Restless and wild...

Nostra Dam
Dec 30, 2020
7 min read

Updated: Nov 21, 2025

Accept is a German group formed in 1976 in Solingen and originally composed of Wolf Hoffmann, Udo Dirkschneider and Peter Baltes. Who will be joined quickly by Gerhard Wahl and Frank Friedrich.

Group which released a first eponymous album three years later in 1979, album which unfortunately fell somewhat under the radar. Just like "I’m a rebel" in 1980 and "Breaker" in 1981.

They will have to wait for 1982 and the release of the album "Restless and wild" to finally see their efforts rewarded, notably thanks to titles like "Fast as a shark" and "Restless and wild".

The beginning of recognition, the real one, came a year later in 1983 with the release of the album "Balls to the wall", an album which allowed the group to expand its notoriety on a planetary level. Album which will mainly produce the Single of the same name.

But it was the album "Metal heart", which came out in 1985, which was really going to consecrate them on the international scene. Album from which will be extracted two flagship titles that are "Midnight mover" and "Screaming for a love-bite".

Planetary success which was not denied in 1986 with the release of the album "Russian roulette", an album with less success than its predecessor but with major success all the same. A success mainly due to the Single "T.V. war".

A beautiful machine which will start to seize up thereafter with an album "Eat the heat" in 1989 which knows only a relative success. A counter performance which foreshadows a slow, but inexorable, collapse of the group in the Charts. Decline during the decade which will follow and this in spite of the release of several albums.

The group will rise again from its ashes in a surprising way during the decade of 2010 but that is another story.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

70s Decade :

Lady Lou 1979
Tired of me 1979
Seawinds 1979

80s Decade :

I’m a rebel 1980
No time to lose 1980
China lady 1980
Burning 1981
Starlight 1981
Midnight highway 1981
Fast as a shark 1983
Restless and wild 1983
Princess of the dawn 1983
London leatherboys 1983
Losing more than you've ever had 1983
Balls to the wall 1984
Midnight mover 1985
Screaming for a love-bite 1985
Living for tonite 1985
T.V. war 1986
Generation Clash 1989

90s Decade :

I don’t wanna be like you 1993
All or nothing 1993
Slaves to metal 1993
Bad habits die hard 1994
The beast inside 1994
Like a loaded gun 1994
Hard attack 1996
Crossroads 1996
Making me scream 1996

2010s Decade :

The abyss 2010
Teutonic terror 2010
Pandemic 2010
Helfire 2012
Shadow soldiers 2012
Twist of fate 2012
Stampede 2014
Fall of the empire 2014
Dark side of my heart 2014
Koolaid 2017
Analog man 2017
Worlds colliding 2017

2020s Decade :

The undertaker 2021
Too mean to die 2021
Samson and Delilah 2021
Humanoid 2024
The Reckoning 2024
Frankenstein 2024

Tracks :

1979 ... a first title which immediately shows the trend : little guys aren't here to laugh. We have been warned !

1979...only one track was officially released as a Single that year, but it would have been a shame not to talk at least a little about the others...

1979...a debut album that immediately showed the group had undeniable potential. Now they just had to prove it in practice...

1980 ... the rise in power is linear and the group shows more than obvious potential. Certainly, in a very particular musical field but which will experience its heyday during this blessed decade...

1980...as before, only one Single will be officially released from this new album. But as before, it would be a shame not to talk about the others at least a little...

1980...certainly the group is still struggling to take the final step that separates him from the big leagues, but it's getting closer, that's obvious...

1981 ... a title which borders on the speed of light and especially the exit of the road. But overspeed is one of the main components of this musical movement. Take it or leave it !

1981...admittedly the group will never top the charts with such a sound, but they are far from undeserving, it must be said...

1981...it's possible that what followed would finally rhyme with the word "takeoff." At least in terms of albums, because the Singles were more of a mixed bag...

1983 ... a year that will not be remembered as their best, that's clear. On this track, we are at the limit of the inaudible. Not to mention a title intro that will be controversial given that it refers to a time of the darkest for Germany ...

1982 ... Germany and England provided most of the top names in this musical movement. A natural predisposition that only historians can explain to us ...

1983... a track that wasn't officially released as a Single, but it would have been a shame to overlook it. Here it is, brought back into the spotlight as it deserves...

1983...the level of success progresses album after album, which can only be reassuring about what's to come...

1983...it is clear that everything is now in place for the group to finally achieve the recognition, the real recognition, that he has been chasing since its beginnings...

1984 ... then THIS title comes ! They sign here surely what will remain as one of their most emblematic titles and which finally allows them to access the Elite of the discipline. HU-GE !

1985 ... the sound, like the style, now fits perfectly with the latest trends of the moment in this field. But they still lack that little extra that would allow them to produce THE title that could make all the difference on the competition ...

1985 ... a BIG year 1985 with quality on every level. The group is inspired like never before and unfolds in an impressive way !

1985... a track that wasn't officially released as a Single, but which is nonetheless quite interesting. Here it is, brought back into the spotlight as it deserves...

1986 ... the relapse is brutal the following year with a return to the original bases. Too much overspeed kills overspeed, a concept that they find difficult to master at first glance ...

1986... that won't stop this new album from having a successful run in the charts, no matter what. So there's no reason to worry...

1986...an album that only produced a Single, despite containing other tracks of obvious merit. Proof once again...

1989 ... big air gap of 3 years followed by a return in a certain form. In any case, sufficient form to see them return to the race. For how much longer, good question ...

1989...another track that wouldn't be officially released as a Single. It has to be said that they had a bunch of albums with only one Single released...

1989...same for that title. It's clear that we've brought a number of titles back into the spotlight thanks to them...

1993 ... this time, it's a 4 years air gap that will separate this title from the previous title. And the least we can say is that the group does not come back especially inspired in this new decade ...

1993 ... and yet, when they want, they can produce quality title, the proof ! A production of quality titles too sawtooth and which will have strongly penalized them in the end ...

1993...whatever the case may be, this does not prevent them from continuing the adventure as they see fit, and it doesn't matter whether there is success or not...

1994 ... once again in excess and over-boosting. Frankly unfortunate because they had all the potential to have the same career as a German band called...Scorpion

1994...like many albums before it, this one only produced one Single. It would have been a shame not to mention the others...

1994...it's worth bringing back into the spotlight what can be highlighted. Admittedly, not all their tracks are of equal quality, but the good ones deserve to be talked about...

1996 ... unfortunately, they never knew how to find the recipe, or at least the magic ingredient, which could have propelled them to the highest peak of the Charts. Hard law of the trade ...

1996...which won't stop them from continuing to believe in it, and frankly, who could blame them for that ?

1996...and as in music, nothing is ever truly over, a possible comeback is never out of the question. So why not believe in it as much as possible...

2010...it's good to believe, but that won't be enough to prolong the adventure any further. At least not until the 2010s, a decade that will see them rise from the ashes in a most spectacular fashion...

2010...just when we thought we'd never see them again, here they are back in a most unexpected and, above all, unforeseen way...

2010...and the die-hard fans certainly aren't going to complain, far from it. Seeing their favorite band return can only delight them immensely...

2012...and not only are they back, but they're back with plenty of material in stock. A return that's anything but stealthy at first glance...

2012...it took them a while to ask the right questions, but that's the case at first glance. A welcome realization...

2012...it must be said that this decade 2010 will see the return of many groups from the 80s, like them...

2014...a decade conducive to the resurrection of a number of groups who thought they no longer had the capacity to produce anything...

2014...who could have imagined when they stopped in the middle of the 90s that the adventure would resume even more brilliantly almost 15 years later...?

2014...not many people, that's for sure. But it's clear they didn't think they'd given their all in their seemingly initial venture...

2017... a decade packed with new releases, that much is clear. And it's not over yet, far from it. What more could you ask for ?

2017...a winning comeback, at least, judging by the level of success achieved in the charts. A more than flattering level of success...

2017...they were right to believe in it, in any case. This proves once again that nothing is ever truly over in music !

2021...so why not try to move on to the next decade then ? And here they are, faithful to their post once again...

2021...we imagine they'll give it their all, just like in the previous decade. And the die-hard fans certainly won't complain about that again...

2021...it remains to be seen whether this decade will be as favorable to them as the previous one. Only the future can tell...

2024...for now at least, they continue to move forward with the firm intention of never giving up. A determination to believe until the very end that undeniably commands respect...

2024...and it's clear they feel less and less alone because a bunch of groups from their generation have also come back during this decade, the 2020s...