Former Accept frontman David Reece says he regrets slapping bassist Peter Baltes during his stint in the band in the late 80s.
The current Bonfire vocalist was recruited for Accept’s Eat The Heat in 1989 following the departure of Udo Dirkschneider. And he says producer Dieter Dierks warned him about the possible fallout if the album flopped.
Reece tells The Metal Voice: “There was one moment when Dieter told me, ‘You realise that if this record fails, it’s your fault and my fault? When he said that it kind of pissed me off. Like, ‘Why would you say that?’ He said, ‘You’ll see. If the album hits, we’re going to be gods. If it fails, we’re losers.’
Reece says sales weren’t what the record company expected and before long tensions in the group began to boil over, leading to the altercation between himself and Baltes in Chicago.
He continues: “The only thing I feel short-changed about that whole situation was the way they shit on me in the press to cover themselves.
“Nobody was happy – I wasn’t happy at the end and neither were they. I mean, I slapped Peter Baltes in Chicago. It was the wrong decision and I regret it. There’s better ways to deal with it.”
Accept recruited Mark Tornillo in 2009 and have released three albums with him, including last year’s Blind Rage. But Reece says that despite his difficult past with the group, he would have considered a return.
He adds: “I thought I was a better choice that Mark Tornillo if they were going to go back out. I heard there was consideration of people close to the band, that my name came up.
“And honestly? Yeah, I would have seriously considered working again with the guys. I respect them and I’m more mature, I’m more professional and I’m a better person now.”
Reece and his Bonfire bandmates released their 14th album Glorious in March.
