List of Accept band members

Accept evolved from an earlier group called Band X, with the first lineup including Udo Dirkschneider, Wolf Hoffmann, Gerhard Wahl, Peter Baltes and Frank Friedrich.[1] Wahl was replaced by Jörg Fischer in 1978.[2] After the recording of the group's self-titled debut album, Friedrich left Accept and was replaced by Stefan Kaufmann.[2] Fischer left suddenly after a tour in 1982.[2] He was replaced briefly by Jan Koemmet,[3] followed by Herman Frank shortly before the release of Restless and Wild.[4] Fischer returned to replace Frank shortly after the release of Balls to the Wall.[2]

In 1987, Dirkschneider was fired from Accept and subsequently pursued a solo career under the moniker U.D.O.[5] He was replaced by a succession of temporary vocalists, before the band settled on David Reece and released Eat the Heat in 1989.[6] Fischer left again before the recording of the album.[2] Jim Stacey joined on rhythm guitar for the album's promotional tour, which also saw Ken Mary take over from Kaufmann after the regular drummer suffered a back injury.[2] Accept subsequently decided to disband, after increasing differences with Reece and Kaufmann's injury.[2] By 1992, the band had returned with a lineup of Dirkschneider, Hoffmann, Baltes and Kaufmann, releasing Objection Overruled the next year.[7] Kaufmann was forced to leave again after the release of Death Row, with Stefan Schwarzmann taking his place.[8]

After the Death Row touring cycle, Schwarzmann was replaced by Michael Cartellone, who performed on 1996's Predator.[9] The group disbanded for a second time in 1997.[2] In 2005, Accept returned for a short run of shows in Europe and Japan, with Dirkschneider, Hoffmann and Baltes joined by Frank and Schwarzmann.[10] The tour ended in August, after which Hoffmann claimed that Dirkschneider was preventing a longer reunion for the band.[11] Members returned to other projects until 2009, when a new lineup of Accept was unveiled with vocalist Mark Tornillo in place of Dirkschneider.[12] The group's lineup remained stable until 2014, when Frank and Schwarzmann were fired.[13] Their places were taken in April 2015 by Uwe Lulis and Christopher Williams, respectively.[14] Baltes quit the band in November 2018.[15]

For tour dates in early 2019, Baltes was replaced by Danny Silvestri, who had previously played with the group in 2017.[16] In April, the band brought in Martin Motnik as their new full-time bassist.[17] On November 1, the band announced that Philip Shouse, previously a touring member, had joined them as their third guitarist, thus making them a sextet.[18]