When old-school heavy metal meets modern power metal it can only promise a good show for true metalheads. And it was delivered few days ago. The older Accept is well established band with roots going back to 1968. On the other hand we have Sabaton as a new hope of power/heavy metal, a band called New Iron Maiden and is on the unstoppable rise to the top since 1999. Because of that many were questioning why the hell is the Accept on this tour as a support. We will probably never know the answer to this question but we can assume that Accept gave burning torch to a young star on the rise, which can partially be understood from the statement of Accept's guitarist Wolf Hoffman: „We are looking forward to have an exciting tour. Sabaton are hard-working band and are a serious role model for aspiring musicians and young bands.“ I personally don't give a fuck why is Accept on the second place. I came to hear the good show and hear both bands.
Sabaton first came to our country ten years ago and since then they became a frequent guest. This concert is their sixth performance in front of Croatian fans and probably not the last one despite their tour name „The Last Tour“ saying so. For Accept this is the second time in Croatia. Also fantasy power metal band Twilight Force is traveling with them on this tour.
Because Croatia is not a frequent destination for heavy/power metal bands, the local fans of this subgenre that don't leave for foreign festivals are probably more fueled with fire and lust than their northern and western brothers. This is why we deliver a unique welcome to our beloved bands and an atmosphere that can explode any given moment.

 

The almost sold out event happened during the monday night at Dom Sportova arena. Doors opened at 18:30h and the concert started at 19:00h with a young and mostly unknown band Twilight Force. Their unique fantasy performance was viewed by a small fan base of maybe few hundred people. It was more of a theater play than a straight metal concert. First few songs had really terrible sound but that was hopefully resolved before the second half of their setlist. They ensured a good atmosphere and warmed us for the massacre.

 

01. Battle of Arcane Might
02. To the Stars
03. Riders of the Dawn
04. Flight of the Sapphire Dragon
05. Gates of Glory
06. The Power of the Ancient Force

 

Accept took the stage at 20:00h and ended it at 21:00h which for many of us was too short to hear all of their metal classics. The arena erupted when the curtain fell and they started off with the bombastic song Stampede. Band proved they still have the energy to bomb us with fast, focused and strong show throughout their whole set. Well, they are veterans after all, so they know the game more than anyone. And that is why the arena was almost full. During the song Fast as a Shark a huge mosh pit exploded and marked the highest point of energy seen till that time of evening. The band ended their performance the best as they could, with the most famous song Balls to the Wall.
 

01. Stampede
02. Stalingrad
03. Restless and Wild
04. London leatherboys
05. Final Journey
06. Princess of the Dawn
07. Fast as a Shark
08. Metal Heart
09. Teutonic Terror
10. Balls to the Wall

 

If you ask me I would remove song Stalingrad, Final Journey and maybe even Metal Heart and add more powerful songs like Love Child, Head over Heals, Midnight Mover, Son of a Bitch, ... but who am I to complain.