UDO hit the Token Lounge to bid farewell to Accept, playing all Accept songs for 125 minutes. Paxton Hood and Wulfhook joined the legendary band.

Opening the night was Wulfhook. This four-piece metal band from Detroit formed in 2009 and has been active since 2011. They have played many regional shows, sharing the stage with acts such as Diamond Plate, Warbringer, Accept, and Lazarus A.D. Together, they have recorded three demo albums before signing with Divebomb Records and recording their debut album, The Impaler.
Following the recent departure of their singer, Matt Martin (guitar), the band chose to play an instrumental performance for the Token crowd. With the combination of blistering guitar duos, bottom-dwelling bass, and booming drums, this band delivered a fantastic blend of gritty power metal. This band commands the attention of their audience, hard vocals or none. One fan yelled during the set, “You don’t need a vocalist!”
To close their set, they treated us to a cover of Megadeth’s “Take No Prisoners” with Mullaly taking over the vocals. Wulfhook is Mike Mullaly (bass), Chris Wellman (guitar), and Jeff Ditner (drums).
The Impaler is available at Tribunal/Divebomb Records.

Up next was Paxton Hood, rushing the stage with a cover of Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper.” This Ypsilanti metal band formed in late 1991 by Jim Sharp and Chris Wrentmore. The group is jam packed with energy and captivated the crowd. From the pillar of a guitarist, dizzying the crowd with his solos, to the grooving bassist clad in a kilt, to the pounding drummer, and the animated, gritty vocalist; they had the crowd headbanging the entire time. Their sound ranges from harsh punk to dark and grinding metal. It’s obvious that this band loves what they do, putting their all into the music and having a blast the entire time.

With the crowd packed to the brim, curtains opened to resounding cheers with U.D.O lined up on stage. Udo Dirkschneider is well known for both his solo band and his time as the vocalist of 1980s metal icon Accept. For many years, he has been incorporating his well-known Accept material into his shows. For this tour, Udo will be saying goodbye to his Accept days, playing an almost two-hour set comprised solely of Accept songs for the last time.

Udo kicked things off with “Starlight” and “Living for Tonite,” launching the crowd into a deafening, head banging night of classic metal. The band moves and plays seamlessly together. Andrey Smirnov (guitar), Kasperi Heikkinen (guitar), and Fitty Wienhold (bass/backing vocals) are electric, running around the stage and dazzling the crowd with all the right poses and antics. Udo’s son, Sven Dirkschneider, is a powerhouse behind the drums. The band is incredibly engaging, getting right in the crowd, grinning ear to ear. Udo was the stoic juggernaut he always is; belting out his gravelly searing vocals that only he can do.

The array of songs in the two-hour set was truly impressive, fulfilling all the fans hopes. They covered 1981s Breaker (“Breaker,” “Son Of A Bitch,” and “Midnight Highway”), 1982s Restless And Wild (the title track, “Neon Nights,” “Flash Rockin’ Man” and “Princess Of The Dawn”). 1983s Balls To The Wall had the crowd screaming (“Head Over Heels,” “Losers And Winners” and the ballad “Winterdreams”). 1985s Metal Heart (“Midnight Mover,” “Up To The Limit,” “Wrong Is Right,” and “Screaming For A Love-Bite”), and 1986s Russian Roulette (“T.V. War” and “Monsterman”). Udo covered the span of his time with Accept, giving the fans a chance to hear rarely played Accept songs.
The crowd was rapturous. You had the young metalheads hearing some songs for the first time next to the old rock fans who were traveling down memory lane, everyone headbanging and singing along with the band. When “London Leatherboys” started, you almost couldn’t hear Udo over the crowd.

“Metal Heart” started the encore, and from there, Udo delivered on some of the biggest hits. “I’m a Rebel” and “Fast as a Shark” which Udo led his audience in a singalong. They ended with Accept‘s national anthem, “Balls to the Wall,” and the crowd practically exploded with energy.
Udo’s time with Accept was profound to many metalheads for decades. We are all excited to see Udo continue with his solo career, but this tour was a perfect sendoff to the music that fueled generations that live and breathe heavy metal.

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Udo Dirkschneider
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Paxton Hood
Website | Facebook

Wulfhook
Website | Facebook

The Token Lounge
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Event Date: 12-Jan-2016

About The Author

Calling Detroit, Michigan home, Sami has been photographing for many years and has been with National Rock Review since near the beginning. She is a photographer and writer for National Rock Review as well as being the US Marketing Manager, PR Correspondent, and Editor. She also owns her own photography business, Sami Lipp Photography. Capturing the excitement of live music and the passion of musicians is something she lives for. She is excited to grow her career in music photography every day.