WOLF HOFFMANN On ACCEPT’s Longevity: ‘We Had No Idea’ That Our Early Songs ‘Would Have As Much Staying Power’…

WOLF HOFFMANN On ACCEPT’s Longevity: ‘We Had No Idea’ That Our Early Songs ‘Would Have As Much Staying Power’

 

 

Legendary guitarist Wolf Hoffmann recently reflected on the enduring legacy of German‑American heavy metal pioneers Accept. Speaking at the 2025 M3 Rock Festival in Maryland, he marveled at how songs written in a garage decades ago continue to resonate with fans today .

Hoffmann recalled the band’s humble beginnings, rehearsing in Germany as teenagers with no grand plan—“We were, basically, little kids in a garage trying to start a band and wrote our first songs…” He said, “nobody could have thought that songs like that would have as much staying power, and then 40 years later, it means something to people…” . He added, “It almost feels like this stuff is for eternity… it’s crazy. And it’s a wonderful thing…” .

Highlighting the impact of their signature anthem “Balls To The Wall” (1983), Hoffmann admitted he had hoped it would help the band but never predicted its symbolic status. “Personally, I always thought it’s gonna be like — I don’t know — maybe like punk or something. A wave that comes and goes,” he noted. “But nobody could have anticipated that heavy metal is really still around all these years later” .

Accept’s swagger and success arc include gold‑selling and critically lauded records like Restless And Wild, Metal Heart, Balls To The Wall, and more recent releases such as Humanoid (2024) and Too Mean To Die (2021) . Hoffmann pointed out that experimentation and evolution fueled their longevity: drawing from classical influences (“Metal Heart” famously incorporates themes from Beethoven and Tchaikovsky), while staying true to a raw metal essence .

Accept’s official 50th anniversary, spanning 2025–2026, is being celebrated with a retrospective album early 2026 and a special, one‑time tour ending 2025, featuring old classics, deep cuts, and surprise guest artists . Hoffmann said, “You only have one shot at a 50-year anniversary… I don’t think we’ll get a chance for another one” .

Hoffmann also credits his renewed creative vigor in the 21st century to the band’s reunion with vocalist Mark Tornillo in 2009. He described this era as a rebirth, not just a reunion, and emphasized their vow to resist nostalgia: “We made a vow that we’re never going to be a nostalgia band… We really wanted to write new material that can be on an even level with the stuff we’ve done in the past…” .

Explaining his role as the creative driving force, Hoffmann noted that he orchestrates songwriting but encourages contributions from all band members. “I steer the ship musically…and everybody… puts their numbers in the hat,” he said .

Despite massive shifts in music consumption—vinyl, tape, streaming—Hoffmann insisted that the emotional core of live performance remains unchanged: “The experience of a live show has as much value as, or maybe even more value than, it ever did” .

In sum, Wolf Hoffmann expresses deep astonishment and gratitude over Accept’s longevity. What began as teenage passion in a garage has transformed into a half‑century of metal legacy, fueled by artistic evolution, non‑stop touring, and a steadfast commitment to relevance. He remains driven by the thrill of creation and the impact that both old and new songs continue to have on fans around the globe.