Narcotic Wasteland

Narcotic Wasteland came out and decided to really give it to the older crowd. They thrashed, they growled, and they kicked a serious amount of ass! Being on the bass player’s side, I could not help but notice this dude was fantastic with his instrument. Watching how he used a back-and-forth movement to get more speed for the string strikes was pretty mesmerizing. He got a lot of notes out in a very short time with not a tremendous amount of effort, so kudos to him for getting it right!

Dallas handled the stage and the crowd well, engaging with them frequently and ensuring they knew what was happening. These guys seem like an odd pairing for this tour, but they didn’t let that deter them from coming out and putting on a killer show. I saw more than a few people afterward make a beeline for the merch table, which is a sign the band did what they were supposed to, melt faces and take names!

It’s also cool to watch when there is more than one singer in the band for the live shows. Here, the drummer and second guitarist help with the backing vocals and harmonies. Dallas went from gritty and distorted to straight growls, but the other two stuck to growls. They played a very tight show, which was easy to tell because the sound engineer did a pretty good job, and the mix was clear enough to tell they were in sync. I love it when I leave a show with a new band to listen to because the openers blew my mind!

Accept

So, the last time I saw Accept live was opening for Saxon in1985, so this was a real treat for me. I “grew up” on their old stuff, but also really like their newer material. Too Mean To Die is a great album, and I was excited about hearing some of those songs. We were lucky and got Mark Tornillo back for this show after a few dates he missed due to an illness.

As soon as the band walked out, you knew it would be a killer show. The venue is new, the sound is good, and the seating lent itself to a great view. I had a lot of people my age in the area, but there were also some younger folks. One kid, in particular, was really excited to be there. He is a fan of the newer material, and dad is more of an old-school fan. He stood by the railing for most of the show, throwing up the horns and rocking like a seasoned pro. The cool thing is Uwe walked over and handed him a pick, which was incredibly cool to watch.

As for the music, there was a great mix of old and new, and the band scattered it out, so there were no natural groupings of one era or the other. I was extremely happy with the setlist. I heard all my old favorites, except for Winter Dreams, but I still got to hear almost everything I wanted. Hearing the new songs live was quite the thrill as well. Mark is a killer singer, and he ruled that stage. Uwe and Wolf did double duty on guitars and vocals, and even Christopher got into the backing vocal action from the drum riser.

Philip, the third guitarist on stage, came out front several times and harmonized with Wolf to show off his skill set. Martin did not venture to the front of the stage with his bass, but you heard him the whole time, slaying that rhythm, working with Chris to ensure there was a killer groove throughout the show. Accept has toured the world for decades. Even though some of these musicians are relatively new to the band, you know they can hack it. Wolf is justifiably proud of what Accept has done and what they’ve become, so you know he will only recruit the best for the tour.

Accept put on one of the most solid shows I’ve seen in the seven years I’ve been going to concerts in the New England area. They worked the crowd, played with precision and skill that is amazing to witness, and designed a set that pleased all the fans, old and new. No one left unhappy; most people stayed until the last note to ensure they got every second of pleasure they could reap from this concert. Accept is, and will remain, one of the best live bands touring today.

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