ACCEPT have revealed that their upcoming 50th anniversary album will feature high-profile guest appearances from Frank Bello of ANTHRAX on bass and Billy Sheehan of MR. BIG on bass, adding all-star firepower to what promises to be a landmark celebration of German heavy metal excellence. The special release will include re-recorded versions of ACCEPT classics, rare tracks, and fresh arrangements marking half a century of one of Europe's most enduring heavy metal institutions.
Guitarist Wolf Hoffmann, the last remaining original member and the creative driving force behind ACCEPT since their formation in Solingen, Germany in 1976, stated that "not every band is lucky enough to be around for this long" and promised the anniversary album would serve as both a tribute to ACCEPT's storied past and a statement of their continuing relevance. Hoffmann's distinctive guitar tone -- crystalline, precise, and unmistakably European in character -- has defined the ACCEPT sound across generations, from early NWOBHM-adjacent classics through the Udo Dirkschneider era and into the Mark Tornillo-fronted modern renaissance.
The album is designed to complement the band's ambitious 24-date European 50th anniversary tour announced for fall 2026, spanning 11 countries. Hoffmann has promised "a retrospective of the whole 50-year career" featuring "a lot of the important stuff from the '80s and some deeper cuts" alongside guest singers and musicians at select performances.
The inclusion of Bello and Sheehan speaks to the deep respect ACCEPT command within the wider metal community. Bello, who has anchored ANTHRAX's low end since 1984, brings a thrash-honed intensity, while Sheehan's virtuosic technique -- forged through decades with MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH, and STEVE VAI -- adds a different dimension entirely. Additional guest musicians are expected to be revealed in the coming months as the anniversary celebrations build momentum.