David Reece, the American vocalist who fronted ACCEPT on 1989's polarizing "Eat The Heat" album, says he would be more than happy to participate in reunion shows as the German heavy metal institution celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Reece, who replaced founding vocalist Udo Dirkschneider for that one record, spoke about the possibility with Nejc Zupančič of PodRaznoKast. "I hear rumors of 'ACCEPT fest'," he said. "But I've never had any hard contact. I'm really good friends with Udo, I'm good friends with Peter Baltes, but I've never been actually approached about it."
Despite the lack of a formal invitation, Reece's enthusiasm is clear: "It wouldn't surprise me. And I'm okay if they say, 'Okay, we want you to do a few shows.' I'll just ride in a rental car and follow the bus. I don't care. I would love to do it."
The singer acknowledged the formative role that "Eat The Heat" played in his career. "That part of my life is the reason I'm talking to you. That's what brought me to the forefront publicly in the music business. That was my breakout moment." He noted that he still performs "Eat The Heat" tracks such as "X-T-C," "D-Train," "Generation Clash," and "Hellhammer" in his current solo live set.
"Eat The Heat" was commercially and critically underwhelming upon release, and Reece's departure in late 1989 — following tensions with the band and an altercation with bassist Peter Baltes — led to ACCEPT disbanding shortly after. The band subsequently reformed and has continued with Mark Tornillo on vocals since 2009.