In November 2018, Peter Baltes parted ways with Accept after 42 years of being their bass player. After this unexpected departure, the band decided to continue with former Uli Jon Roth sideman Martin Motnik. Since none of their fans saw this split coming, their guitar player Wolf Hoffmann was asked about his former bandmate’s decision in an interview with Spain’s Metal Journal.
“Sadly, there’s hardly any contact, which I regret very much,” said Hoffman when the interviewer asked if there was communication between them after the departure. “But it seems to be the case. Every time anybody leaves the band, it’s usually, as much as I regret it, that there’s hardly ever any contact anymore, which I think is pretty sad.”
The guitarist later admitted that he would have liked to stay in touch with his former bandmate as friends, but Baltes has been silent. Wolf shared, “I wish we could just stay in touch and stay friends, but I don’t know. He’s been very reclusive lately, so I think he just needs the time to get away from it all. I think that was his idea, maybe, but I don’t know.”
“I can’t speak for Peter, what his motivations are; I can just assume things,” noted Hoffmann. He also explained that departed members often shut their former bandmates off, saying, “I mean, why can’t people just stay in touch even if they’re not playing in the same band anymore? It’s sad in a way, but it’s reality a lot of times.”
Afterward, it was revealed that the bass player never gave a reason for leaving the band. However, the guitarist explained that he would have appreciated it if Peter Baltes had given them a heads-up before leaving. Wolf Hoffman shared, “I wish he had. I don’t know. You have to ask him.”
Peter Balter joined Accept in 1976 after Dieter Rubach’s departure and played bass on their first 15 albums. Moreover, the musician also briefly served as the band’s lead vocalist during their early days. He was an inseparable member of the band due to his vast contributions, so pretty much everybody, including his band members, was shocked when he decided to leave. Apparently, their fans will have to ask Peter about his motive since even Accept members aren’t sure.
