ACCEPT Recruits Bassist MARTIN MOTNIK

German/American heavy metal legends ACCEPT have announced the addition of Martin Motnik on bass and Ava-Rebekah Rahman on violin as the band prepares to launch the "Symphonic Terror" tour on April 20 in Wuppertal, Germany.

Born in Ludwigshafen, Germany, Motnik has been playing music since he was seven years old and has been a member of several bands, both in Germany and the United States. He was asked by Uli Jon Roth to join him for his 2008 U.S. tour and again in 2009 and 2012. In addition to his musical talent, Motnik also has a Master's Degree in business from the University of Mannheim.

"We were overwhelmed and honored by the musicians who auditioned for the open position," said ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann. "The level of talent we saw was unprecedented, and we believe Martin Motnik is a perfect fit as he’ll be joining us for the 'Symphonic Terror' tour and upcoming ACCEPT shows."

Also joining the "Symphonic Terror" tour is Ava-Rebekah Rahman, a descendant of Bengali Royalty and a highly esteemed violinist. Born and raised in England, Rahman is a renowned solo violinist, poet and music educator. She made her solo concert debut at the age of ten at the National Orchestra and has had an illustrious career ever since, having played internationally with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic and many more.

"For the orchestra shows, we decided to pair an electric guitar with a violin, making for an interesting duet, and Ava-Rebekah Rahman takes it to a whole other level," said Hoffmann. "The show is still very METAL, but with a classical touch."

Catch the new ACCEPT lineup at the following shows:

Apr. 20 - Stadthalle Wuppertal Wuppertal, Germany
Apr. 21 - Haus Auensee Leipzig, Germany
Apr. 22 - Mehr! Theater am Großmarkt Hamburg, Germany
Apr. 23 - Stadthalle Fürth, Germany
Apr. 25 - National Palace of Arts “Ukraina” Kiev, Ukraine
Apr. 27 - DK Lensoveta St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Apr. 28 - Crocus City Hall Moscow, Russian Federation
May 18 - Ancient Theatre Plovdiv, Bulgaria
May 19 - Ancient Theatre Plovdiv, Bulgaria
May 25 - Congresshalle, Saarbrücken, Germany
May 27 - Circus Krone Munich, Germany

ACCEPT performed with a stand-in bass player, Danny Silvestri, aboard this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which ran from January 31 to February 4.

Silvestri stepped into ACCEPT following the recent departure of ACCEPT's founding bassist Peter Baltes.

Baltes announced his exit from ACCEPT in November. He said in a statement: "To all ACCEPT fans: I hereby like to announce my departure as bass player from ACCEPT. I have been with the band from the very beginning. Many of you have been there as well. I like to thank you all for the great years we shared together. Keep it metal."

Hoffmann commented: "We spent four decades together and went through thick and thin, ups and downs and I remember some incredible moments on stage. There was a blind understanding between us, personally and musically, that is very rare in this business!

"Looking back, I will forever cherish the carefree early years, the countless hours we spent writing songs, goofing around or roaming the cities together on tour — just having a good ol’time!

"Especially these last 10 years, after the revival of ACCEPT being so much fun and so successful that I thought we would continue forever and sail into the proverbial sunset together — maybe until one of us would drop dead on stage. But I guess I was wrong; it wasn’t meant to be.

"To see Peter leave ACCEPT now saddens me immensely, but there's nothing I can do but to wish him well — hoping that this is the right decision for him and that he will find whatever he is looking for ...

"I will certainly miss my musical brother! One thing is certain, however: ACCEPT will continue full steam ahead!"

The group added in a separate statement: "We are all heartbroken! Peter needed a change in his life and we wish him all the best. He will always be part of the ACCEPT family and to honor his tribute to music history, we should all wish him well... Indeed, ACCEPT WILL KEEP IT METAL!"

In a 2016 interview with Antihero Magazine, Hoffmann stated about his relationship with Baltes: "We've been working together for 40 years and hanging together and we haven't killed each other yet. It's quite amazing. We get along really well for the most part, even on tour, personally. We hang all the time. We go wander the streets when we're on tour. We have breakfast together and all that kind stuff. We meet for dinners even if we don't have to."

He added: "Peter and I really have something like a bond, or whatever you want to call it, that's lasted all these years. That doesn't mean we always get along on every level. There's days when we don't see each other and keep the distance for a little while, but for the most part, it's been working really, really well and we write together really well. That's a rare thing, I know."

ACCEPT recently released a live set, "Symphonic Terror - Live At Wacken 2017", via Nuclear Blast. It features a unique ACCEPT show, shot on August 3, 2017 at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival, where the band played the biggest and most extraordinary show of its career in front of 80,000, on top of thousands more fans watching via a live stream.