Earlier this year, German metal vets Accept announced that they were about to sink their teeth into their old songbook for a new re-recording project: Teutonic Titans 1976-2026. This includes a revamp of killer speed-metal single “Fast as a Shark” that now features guest vocals from Pantera’s Philip Anselmo and guitar work from Metallica’s Kirk Hammett – among others — which is streaming now.
A press release explains that the project was spearheaded by founding Accept guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and current vocalist Mark Tornillo (who’s gripped the mic since 2009). For the new version of “Fast as a Shark” — originally found on 1982’s Restless and Wild — they brought in Anselmo, Hammett, Mr. Big bass virtuoso Billy Sheehan and King Diamond/Motörhead drum god Mikkey Dee to help hammer through the metal classic. They even added a little more oomph via the oompah arrangement in the expanded intro.
“A friend of mine lives in Bavaria, and he was in contact with one of those traditional Bavarian woodwind outfits, and they recorded the traditional German folk song ‘Ein Heller und ein Batzen’ for us, which was fantastic,” Hoffman said in a statement, adding of the crack team of metal musicians involved with the rest of the track, “That’s a pretty nice supergroup, isn’t it?”
The song double-barrel kicks its way to the fore as before, but we now have Anselmo growling along with Tornillo, while the surprise attack also seems to have Hammett slamming his wah-wah pedal on a lead before locking in on a harmony Hoffmann. For his part, the Metallica member said it was “a real honor to pay back the great inspiration Accept had for me.”
Teutonic Titans 1976-2026 is out September 4th via Napalm Records. Other guests on the LP include former Judas Priest guitarist K. K. Downing, Overkill vocalist Bobby Blitz, professional wrestler and Fozzy singer Chris Jericho, Haunted guitarist Ola Englund, Nevermore’s Jeff Loomis and more.
You’ll find more album and pre-order info here.