Accept @ Copenhell 2024
TURN DOWN THAT FUCKING KICK DRUM!!
Ever wondered if you might be a real metalhead? Here's a fun little 1-question test to determine that:
How many albums by Accept do you own?
If it's less than 10, you might be a poser. You're welcome.
So, yours truly being a real metalhead and all, I'm not missing Accept for anything. I know: Some people claim that the group's iconically cubic ex-vocalist Udo Dirkschneider is their true vocalist. And there may be a significant overlap between those people and the ones who moaningly point out that guitarist Wolf Hoffmann is the only original member left.
Both groups have a point. But I've seen Accept with current vocalist Mark Tornillo, and he is a fucking powerhouse. Also, and most importantly, there will, of course, be bangers.
But alas, you all saw that headline up there.
When bad sound is bad enough, it can ruin even the best of music. And that's exactly what's going on right here. Sure, the guitars are audible to a certain extent, but many of the solos get more or less muddled out, and everything's halfway drowning in a constant, overarching kickdrum BLDLDLDLDLDLDLDLDLDLDLDLDLDLD.
Sadly, and not surprisingly, this is especially prevalent during classic proto-thrasher "Fast As a Shark". But it's there from start to finish. And even though we are, of course, able to recognize its fellow classics such as "Princess of the Dawn" and "Metal Heart" mid-set, the problem is too big for me to ignore.
We are, of course, still rocking out as is mandatory here. And the band, 15 minutes late after having only landed at the airport two hours ago, seem perfectly joyous to have made it. Purely performance-wise, the Teutonic terror is doing nothing wrong. But that goddamn sound is a much bigger problem than the fact that we don't get other classics like "London Leatherboys" or "Midnight Mover" (just to name a couple of alliterative ones).
On the whole, then, we're not below average, but we're not very high above, either.
I love heavy metal more than you do, and going forward, I will be seeing Accept whenever I can. But if this shit happens again, I will be having an impatient chat with their sound tech.
Rating: 3.5 out of 6
Genre: Heavy metal
Venue: Copenhell, Helvíti stage
Date: Sat., June 22nd, 2024
Setlist:
- The Reckoning
- Humanoid
- Overnight Sensation
- Medley: Demon's Night / Starlight / Losers and Winners / Flash Rockin' Man
- Princess of the Dawn
- Metal Heart
- Fast as a Shark
- Teutonic Terror
- Pandemic
- Balls to the Wall