Accept, Kings X House of Blues October 13, 2010
While modern heavy metal is split into so many categories and subsets that you practically need a field guild to tell your headbangers apart, things weren't so complicated back in the early '80s when Germany's Accept had their heyday.
But if Tuesday night's show proved anything, it's that solid, electrifying, and (yes) balls-to-the-wall classic heavy metal, played by seasoned pros who actually look like they're having a good time doing it will never be dated or defined by an era (we're talkin' to you, New Romantics!).
Houston's own King's X opened the show with an hour-long set of proficient rock, singer/bassist Dug Pinnick having lost nothing of his vocal range. Aftermath is not too familiar with their music, but a good chunk of the crowd was, singing along with every word to every number.
Touring in their first record in 14 years, the fercious Blood of the Nations, Accept put on old-school show of the highest order. We're talking dual Flying V guitar solos, synchronized stage poses, bottom-feeding bass solos, and many fist-pumps and double bass drums on standout performances of "Restless and Wild," "Metal Heart," "Losers and Winners" and "Fast As a Shark."
And while Aftermath did not get "Turn Me On" or "Love Child" as hoped for, the set list reflected picks from most of the band's discography, adding opener "Starlight, " Living for Tonight," and "To the Limit" among others.
Surprisingly, some of the better peformances sprung from Blood, including the near-thrash sounds of "Teutonic Terror," "Bucket Full of Hate," and a standout "Pandemic," which was a favorite of Aftermath's cohort, "Metal" Manny Cruz.
Guitarist/bandleader Wolf Hoffmann, along with co-founding bassist Peter Baltes, found a lot of joy in their performances with palpable looks, something that's sadly increasingly rare among bands. And they weren't simply trotting out the old stuff for the fans, but had something fresh to offer - even skewering Wall Street and "the Bernie Madoffs of the world" in "No Shelter."