Over 40 years since they smashed their way into the international charts with Balls To The Wall, German heavy metal heroes Accept still fly the flag with pride. 17 albums in, and latest effort Humanoid has earned comparisons to Invincible Shield, the latest release from fellow metal veterans Judas Priest.
With massive riffs and sing-alongs aplenty, Hammer caught up with guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and vocalist Mark Tornillo to find out what's got their pistons pumping on Humanoid. Here is your track-by-track guide, in the band's own words...
Diving Into Sin
Wolf: "I came across the idea of Diving Into Sin, thinking, 'We sometimes all have the urge to just do things we are not supposed to do. We are asked to live by the ‘norms’ and pre-decided constraints of society, laws and morality but sometimes you can’t help but wonder how it would feel to say ‘fuck it” and break away from some of it. The song is not meant to be a call to action or taken too literally; it’s more of a provocative thought and question about what we accept as convention."
Humanoid
Mark: "People have speculated about A.I. for years. Can man control his own creations and with the highest integrity ? If not, what will become of us? We soon may find out!"
Wolf: "In a way, Humanoid is a continuation of the song idea Metal Heart from our 80s album [of the same name]. What was then a utopian idea and in the distant future is now becoming reality, hence the reference to the metal heart on the cover art."
Frankenstein
Mark: "The classic story, told from the Monster’s point of view. I believe he was an innocent bystander in the whole thing. He didn’t get asked to be reanimated, however he is happy just to be alive again!"
Wolf: "This is a song that is based on an idea that [Accept guitarist] Uwe Lulis had. He and I worked on a number of songs together, and this one found its way on the album."
Man Up
Mark: "There are some things in life that you have no control over and when they smack you down, there’s only one way back. Man Up!"
Wolf: "Mark wrote the lyrics first ,then I wrote the music to the lyrics. It was fun and I really enjoyed working that way. It's great to have a starting point when writing music."
The Reckoning
Mark: "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse strike again! No mercy or no second chance? Could the end be at hand?"
Wolf: "It is based on a lyric idea by [Accept bassist] Martin Motnik and the themes are around the Last Judgment and Karma. It is something we all contemplate at some point in life, personally and collectively. It’s also another one of the songs where the lyrics were written first."
Nobody Gets Out Alive
Mark: "No matter what your station in life might be, the one thing you have in common with everyone on the planet is mortality. There’s only one way out!"
Ravages Of Time
Mark: "Live and learn, age gracefully....Time, however, will take its toll. Nothing is forever so you’d better start to live!"
Wolf: "This song is dear to my heart. I really like the idea of honestly embracing that we all are getting older and nothing is forever. I often feel like I am still 16 years old, excited to be playing Metal and traveling around the world , but at the same time... the clock is ticking so yes, we’d better enjoy the ride while we can!"
Unbreakable
Mark: "An anthem for metalheads of all ages! We bend but we don’t break!"
Wolf: "We toyed around with many lyric/song ideas for this track, finally settling on Unbreakable. This song totally captures and describes the atmosphere and spirit of Accept Live Shows and our connections and friendships with our fans worldwide!"
Mind Games
Wolf: "While I was writing new songs, I was thinking about how much we are controlled by our minds! I often have ‘mind fucks’ or ‘ mind games’ that are challenging and most people i know experience these too. Weird and strange dreams as well! So yes, this song is very real for me."
Mark: "The mind has a way of playing tricks on us. Especially in our dreams. Sometimes it feels like there is no way out!"
Straight Up Jack
Mark: "Don’t sugar coat it, or water it down...Give it to me Straight Up Jack!"
Wolf: "This song is totally up Mark’s alley. He gave me the lyrics and I wrote three or four songs and riffs for it but none of them quite seemed to fit what Mark had in mind. In the end we worked on the music together, he showed me the rhythm and vibe he was imagining for it and then it all just fell into place!"
Southside Of Hell
Mark: "It’s a long way up when you’re flat on your back. However there is always time to turn your life around. The sooner the better!"
Wolf: "The song is musically pushing the edge a little bit, especially the beginning. I remember just having fun with a bunch of different riffs, not knowing where they would lead ... .Then I played one to Andy [Sneap, producer of Humanoid], he gave it the thumbs up and it turned out to be a great high energy metal track!"
Hard Times
Mark: "Written by Curtis Mayfield and covered by many! It’s about not wanting people to see the bad times you’re going through. Keeping up a façade and hiding out."
Wolf: "A rare cover song by Accept! When I first heard it, I immediately thought it might be great for Mark to sing and for us to try our hands at a cover!"
Humanoid is out now via Napalm.
