If one V is for Vendetta, then four flying Vs spell real trouble. With both support and main bands preferring guitars of a pointy persuasion, this promised to be an evening of vodka and Teutonic-fuelled mayhem. The anticipation being further heightened as Rush's infamously overmastered 'Vapor Trails' pummelled the PA into shape.

Unlike Acker Bilk, Wolf are no strangers to these shores, making frequent forays across the North Sea to deliver their particular brand of 80's inspired metal. Lead singer/guitar Niklas Stålvind is last Viking standing from the first incarnation of the band and retains his strong Halford-esque voice that helps elevate Wolf above the pack. Better still, after a number of line-up changes, the band has been on a stable footing for the last three years, with Richard Holmgren impressing in particular on skin-pounding duties tonight. It takes the band a few songs to get into their stride, but by the time that the doomy refrain of 'Voodoo' has ground itself into our collective consciousness, it's plain longship sailing. Although the set draws heavily from the last two releases, 'Black Flame' and 'Ravenous', we get a taster from their next opus, the supremely monikered 'Legions Of Bastards' (which will be reviewed very soon here on Uber Rock), a delicate ditty, entitled 'Skull Crusher'. My favourite though has to be 'Steel-Winged Savage Reaper', with its twin-V harmonies and priestly vocal, how could they fail? What really comes across is how much Niklas and crew enjoy what they do and this is reflected by the audience response. I'm certainly looking forward to catching the Wolf-men again soon.

With the garage crowd nicely tuned-up and lubricated, it was time to align our plums with the brickwork...

The last time Accept were in our capital city, they were on the comeback trail with a new album and a new singer. Everything to prove and much to lose. At the time, the band played it safe, playing a greatest hits set and just two tracks from the impressive 'Blood Of Nations' collection. Clearly heartened by the response to their latest Udo-free configuration, this time around the band jump-started their set with new generation songs. 'Teutonic Terror' and 'Bucket Full Of Hate' are both bonafide new classics and enable Marc Tornillo to stamp his identity from the very first crunching V chord. Vocally and visually he's a great addition to the band. Combining the physique of Bon and the voice of Beano, he channelled the gruff, good-humoured menace of his predecessor perfectly on 'Restless And Wild' and 'Neon Nights'. Technically, he's probably a better singer than Herr Dirkschneider, although he lacks this predecessor's blood-curdling scream in his vocal arsenal. Although very much of the recognised Accept mould, it was only on 'Starlight' that I felt that something was missing. Although neighbourhood dog-owners were no doubt delighted.

This was very much a forward-looking set-list, with five tracks from the 'Blood' album played, including my own favourite, the brooding 'The Abyss'. Playing this track was always going to be a little awkward, given its 'world's going to hell' tempered lyrics that chillingly make reference to 'earthquakes and tsunamis'. In fact, given awful events in Japan and New Zealand, the song acquires added poignancy and power. Such is the power of metal... To make way for the new, representation from the 'Balls' album in the set-list is now limited to only the title track. Still, there was still plenty to savour past glories, from the fiery 'Burning' to the zen-like subtlety of 'Son Of A Bitch'. They even resurrected the full-metal jacketed 'Bulletproof' from their 1993 reunion album with the lil' fella.

And talking of Zen, how cool is that Hoff-man? The second Wolf on tonight's bill may have long-lost his 80's lion's mane, but performs with the same zest and zeal as when I first saw him at Donington '84. Constantly smiling and interacting with the crowd, he peels off riff after riff in faultless Germanic style. During 'Metal Heart', Wolf leads a bierkeller-esque sing-along based on its highly memorable guitar solo, originally written by his fellow country-man Ludwig for some bird called Elise.

Things get slightly OCD during the run-up to 'Princess Of The Dawn', with Wolf's perfectly in-tune guitar being handed to his roadie for re-tuning to ensure that his inimitable solo can be delivered uber-perfectly. Meanwhile, Bubbly bassist Peter Baltes is left to entertain the crowd, until Wolf's V is ready to wake the Princess from her slumbers. Herr on a G string indeed.

All in all, the gig's a triumph. Great turn-out, excellent sound and fantastic performances from both bands. We finish on an absolute high with the speed-metal source DNA that is 'Fast as a shark', which still sounds as good today as it did when it first brutalised our speakers and finally their own very special 'tribute' to Pink Floyd's finest album...

Very much more than acceptable.

SET LIST (Wolf): Evil Star, The Bite, Voodoo, Steel-Winged Savage Reaper, Moonlight, Skull Crusher, Hail Caesar, I Will Kill Again, Speed On.

SET LIST (Accept); Teutonic Terror, Bucket Full Of Hate, Starlight, Breaker, New World Comin, Restless And Wild, Son Of A Bitch, Metal Heart (inc. fur Elise), Neon Nights, Bulletproof, The Abyss, Aiming High, Bass solo, Princess Of The Dawn, Up To The Limit, Burning, Encores; Fast As A Shark, Pandemic, Balls To The Wall