More than 40 years ago, Accept released what has gone on to be one of its most iconic albums in the form of Balls to the Wall.  Released in December 1983, the album caused controversy at least here in the United States with its cover art and interpreted themes.  Ironically, it has gone on to sell roughly 500,000 copies globally and has gone on to be one of the bands most well-performing records domestically.  It has also seen no less than two separate re-issues (in 2001 and 2002) since its initial release.  Next Friday, Feb. 28, the album is set to get its latest re-issue courtesy of Accept’s former front man, Dirkschneider and his namesake band in the form of Balls to the Wall: Reloaded.

The album’s latest re-issue, which will come via Reigning Phoenix Music, is an interesting revisiting of the classic album.  That is due to the approach taken here.  There are no bonus tracks or other extras.  It is a straight forward presentation enhanced only through the guest vocal performances, two of which have already seen the light of day as singles.  They are the album’s opener/title track, which features a guest appearance from Sabaton front man Joakim Broden and its closer, ‘Winter Hearts,’ which features none other than Doro Pesch.  Those songs are not the only notable entries here, either.  The album offers plenty of other notable re-workings.  When those other re-workings are considered alongside the already presented re-workings, the whole therein makes this updated of Balls to the Wall a presentation that Accept fans and more casual hard rock fans in general will find worth hearing at least once.

Dirkschneider’s forthcoming re-issue of his former band’s album Balls to the Wall is a record that established Accept fans and hard rock fans in general will find mostly appealing.  As noted, that is due to the guest vocal performances featured in each track.  The already released performances make that clear.  They are not the only moments in this revisiting that stand out.  There are plenty more of note, not the least of which being the updated take of ‘Fight It Back.’  Featuring a guest vocal performance by Kreator front man Mille Petrozza, the arrangement here is a full throttle rocker that stays true to its source material.  The blended influence of Motorhead and Judas Priest is just as present here as in the original work, which is paid tribute throughout the nearly four minute opus.  As an added note, the original song runs three minutes, 27 seconds and the update, three minutes, 44 seconds, so there is very little difference between the two.  The only notable difference, other than the powerhouse pairing of Dirschneider and Petrozza, is the amped up sound via the expert production.  It enhances what was already great along with that noted vocal pairing, the whole making this song a standout entry in its own right.

Another notable moment in the album’s revisiting comes later in the album’s run in ‘Turn Me On.’  Featuring guest vocals from Danko Jones front man and band namesake, the song stands out much in the same way that ‘Balls to the Wall’ holds its own.  That is the duo does a sort of back and forth in the versus while pairing up in the choruses.  What is really interesting here is that as with so many of the performances featured throughout the album, his vocals compliment those of Dirkschneider surprisingly well.  That is evidenced in Jones’ rough, gritty approach. Dirkschneider’s own approach is very similar but still boasts its own identity.  The late 80s hard rock that the pair brings to the performance alongside Dirkschneider’s band mates once again enhances the original, stepping it up even more for a whole new generation of audiences.  It is just one more example of how the vocal performances and reworkings in general make this update worth hearing.

One more notable example of the re-issue’s appeal comes in the album’s midpoint, ‘Losing More Than You Ever Had.’  Dirkschneider enlisted the help of Helloween front man Michael Kiske for this song.  On a side note, Helloween released a new live recording, Live at Budokan, late last year.  That recording also came through Reigning Phoenix Music.  The band also has a new anthology, March of Time: The Best of 40 Years due out March 28 through BMG.  This song leans perfectly for Kiske, what with its power metal style approach.  There is a certain richness added to the song through the duality of Dirkschneider and Kiske’s vocals collectively.  That richness is obviously enhanced by the production.  Even the electronic drums used here take listeners back, delivering another layer of nostalgia.  The whole makes this performance of ‘Losing More Than You Ever Had’ yet another clearly positive addition to the record’s re-issue.  When it and the other songs examined are considered collectively alongside the rest of the album’s entries, the whole therein makes the record in whole a welcome addition to this year’s field of new album re-issues.

Dirkschneider launched a tour in support of the album’s re-issue Tuesday in Zagreb, Hungary.    The tour, which will see support from All For Metal and Crownshift, is scheduled to run through Apr. 12 in Sofia, Bulgaria.  Following that run, a fall tour alongside Saxon is set for Nov. 4-16 across the United Kingdom.  The band is also scheduled to perform at this year’s Wacken Open Air Festival in Wacken, Germany.  The sold out festival is scheduled to take place July 30-Aug. 2.  The band’s full live schedule in support of this record is noted below and tickets are available here.

DIRKSCHNEIDER live:

“Balls To The Wall” – 40th Anniversary Tour
w/ CROWNSHIFT, ALL FOR METAL
Presented by Contra Promotion & Metal Hammer
25.02.2025 HR Zagreb – Boogaloo * *NEW*
26.02.2025 AT Vienna – SiMM City
27.02.2025 DE Munich – Backstage *LOW TICKETS*
28.02.2025 DE Leipzig – Haus Auensee *LOW TICKETS*
01.03.2025 CZ Prague – SaSaZu
02.03.2025 HU Budapest – Barba Negra
04.03.2025 RO Bucharest – Quantic Club
06.03.2025 PL Kraków – Klub Studio
07.03.2025 PL Warsaw – Progresja
08.03.2025 LT Vilnius – Kablys
09.03.2025 EE Tallinn – Helitehas *NEW*
10.03.2025 FI Helsinki – Kulttuuritalo
11.03.2025 FI Tampere – Tavara-asema
13.03.2025 NO Oslo – Rockefeller
14.03.2025 SE Gothenburg – Trädgår’n
16.03.2025 DE Berlin – Huxleys Neue Welt
17.03.2025 DE Frankfurt – Batschkapp
18.03.2025 BE Antwerp – Trix
19.03.2025 FR Paris – Le Trabendo
21.03.2025 ES Pamplona – Sala Totem
22.03.2025 ES Madrid – Mon *MOVED*
23.03.2025 ES Barcelona – Razzmatazz 2
25.03.2025 CH Pratteln – Konzertfabrik Z7
26.03.2025 DE Stuttgart – LKA Longhorn *SOLD OUT*
27.03.2025 DE Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle
28.03.2025 DE Hamburg – Große Freiheit 36
29.03.2025 DE Geiselwind – Eventhalle *LOW TICKETS*
30.03.2025 DE Geiselwind – Eventhalle *NEW*
08.04.2025 GR Athens – Fuzz Live Music Club * *NEW*
09.04.2025 GR Thessaloniki – Principal Club Theater * *NEW*
11.04.2025 TR Istanbul – IF Performance Hall Beşiktaş * *NEW*
12.04.2025 BG Sofia – Hristo Botev Hall * *NEW*
* DIRKSCHNEIDER only

30.07. – 02.08.2025 DE Wacken – Wacken Open Air *SOLD OUT* *NEW*

Following its headlining run this spring, the band will join Saxon this fall for the latest leg of its “Hell, Fire and Steel Tour.” The tour’s schedule is noted below:

“Hell, Fire And Steel” Tour
w/ SAXON
04.11.2025 UK Belfast – Ulster Hall *NEW*
05.11.2025 IE Dublin – 3Olympia Theatre *NEW*
07.11.2025 UK Manchester – O2 Apollo *NEW*
08.11.2025 UK Sheffield – The Octagon Centre *NEW*
09.11.2025 UK Glasgow – O2 Academy *NEW*
11.11.2025 UK Newcastle – O2 City Hall *NEW*
13.11.2025 UK Bristol – Beacon *NEW*
14.11.2025 UK Wolverhampton – Civic Hall *NEW*
15.11.2025 UK London – Eventim Apollo Hammersmith *NEW*
16.11.2025 UK Cardiff – The Great Hall *NEW*

More information on Dirkschneider’s new re-issue of Accept’s Balls to the Wall and the band’s tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:

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