Thursday, August 2: Accept, âBreak the Iceâ
Eat the Heat was nearly impossible to defend, although David Reece spent the last 30 years doing his best. Â But Acceptâs first attempt at existing without Udo Dirkschneider had enough good moments to at least somewhat work on its own merits: yes, it was overly commercial and given to horrendous lyrics, but Wolf Hoffmann, Peter Baltes and Stefan Kaufmann couldnât help but reveal some of their eccentricities, even when they were trying so hard to play it straight. Â And it was in that weird space that âBreak the Iceâ existed, since it was both slick and frenzied, aiming for the radio while still busting a nut in the chorus. Â Reeceâs yelping was cartoonish and ludicrously over the top, but fit the material better than most would like to admit, and Acceptâs playing was as tight and precise as ever. Â The song wasnât a neglected masterpiece, and the band had already peaked both creatively and commercially, but âBreak the Iceâ worked well enough on its own terms, delivering a fun if aimless headbanger that capped the â80s and ultimately ended Acceptâs major label days in America.
