#t.t. quick

Mark Tornillo 08/06/1954

Accept’s decision to reconvene with Mark Tornillo replacing the iconic Udo Dirkschneider received shockingly little pushback from audiences: even though their previous attempt at a non-Udo run with David Reece was mostly forgiven and forgotten, and even though the band’s three ‘90s records with Udo at the helm were increasingly disheartening, fans were surprisingly willing to go with the notion of a different frontman (and an American, no less) leading the legendary outfit.  And their faith was ultimately rewarded, as “Beat the Bastards” opened Blood of the Nations and hit with more force and venom than anyone was expecting, updating the approach of Restless & Wild but staying true to the crushing spirit that defined Accept’s legacy.  Tornillo’s screeching was naturally different from Dirkschneider’s caterwaul, but the T.T. Quick vocalist blended in seamlessly with Wolf Hoffmann’s charging riffs and Stefan Schwarzmann’s frantic yet super-precise drumming, and “Beat the Bastards” more than lived up to its title.  It wasn’t just that everything locked in place, it was that nobody was really expecting an Accept record in 2006 to sound this purposeful and relentless.  And while this new-model Accept would eventually wear this formula down to tedium, “Beat the Bastards” was a striking declaration of vitality from a band most had long since written off.