WOLF HOFFMANN On ACCEPT's Songwriting Formula: 'The Idea Is To Get Better Without Being Different'

ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann spoke to Saadet of New Jersey's WSOU 89.5 FM radio station about how the band's musical approach has evolved in the 40 years since the group's inception. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, obviously, it has evolved and I think it has matured, but I don't really think it has ever — at least not in these last, I don't know, 10 albums or something — I don't think it has fundamentally changed. And it's not supposed to ever really change these days, to be honest. The idea is to get better without being different. We're really trying to get nowadays more to the point and more mature with what we're doing but, really, we're not trying to change anything. That sometimes sounds like a super-simple concept, but it's really not that easy, because here we are — we already have a legacy of so many songs that we've released and people have a certain expectation of what we do, and, of course, we do too. We really wanna be true to the image and the tradition of ACCEPT and the sound, and we wanna write songs that we could have written many years ago, just never did. It's supposed to be super familiar but brand new at the same time."

Hoffmann also talked about where ACCEPT fits in within today's metal scene, saying: "There are so many subgenres out, and metal is such a huge word now — it means so many different things to people," he said. "I mean, I see it at these festivals that we often do in Europe — or worldwide, really — where it's a metal festival but I cannot hardly identify myself with any of the bands anymore. I feel sometimes like I'm almost like — I don't know — old-fashioned in a way compared to some of these guys out there. Some don't even have melodies anymore; some do the shouting-only vocals where there's more of a noise effect than really melody. And that's all cool. And some people do more industrial stuff, there's death metal and all these different genres, and it's all called metal. But I think we definitely see ourselves more as a song-based, old-fashioned, traditional '80s-style metal band that still has choruses and sing-along melodies and these sort of things, a more melodic approach. We're somewhat old-fashioned in that sense, and I think that's what people like about us. Because this is who we are, and we don't ever really need or want to change. We wanna give the fans what they like and what they expect from us."

ACCEPT's latest album, "Too Mean To Die", came out in January via Nuclear Blast. The LP is 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 2019'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 studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.