**The Second Reign: Peter Baltes and the Rise of a New Metal Legacy**
When Peter Baltes announced his departure from Accept in November 2018, fans around the world were stunned. After all, Baltes wasn’t just the bassist of the band — he was part of its foundation, a figure deeply woven into its DNA. He had stood on the frontlines of heavy metal’s early evolution, forging riffs and thunderous basslines that became the backbone of European metal. For over four decades, Baltes had helped define a genre.
But for Baltes, leaving Accept wasn’t an ending. It was a transition — a long-overdue step into a new creative chapter that had been quietly forming behind the scenes.
In the months following his departure, Baltes kept a relatively low profile. While the metal community speculated about his next move, he took time to reconnect with himself, stepping away from the rigors of global touring and the pressure of long studio sessions. Instead, he retreated to his home studio in Germany, reconnecting with his roots and experimenting with new sounds. It was during these reflective sessions that the seeds of his next musical journey were sown.
In early 2023, the announcement came that electrified long-time fans: Peter Baltes was joining U.D.O. and Dirkschneider — the bands fronted by none other than Udo Dirkschneider, the unmistakable voice of classic Ac
