Udo Dirkschneider reveals story behind Accept’s “Balls To The Wall” 40th anniversary reimagining

Udo Dirkschneider and his son Sven have shared insights about their ambitious project to reimagine Accept‘s legendary album “Balls To The Wall” for its 40th anniversary. In a recent interview with The Brutally Delicious Podcast, the former Accept frontman explained how this star-studded tribute came to life.

What began as plans for an anniversary tour evolved into something much bigger through conversations with fellow musicians at festivals. “Musicians would come up and say, ‘Oh, you’re doing something special for the 40-years anniversary of ‘Balls.’ I said, ‘Yeah, touring.’ Then they’d say, ‘You know, I love this song. I would love to sing on this,'” Udo recalled.

Sven Dirkschneider explained the logistical challenges of coordinating such a massive collaboration: “We had so many great vocalists that wanted to participate. Everyone is busy, everyone is doing their own records… We got the last vocals in last minute to get this done.“

The vocalists were given creative freedom with their interpretations. “We did not tell them, ‘Okay, you have to sing this line and this line.’ We told them to sing the whole song, and then we could see which parts fit together with my vocals,” Udo explained. He emphasized the importance of each artist bringing their own character to the songs rather than trying to imitate his style.

The production, titled “Balls To The Wall – Reloaded,” maintains a balance between classic and contemporary sounds. Sven detailed their approach: “With the drum sound, we tried to get as close as possible to that old-school vibe, but still using modern technology… When Peter [Baltes] plays bass, it’s Peter playing bass. So it is that sound.” The result is described as having modern quality while preserving the spirit of the original recording.

“Balls To The Wall – Reloaded” track listing:

01. Balls To The Wall (feat. Joakim Brodén of SABATON)
02. London Leatherboys (feat. Biff Byford of SAXON)
03. Fight It Back (feat. Mille Petrozza of KREATOR)
04. Head Over Heels (feat. Nils Molin of DYNAZTY/AMARANTHE)
05. Losing More Than You’ve Ever Had (feat. Michael Kiske of HELLOWEEN)
06. Love Child (feat. Ylva Eriksson of BROTHERS OF METAL)
07. Turn Me On (feat. Danko Jones)
08. Losers And Winners (feat. Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER)
09. Guardian Of The Night (feat. Tim “Ripper” Owens of KK’s PRIEST, formerly of JUDAS PRIEST)
10. Winter Dreams (feat. Doro Pesch)