We were the first and the only band at that time to do what we were doing.”
Wolf Hoffmann: Are you there?
Wikimetal (Daniel Dystyler): Yes, we're here.
W (WH): Excellent. I'm sorry about that, I needed a coffee, you know.
W (DD): Ah, okay. That's great, man.
W (Nando Machado): Hi Wolf, this is Nando, I'm the other host of the show. We're going to talk about all the cool things you've been doing all these years, but to start, I'd like to congratulate you on your latest album, "Stalingrad," which is absolutely fantastic, one of the best albums of the last year. Could you talk a little about "Stalingrad" and how the fans have received it?
WH: Yeah, man, the reception has been incredible, phenomenal. I mean, we're really happy to have two albums that have been so well received by the fans, it's been amazing these last two, three years. I know we came back after a really long break with "Blood of the Nations," and we're really excited to see what the fans think, so we're really happy to have two of these albums that have been so well received.
W (DD): That's great, man, that's great. We're all very, very excited about the Accept show here in São Paulo on April 6th. What can fans expect from this show, and what will the setlist be like?
WH: Man, they can expect five guys giving it their all. We're going to be up there sweating with the fans, and we're going to play a lot of old material, and a lot of new stuff, too. I mean, we're definitely going to represent the last two albums, and play a lot of songs, not just because our fans want to hear them, we want to play them. And, of course, no Accept show would ever be complete without playing some of the classics, like "Restless and Wild," and "Fast as a Shark," and "Balls to the Wall." Those are songs we'll always play, and the fans definitely… You know, they insist on those too, so it's going to be a mix of the classics and the newer material.
W (NM): Great. Well, all of Accept's live recordings are very, very good. Are there any plans to release anything from the last two albums, "Stalingrad" and "Blood of Nations," live or on DVD?
WH: Well, there are all sorts of plans, but so far we haven't finalized anything. We're recording some shows, and we definitely want to release something with that material, but honestly, we're more focused on other things, and that is, first and foremost, releasing good studio albums. Because we really want to have a good foundation before even thinking about making live DVDs. Because, you know, we really want to have some new material if we're going to make a live DVD. And now that we have it, it's time to start thinking about that, yes.
W (DD): Very good. And we noticed that many good German bands have released incredible albums in the last two years, such as Kreator, Sodom, Tankard, Destruction, Helloween and obviously, Accept. Do you agree that heavy metal is becoming stronger, especially in Germany, but also worldwide?
WH: I hope so. I mean, there was a time when I thought Heavy Metal was totally over, to be honest. So I was very worried for a while, and I thought Accept's days were numbered, so yeah… I'm doubly happy now that we still have strong followers all over the world, and that we have this resurgence. And I think the same is true for the old metal scene, at least I hope so.
"It's a great source of pride to have these bands naming us as influences."
W (NM): Great, Wolf. We have a classic question on our show that we ask everyone we interview, which is: imagine you're listening to your iPod on shuffle, or listening to a rock station on the radio while driving your car, and suddenly a song starts playing that makes you completely lose your mind, and you feel the need to headbang immediately. What song is that, so we can listen to it on the show now?
WH: Ah, now I understand. Now I understand what you meant. Yes, I would say it would probably be some of the old ADCD classics, like "Highway to Hell" or "Back in Black," those kinds of songs really get me going.
W (DD): These are great songs, which one are we going to listen to now?
WH: I'm going to choose a different one, let's go with Judas Priest, "Breaking the Law". That's the one that gets me hooked, I can't contain myself.
W (NM): Very well, a great Judas Priest classic, from "British Still", "Breaking the Law" on Wikimetal!
WH: Yes!
W (DD): What was the metal rock scene like in Germany at the beginning of your career with Accept?
WH: Practically nonexistent. We were the first and only band at that time to do what we were doing. And some people say that we started the Speed Metal or Heavy Metal genre… definitely in Germany. You know, we started so early that before us… Actually, even when we started, our first albums… Nobody called us Heavy Metal, it was called Hard Rock, interestingly enough. And then, in the early 80s, I think with Breaker… people started using the term Heavy Metal, and we liked the term and thought, “Yes, we are Heavy Metal.” But before that, there was no Heavy Metal in Germany.
W (NM): Legal. Also, when we spoke with Mr. Alex Skolnick, guitarist for Testament, he said that Accept was one of the main influences for all those Bay Area bands at the time when they created this style of music called Thrash Metal. What's it like being a role model for all those bands that became so famous?
WH: It's great. I don't know if we're a model, but we certainly helped start this genre in a way, and that makes me very, very proud. It's a great honor to have these bands naming us as influences, you know, it's incredible. And I've heard many times, "Man, when we heard 'Fast as a Shark'... And when we heard 'Restless and Wild,' that made us start playing music." And for many bands, that was the starting point, so that's wonderful. What more could you want from life, or from your musical career? That's pretty amazing.
"It's an honor to have my own guitar model, first of all. And to have one specially made by a German company, that's a dream come true."
W (DD) : Very good. And how did you get in touch with Mark Tonillo, and how did he join the band?
WH: It all started about three and a half, four years ago, when Peter and I were jamming one day. The band didn't exist anymore because Udo was doing other things, and he wasn't interested in working with us anymore. So we thought Accept was over, and then we were jamming for fun one day, and we didn't think much of it. And obviously, a jam session is more fun when you have a vocalist present, so someone suggested we invite this guy, Mark Tornillo, to the jam session. And we didn't know him, but we invited him. And when he started singing, everything changed. We had never heard anything like it, you know, he was perfect for the band, and he immediately sounded like he belonged in the band, but even Mark wasn't making any music at that time, we were practically retired, but right away we decided to relaunch our career and restart Accept. All the machinery started working, and you know, the rest is history.
W (DD): Just out of curiosity, back when you guys were just jamming, without any formal activity in Accept, did you think you'd never get back together?
WH: Yes, I mean, I didn't know what was going to happen. But I honestly thought there was no chance of Accept getting back together, because we didn't have a vocalist, and the only vocalist we knew and considered possible was Udo, and he wasn't interested. So, when Mark walked through the door, we thought, "Ah... Here's a chance we never imagined." And that opened... That changed everything, and we thought, "The sky's the limit now, we can do whatever we want, we can tour whenever we want, we can record albums..." And that's when everything started to happen.
W (NM): Great, Wolf. Now, could you choose another song? I'm going to ask you to choose an Accept song that you're very proud to have written or recorded, so we can listen to it now on our show.
WH: How about some rhythmic music, how about "Teutonic Terror"?
W (DD): Wolf, you now have your own guitar model, which is like a Flying V, but with a heavier sound. How did you come up with this idea, and how does the guitar sound in live shows?
WH: It has an incredible sound. I was using a prototype of this guitar on my last tour of the United States and Europe, and honestly, it sounds better than any other guitar I've ever owned. So it's an honor to have my own model, first of all. And to have one made especially by a German company, that's a dream come true. They make incredible instruments. And this is just the beginning, we're just starting with this great corporation, I can't wait to see what's next. But this guitar is incredible, probably the best I've ever had.
W (NM): That's great, I can't wait to see you playing that guitar on April 6th. We'll definitely be there. So tell me about… You've lived in the United States for a long time now, and regarding your songwriting, do you feel influenced by the music played in the United States when you write your own songs? Is there any difference between the music you used to write in Germany when you lived there?
WH: Not at all, there's no difference. I mean, I live in Nashville, which is full of country music, and I don't even like that kind of thing. I mean, I respect it, but I don't like it at all, and it certainly doesn't influence me. It's funny, man, when you kind of grow up and have a style, and what you like, you don't change anymore. I don't use other people's music as much inspiration for my own music, that seems strange to me. I think all of us in Accept, we know what we want to hear, and we know what our sound should be, especially after having made these last two albums, we have a good idea of what Accept is, and what it isn't, so… I don't think we get much influence, especially not here in the United States, from that metal… No… Answering your question: no.
"All of us in Accept know what we want to hear and we know what our sound should be like."
W (DD): We're in the final part of our interview. You released a solo album called "Classic" in '97, and it's heavily influenced by classical music. Is that something you'd like to do again, and if so, would it also have many elements of classical music, or not?
WH: Yeah, definitely, man. Actually, I'm working on it right now, and we're currently writing more material for an upcoming album. Funny you should ask, because we had some time off, I stayed home for a few weeks, and I've been composing things for it, for an upcoming classic album, definitely. It's something I really enjoy, that I love. I can't wait for it to be released.
W (NM): Then it's good that you send it to us when it's released. We would very much like to support that as well.
WH: Oh, absolutely. It's going to take a while, because I just started, it'll take a few months until it's ready, because I also always have to coordinate it with all the Accept activities that are going on, but it's on my agenda, and as soon as I feel it's ready, you'll be the first to hear it.
W (NM): Great, thank you, thank you very much. I don't know if it's a hobby, but you're also a professional photographer, right? What's the relationship between photography and music, especially heavy metal, which is a very visual type of music?
WH: I think there are all sorts of connections. I personally keep the two fields completely separate, you know? My life as a photographer doesn't have much in common with anything I do musically, so most people who hire me don't even know I'm also a guitarist. I see them as two separate identities, interestingly enough. Sometimes there are bridges, but rarely. You know, when I'm a musician, when I'm on tour, I'm not a photographer, and vice versa. So they're things I keep almost completely separate, but, you know, I always keep one eye open… You know, I always keep one eye open. Sometimes I bring my photography equipment on the road and take personal photos, just for fun, but other than that, there's not much connection.
W (DD): Very well, Mr. Wolf Hoffmann, thank you very much for your time, it was a pleasure to have you here on our program. Before we say goodbye, could you please leave a message for all the Brazilian headbangers, inviting everyone to the show on April 6th, here in São Paulo?
WH: Hey everyone, Wolf Hoffmann here. I can't wait to see you all again in São Paulo on April 6th. I think it's going to be an amazing show, and I know Brazilian fans are very special. We're really looking forward to coming back there, it's going to be an incredible day, see you there. Take care!
W (NM): Thank you so much, Wolf, see you on the 6th. I don't even know how to explain how grateful we are to have you on the show. We clearly remember listening to "Restless and Wild" in the 80s and "Fast as a Shark" changed our lives. We never expected to talk to you someday, but… It's truly a great pleasure for us. Thank you so much for being on Wikimetal.
WH: Awesome. The pleasure is all mine, man. Hope to see you guys soon.
W (DD): We'll definitely be there, thank you very much Wolf. Bye!
WH: Bye.
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