German trad-metallers Accept have announced their 50th anniversary European tour, on which they will embark later this year. The ‘Half A Century Of Metal’ tour will loop across central and southern Europe before finishing in their homeland, playing a total of 24 headline gigs.
The band have promised that this tour will feature tracks that have been long hidden, no doubt mixing their classic early ‘80s output with their more modern albums. According to The Gauntlet, band leader and guitarist Wolf Hoffmann said “we are digging deep into the archives to bring back some gems we haven’t played in a long time.”
Accept, who formed in the western city of Solingen at a time when Germany was still divided, released a string of notoriously strong albums in the classic metal era, such as 1981’s ‘Breaker’, 1982’s ‘Restless and Wild’ and 1983’s ‘Balls to the Wall’. These albums featured live staples like the razor-sharp ‘Fast as a Shark’ and ‘Burning’, both of which were credited with pushing mainstream metal in a heavier direction at the nadir of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, becoming an influence on many of the thrash bands who followed in their Teutonic footsteps.
In recent times, the German rockers have gone through several lineup changes, including the shedding of their long-time frontman Udo Dirkschneider, who departed in 2005 due to professional disagreements between him, Hoffmann and his wife, and the introduction of an entirely new rhythm section, beginning in 2015. This leaves Hoffmann as the only original member remaining in the group since their 1976 inception. Dirkschneider has since had a storied career, releasing albums in their old metal style under various band names, including both U.D.O. and Dirkschneider. The band’s album releases since their former singer’s departure have remained remarkably consistent, with 2010’s ‘Blood of the Nations’, 2014’s World War Two concept album ‘Stalingrad’ and their most recent outing, 2024’s ‘Humanoid’, receiving positive reviews.
On this tour, Accept will be accompanied by Sweden’s ever-stable melodic metallers Dynazty and Tailgunner, a young and insatiable British band currently making serious headway in a traditional metal revival. They recently collaborated with Adam Wakeman for single ‘War in Heaven’ for their second full-length, ‘Midnight Blitz’, which was released on 6 February this year. The album, produced by former Judas Priest guitarist KK Downing, has been released to a great deal of positivity, many describing how they have expanded their musical palette further than their first album, 2023’s ‘Guns for Hire’.
Tickets go on sale this coming Friday. The tour will commence on 19 November and see the German metal crusaders through the Advent period, culminating in a 20 December show at Munich’s Zenith venue, taking the following route:
- 19/11/26 – Germany, Leipzig – Haus Auensee
- 20/11/26 – Germany, Lingen – Emsland Arena
- 21/11/26 – Germany, Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle
- 22/11/26 – France, Paris – L’Olympia
- 24/11/26 – Germany, Balingen – Volksbankmesse
- 25/11/26 – France, Lyon – Transbordeur
- 27/11/26 – Spain, Valencia – Auditorio
- 28/11/26 – Spain, Madrid – La Cubierta
- 29/11/26 – France, Toulouse – Bikini
- 01/12/26 – Switzerland, Zurich – Komplex 457
- 02/12/26 – Italy, Milano – Alcatraz
- 04/12/26 – Austria, Vienna – Gasometer
- 05/12/26 – Czech Republic, Zlin – Sports Hall Datart
- 06/12/26 – Hungary, Budapest – Barba Negra
- 08/12/26 – Germany, Berlin – Uber Eats Music Hall
- 09/12/26 – Poland, Gliwice – Arena Gliwice
- 11/12/26 – Germany, Hamburg – Inselpark Arena
- 12/12/26 – Germany, Offenbach – Stadthalle
- 13/12/26 – Belgium, Brussels – AB
- 15/12/26 – Germany, Herford – Kulturwerk
- 16/12/26 – The Netherlands, Tilburg – O13
- 18/12/26 – Germany, Ulm – Ratiopharm Arena
- 19/12/26 – Germany, Geiselwind – Eventhall
- 20/12/26 Germany, Munich – Zenith
