Their current lineup consists of Hoffmann, vocalist Mark Tornillo, guitarists Uwe Lulis and Philip Shouse, drummer Christopher Williams and bassist Martin Motnik. Before arriving at their current lineup, Accept has undergone numerous lineup changes, being Hoffmann the last remaining original member since its inception, and he is the only band member to appear on each album.
Accept played an important role in the development of speed and thrash metal, and they were part of the German heavy metal scene, which emerged in the early to mid-1980s. They have also been cited as an influence or inspiration by a number of acts, including Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Pantera, Testament, Anthrax, Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Overkill, Exodus, and Annihilator, as well as fellow Germans such as Helloween, Blind Guardian, Doro, Sodom, Rage, and Grave Digger. Accept achieved its first commercial success with their fifth studio album Balls to the Wall (1983), which is the band's only album to be certified gold in the United States and Canada, and spawned their well-known hit "Balls to the Wall".
Accept have broken up and reformed multiple times. They first split up in 1989, several months after the release of Eat the Heat (which was their only album with Dirkschneider's initial replacement David Reece), but reformed in 1992 and released three more albums before disbanding again in 1997. After briefly reuniting in 2005, Accept announced their third reunion in 2009, with former T.T. Quick frontman Mark Tornillo replacing Dirkschneider (who declined to participate), and the band has recorded five albums with him: Blood of the Nations (2010), Stalingrad (2012), Blind Rage (2014), The Rise of Chaos (2017) and Too Mean to Die (2021); each of those albums renewed Accept's popularity in Germany and entered the top ten charts there.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accept_(band)
Studio albums
Accept (1979)
I'm a Rebel (1980)
Breaker (1981)
Restless and Wild (1982)
Balls to the Wall (1983)
Metal Heart (1985)
Russian Roulette (1986)
Eat the Heat (1989)
Objection Overruled (1993)
Death Row (1994)
Predator (1996)
Blood of the Nations (2010)
Stalingrad (2012)
Blind Rage (2014)
The Rise of Chaos (2017)
Too Mean to Die (2021)
Fall Of The Empire
Accept Lyrics
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We were so proud and free, so free
Strong and mighty powerful and true
Can you remember
Now all around us pestilence and greed
Famine, hate and war
It surrounds us like a black disease
In spite of every upright intention
We live and die by the sword
It's second nature, and so the question is
Can we learn or will we burn
The fall of the empire, what have we done
The fall of the empire, it's the dawn of the setting sun
The fall of the empire can this race be won
It's the fall of the empire or has the end begun
Will the mountains crumble to the ground
Will the earth stand still
Will we rise a mushroom cloud
Will the mountains crumble
Can we heed a lesson from the past
And put aside our hate
Or will we blow ourselves to kingdom come
tell me is it too late
Inside of every aronination
There is hope that lies within
It's second nature, and the question is
Can we learn or will we burn
The fall of the empire, what have we done
The fall of the empire, it's the dawn of the setting sun
The fall of the empire can this race be won
It's the fall of the empire or has the end begun
The lyrics of Accept's "Fall of the Empire" conveys a message about the deterioration of societal values and the consequences of human actions. The opening lines serve as a flashback to a time when individuals were proud and free, following a life of integrity and power. However, the chorus of the song questions the actions of society that lead to the collapse of the empire. It describes the downfall of the society due to pestilence, greed, famine, hate, and war. The imagery of the black disease that encircles the people is a metaphor for the negativity that surrounds us.
The lyrics further suggest that we are responsible for the fall of society as we live and die by the sword. The line "Can we learn or will we burn" highlights that it's time to learn from our past mistakes, put aside our hate, and come together to create a better future for us all. The song points out that the end of the empire is a history that repeats itself, and it's up to us to change our behaviors and learn from our past.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you remember how it used to be
Do you recall the time when we were proud, free, and had no constraints?
We were so proud and free, so free
There was a time when we were living without any fear of abandonment or oppression.
Strong and mighty powerful and true
We were once robust and fearless, and our power came from the truth.
Can you remember
Do you recollect the memory of those times?
Now all around us pestilence and greed
These days, people are consumed by disease and an uncontrolled desire for wealth.
Famine, hate and war
There is a scarcity of resources, and people are engaged in violent activities, unwilling to coexist.
It surrounds us like a black disease
These issues encircle us like a dangerous disease that can cause destruction.
Just take a look around us
Observe your surroundings and see if you can find any positive signs of hope.
In spite of every upright intention
Despite our best intentions and efforts, we continue to engage in violence.
We live and die by the sword
We attack and defend ourselves using weapons, and that leads to our demise.
It's second nature, and so the question is
Fighting has become so natural to us that the question arises, whether we can learn from our past mistakes or perish?
Can we learn or will we burn
The only question remaining is whether we will gain insight from our past experiences or witness the end of our civilization.
The fall of the empire, what have we done
It is the defeat of civilization, and we must question ourselves, what lead us to this destruction?
The fall of the empire, it's the dawn of the setting sun
The collapse of civilization is similar to the sun setting, marking the end of its era.
The fall of the empire can this race be won
We are at the brink of collapse, and we must ask ourselves if we can overcome our flaws and rise again?
It's the fall of the empire or has the end begun
We must confront the reality that the fall of civilization might be the end of our journey.
Will the mountains crumble to the ground
Will nature crumble and cease to exist?
Will the earth stand still
Will we be able to keep the world moving, or will it all come to a standstill?
Will we rise a mushroom cloud
Are we going to create another destructive weapon, such as a nuclear bomb?
Can we heed a lesson from the past
We must apply past experiences to prevent further destruction.
And put aside our hate
We must learn to let go of our anger and hatred.
Or will we blow ourselves to kingdom come
Will we create destruction and demise by our own hands?
Tell me is it too late
Is there still time to prevent further destruction, or has the damage been done?
Inside of every aronination
In every culture, there exists a glimmer of hope, despite the circumstances.
There is hope that lies within
There is always a chance for redemption and renewal.
It's second nature, and the question is
We must question ourselves, whether we are willing to learn and grow or continue with the same cycle of violence.
Can we learn or will we burn
We must learn from our past, and take control of our destiny, or risk falling into destruction.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARK TORNILLO, PETER BALTES, WOLF HOFFMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind