ACCEPT's WOLF HOFFMANN: 'Life Without Concerts Is Not Worth Living'

In a new interview with Metal Jacket Magazine, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann spoke about what he thinks life will be like post-pandemic. He said (hear audio below): "I don't know what metal is gonna be like, but I think life in general is gonna be different. Maybe it's gonna be like it was pre-9/11, when you could go at an airport and go to the gate without security and all that kind of stuff. And after 9/11, when everything changed, and once it changes, it never goes back to normal. So it might be that we, from now on, have different measures in place, and they're gonna be here to stay. I don't think that we're all gonna have to wear face masks forever, but certain elements of all this kind of behavior, I'm sure, is gonna stay. I cannot imagine one day everybody is gonna say, 'Ah, everything is over, so forget about everything. Go back to normal, everybody.' Maybe that's never gonna happen.

"I hope it's not the new normal as we have it now, with lockdowns and quarantine and all that stuff," he added. "But maybe when at least everybody's vaccinated or immune, or most people, life's gonna go back to an almost normal. But it's gonna be different from before, I'm afraid, maybe… As long as we can have concerts, I'd be okay with 'new normal.' 'Cause life without concerts is — I don't know — it's not worth living."

ACCEPT's new studio album, "Too Mean To Die", will be released on January 15, 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP will be the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during last year's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

"Too Mean To Die" was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with British producer Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH),who has been responsible for the magnificent studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.

ACCEPT's last album, 2017's "The Rise Of Chaos", marked the band's first release with guitarist Uwe Lulis and drummer Christopher Williams, replacing Herman Frank and Stefan Schwarzmann, respectively.

ACCEPT's latest release was "Symphonic Terror - Live At Wacken 2017", featuring the band's performance at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.