ACCEPT Guitarist On 'Blood Of The Nations': 'We Tried To Be As Old School As We Could'

Sweden's GetMetal conducted an interview with guitarist Wolf Hoffmann of reformed heavy metal legends ACCEPT when the band played in Stockholm on February 17, 2011. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

GetMetal: In which ways is "Blood Of The Nations" different from other ACCEPT albums?

Wolf: It's not really different at all. I think it's just more the same, only better, maybe. We didn't try to be different, we just tried to be as good, or hopefully even better, than the stuff we've done in the '80s. We tried to be as old school as we could, and to stay true to our roots and true to what ACCEPT stands for. And with the help of our producer, I think we managed it remarkably well. It's something that sounds easy, but is really hard to do when it actually comes to it.

GetMetal: The album has reached the highest charts ever in ACCEPT's history. Had you expected that?

Wolf: Hell no! You cannot expect anything like that. Despite all successes with this album — like it's been voted No. 1 record of the year in so many countries in radio stations, TV stations, online publications and magazines — we had no idea it was going to turn into any of this. We were just trying to make the best record we could at the time. We didn't even know how people would react; it could've been a good chance everybody hated it. You never really know.

GetMetal: I have hardly read anything bad about it at all.

Wolf: No, I have not. Hardly ever. But some people have just made up their minds. They don't like the idea of a new ACCEPT album. Weirdly enough, there were even a few incidents where people, before the album came out, they said, "Oh, it's going to be trash, it's not going to work, I know it, I won't like it." And now, when they actually did hear the album, they apologized to us and said, "Oh, I was so wrong, sorry." (laughs)

GetMetal: Do you believe they have accepted Mark?

Wolf: Oh, heck, yeah. I mean, it's more about the fact that we can do ACCEPT without Udo [Dirkschneider] than anything else. It's really that some people were doubtful, and now we're so glad that all this is really history at this point. I mean, we've long moved pass all this stuff. This album is more successful than anything we've done in a long, long time. Maybe more successful than any of our albums, I don't know. So why even think about it at this point?

GetMetal: Lately, the old school heavy metal scene has been sort of falling apart, with all these legends dying, like Dio and Gary Moore. JUDAS PRIEST have decided to quit…

Wolf: I know, the SCORPIONS have done their last album. The last tour, I mean.

GetMetal: Yeah. Does this affect your view upon ACCEPT's future?

Wolf: There's more room for us! (laughs) Just as they're all quitting, we're all getting started. It's weird. It seems like some of these guys are retiring a little too soon. I mean, JUDAS PRIEST, Christ, they're not that old! Why should they retire? I'm sure they have a good reason, but they might even come back one day. After all, I have a few farewell tours behind me. We'll have to wait and see if they're not coming back. I mean, obviously when people are dying, that's more of a final thing. They can't come back, unfortunately. But the trend obviously is that they're not getting younger; nobody's getting younger. One of these days it's getting pretty thin out there. All these first generation metal legends are all going to be gone one day soon, and I wonder; what's going to happen then?

GetMetal: I wonder the same thing.

Wolf: I mean, the only strong band from back in the days is — well, there's always AC/DC — but IRON MAIDEN; they're doing better than ever. They're going to be around for a long, long time, I hope.

Read the entire interview from GetMetal.