ever heard. From that night forward, your life is never the same again.

If you’re of a certain age, that first paragraph is very likely the first memory you have of this song. The only other songs of 1982 that come close to the intensity of “Fast as a Shark” are Venom’s “Black Metal” and Raven’s “Faster than the Speed of Light”. All three songs are groundbreaking album openers that paved the way for the thrash explosion of ’83 and ’84. Without them, a good percentage of the bands I review and you listen to would not exist. And that, my friends, is why “Fast as a Shark” is the greatest Accept song of all time.