Andy Sneap in talks to produce new ACCEPT album

Acclaimed British producer and SABBAT guitarist Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE) has issued the following update: "Well, I'm pleased— no, actually, absolutely thrilled — to announce I'll be flying to Nashville next month to meet up with Wolf Hoffmann [guitar] to discuss production, songs etc. for the upcoming ACCEPT album. Anyone who knows me will know what a fan of ACCEPT I am, even after [SABBAT ended up] getting kicked off U.D.O.'s first European tour after two dates (for being too heavy, I'd like to add). I still think they were/are such a killer band and although there's no Udo [Dirkschneider, vocals] or Stefan Kaufmann [drums], I personally think it's great that Wolf, Peter [Baltes, bass] and Hermann [Frank, guitar] are still playing together along with Stefan [Schwarzmann, drums] and Mark [Tornillo, vocals]. "This actually came together through a mutual friend, Ed Aborn, who runs the FOZZY website and also does some work for Wolf. When I first met Ed back in 2001, we got onto the subject of ACCEPT and basically we've never stopped talking about it. So this has come about through a bit of nudging and me going 'over here with that album' and it turns out they are as excited about the idea as I am. I'm also looking forward to doing some classic metal as opposed to out-and-out thrash and I think this could be a really heavy record if that's the direction the band want to go in. This, of course, is yet to be discussed and the whole reason why I'm clocking up yet more air miles next month." ACCEPT recently reformed with new lead singer Mark Tornillo (ex-TT QUICK) and is planning to hit the road later this year.