Vocalist Udo Dirkschneider formed this powerful German metal band in Cologne. Though the group had become a festival/arena headlining act in Europe, they were virtually unknown in the U.S. Balls to the Wall was also their debut album in America, and was backed heavily by the SONY-owned imprint, Portrait Records.
The group had come under the supervising eye of Judas Priest, who used them first as an opening act in the U.K., and later to help conquer deeper parts of Europe. Accept, while never having a massive commercial breakthrough in the U.S., did garner raves from most of the metal writers of the day, and even came to be called "the best metal import from Germany since the Scorpions" by Kerrang! Magazine.