ANNOUNCEMENT: Accept Former Iconic Band Member Reportedly Dies of Food Poisoning

Accept Former Iconic Band Member Reportedly Dies of Food Poisoning

Hamburg, May 3, 2025 — In a stunning and somber development for the heavy metal community, Gerhard Wahl, an early collaborator and guitarist for German metal legends Accept, has reportedly died from severe food poisoning at the age of 68.

Wahl, who played guitar with the band during its formative years in the late 1970s and appeared on their self-titled debut album Accept (1979), later drifted away from the spotlight but remained a respected figure in the underground metal scene. He occasionally reunited with former bandmates for jam sessions and special appearances.

According to local authorities, Wahl had been attending a private gathering in Hamburg with fellow musicians and artists when he suddenly fell ill after dinner. Emergency responders were called but were unable to revive him. Preliminary investigations suggest tainted seafood may have triggered a rapid and fatal reaction.

Longtime Accept guitarist Wolf Hoffmann issued a heartfelt statement:

“Gerhard helped lay the bricks of the house we built. He was a quiet storm—his riffs, his tone, his presence… unforgettable.”

While Wahl never reached the international fame of later Accept members, fans and fellow musicians have taken to social media to honor his role in shaping the band’s early sound and spirit.

German health authorities are now investigating the source of the food poisoning as friends and fans await final autopsy results.

Would you like this written in the style of a metal magazine feature or adapted into a visual tribute script?