The Day Accept Gave a Lesson in Heavy Metal in Lisbon

On June 14, Lisbon received the kind of German metal that sticks in the memory. The Accept took to the Lisboa Live stage with the energy of those just starting out, but with the experience of those who have seen (and survived) every phase of metal. It was a night of heavy riffs, powerful choruses and an audience that responded strongly to every song. If you think heavy metal is getting old, this concert proved exactly the opposite.

The concert marked the group's return to Portuguese soil, after their last performance here in 2017, and it was a long wait in the meantime to see the power of Wolf Hoffmann and his troupe once again. Few times have I seen such a long queue before a concert starts at Lisboa ao Vivo, with tickets sold out, producer Free Music Events opted to delay the concert by half an hour and it was the right decision. At 9:30 p.m. on time, the legendary Germans took to the stage and there was no need for an opening band to warm up the venue, the first chords of "The Reckoning" were enough for the audience to go wild and prove that it was time for Accept to come here again. With the concert based on their latest album Humanoid, released in 2024, it was only natural that the band defended this work with songs like "Frankenstein", "Humanoid", "Straight Up Jack" and "The Reckoning" and, frankly, they all worked with the audience and brought a freshness to the line-up, balancing it perfectly with the band's classics.

The atmosphere was electrifying, the band took short breaks between songs, jolted through their solos, and the audience went wild, shouting "Accept! Accept!" in unison before the first note had even sounded. This was followed by a trio of imposing classics such as "Restless and Wild", "London Leatherboys" and "Living for Tonite", and then the classic moment was the destructive medley "Demon's Night / Starlight / Losers and Winners / Flash Rockin' Man", where it became clear how well the current sextet works together. Having a guitarist like Wolf Hoffmann is already incredible, add Philip Shouse and another legend Uwe Lulis, who made his career with Grave Digger, and the power is at the highest level. It's impossible to attend an Accept concert today without recognizing the impact of Mark Tornillo. Since taking over the vocals in 2009, he has not only kept the band alive after the departure of Udo Dirkschneider, but has also redefined Accept's modern phase with energy, charisma and a vocal delivery that continues to amaze, this is clear from the number of songs from his era on the set list and his performance on classics such as "Breaker" or "Princess of the Dawn".

And here we enter the final part of the two-hour concert, which went by in a flash. With the first chords of "Metal Heart" came a mixture of nostalgia and virtuosity. The Beethoven-quoting intro remains one of metal's most iconic trademarks, and live it sounds even more epic The band's surgical precision shone through here: bass and drums solid as concrete, guitars razor-sharp. The audience couldn't stop, fists raised, choruses in unison and eyes glazed over certainly moved many who were there. Then two songs that have already earned their place among the classics, "Teutonic Terror" and "Pandemic" from the Tornillo phase, kept the energy high. Showing that today's Accept don't live by the past alone, with Tornillo in top form, spitting out each verse as if it were his last, the audience's response was immediate.

After a short break came the encore and the absolute climax with the revolutionary power of "Fast as a Shark", a speed metal that influenced a whole scene that would end up becoming thrash metal in a way, but it was with "Balls to the Wall" that the emotional peak came. The timeless riff echoed around the room and the chorus was shouted from every corner. The song that defines Accept closed the concert with grandeur, provoking hugs, absolute euphoria and a final chorus that didn't seem to want to end, and just when you thought it was all over... came the cherry on top: "I'm a Rebel". A perfect closing, with an almost celebratory tone, it was like a farewell with a smile on your face of satisfaction at having witnessed a real lesson in how to deliver a concert of pure heavy metal, it couldn't be any different, the pioneers of German heavy metal know how to do it well and are sure to always be well received here.