 Welcome to The Metal Voice. It's been 11 years. Yeah. We've we've had Wolfon. Don't get in us wrong, Mark. We've had Wolfon many, many, many times. Tons of times that we go, you know, we got to go back to Mark. We haven't had him in 11 years. Mark Spanillo accept. One of my favorite interviews was, you know, over 13 years we've been doing the shows with you and Mark, or you and Peter, sorry, that they styling grad tour here in Montreal. There's a great interview and you guys are a great bunch of guys. And now we're talking, you know, 14 years in the band, your sixth LP with them. Wow. Yeah. Can't believe it. Humanoid. Humanoid to be released April 26 on Napalm Records. This is the 17th. Can you believe it? The 17th studio album. Roll it out and begin. Go ahead, Alan. I mean, let's just start off. What a job on the lyrics. You know, they're topical. They're, but there's some, you know, sometimes you're just universal. It just every, every album you write the lyrics, it just, it just enjoy, enjoy to listen to. It's a, it's a challenge to find things to write about, you know, anymore. You try not to rehash the same thing over and over again. But, you know, we, luckily we seem to come up with these topics. So. I know in the past, when we used to speak to Gabby, she used to always, always have her hand in there, right? Like sort of, and I think you even told us that, but now you're completely free of that. So do you feel that you have a lot more space, less of an editor looking over your shoulder? I've always enjoyed Gabby's input. So you know, she's a, she's a very smart woman. Yeah. Yeah. And really well read. You should see her library saying how she comes up with all these things. But, but yeah, I mean, I never had free reign because it always gets edited, you know, it's, and he's going to change things on me. Wolf's going to change things on me, you know, but it's, it's, it's like, I'm just thinking to myself, it's never going to be free reign, you know, you come up with your right, your right stuff. And it's the same for them, you know, for everything that we do, every, everything's ever finished until it goes to press can always change. It's okay. That's okay too. That's all right. Well, let's talk about some topics. Me and Alan, we're just talking about the topics on the new album. All right. Let's, let's AI seems to be the big thing today, right? Humanoid. I mean, are we talking about the Terminator here? What are we talking about? iRobot? An AI cleaning machine to clean our vacuum or house? Well, that's what I said. I was, I was thinking more like the Borg actually. I was a big Star Trek fan. And those, those seem to be the worst humanoids to be encountered because they want to make you one too. So, but where the whole idea was just, you know, this was Wolf's baby when he came up with the title for the song and wrote the music and put the ball in my court. And I had to come up with a way to, way to make it palatable, you know, but yeah, I tried to incorporate as many ideas into it without making it too crazy. You know, I mean, let's, let's face it. This whole AI thing that's going on is insane. Where are we going? Who knows? Well, we've got Elon Musk just put a implant in somebody's brain. Now he can play chess without moving his hands on his computer. What's next? You have programs that write lyrics, you have programs that write music, you have AI programs that will mimic your voice, and you don't have to sing anymore. Like, yeah, where are we going? What are we going to do? It'll be Mark Danilo sings Taylor Swift songs. AI version. Well, that's the collective, right? The Borg is the collective, right? Yes, you there the collective. Resistance is futile. Resistance is futile. What about, you know, and it's interesting because you talk about the humanoid, but then you have Frankenstein, which was probably AI in its infancy, right? In its original form. Taking a brain and putting it to someone else's body. Whose idea was that? Well, it was a working title. And we tried a couple of different ideas, but nothing seemed to sound as good as Frankenstein. I came up with a couple of different things. I wrote like two other songs on that piece of music, and nothing fit like Frankenstein. So I said, screw it. It's going to be Frankenstein, but I want to tell the story from the, from the point of view of the monster, not the people that are scared, and not the doctor, not Igor or whoever. I want the monster's point of view. And what does he know? He didn't know anything. He just wakes up and goes, hell am I? Who made me? Where am I? What is this? And why is everyone hate me? Like AI, like the AI boring terminator, whatever you're going to call it. Yeah, I see that as a kind of a sister song to monster man off a Russian I mean, that's a song that I can't wait to hear live. I think this is going to go down. We're definitely going to do it live. So it should be a lot of fun. And then, you know, diving into sin, us being here in Montreal, Quebec, I heard that the Putin drives you insane, but it's the routine drives you insane. So yeah, routine, the routine drives you insane. Very well. What about a man up? This to me, this sounds like that classic gang vocal except vibe, I guess. Yeah. Well, that was a kind of a, I was one of the, I think it was the first thing I wrote. I wrote the lyrics and I just sent it to Wolf. And it was more of a pep talk if anything else for me, get back on the horse and let's get this going. Yeah, lyrically, I could see where it's a follow up to, you know, sex to be you or holding the head. I mean, it's one of my faves on the album. I mean, life's hard. It's an age old truth. Man makes plans that God laughs, you know. Yeah, man. And that's the truth. How would you describe the album, the sound for all the people who haven't? Of course, most people haven't heard it, but how would you describe it to somebody? Okay, this is my new album. This is coming out soon. It sounds like classic, except that's my classic Mark Tornillo, except or classic auto, except. Well, a little of both, I think. All right. I don't think the band is strayed that far from from what it was in the 80s, you know, different members, obviously. But I think the sound is still, you know, you put it on, you know, that's Wolf Hoffman. There's no, there's no doubt about it. So, but I mean, you know, it's a classic metal album without trying to be too redundant, you know, and try to make things interesting. Keep it's an ain't broke. So don't fix it. Just refresh it. And a song like Ravagers of Time even takes me back to the earlier, except for the late 70s. So it's got that kind of feel to it. Yeah. Yeah, Breaker album. Yeah, around there, earlier. Straight up Jack, I mean, that's, what's that except answer to ACDCs have a drink on me? Yeah, that could have been a TT quick song, I think. I'm trying to think what alcohol was not mentioned in that song. I think you covered them all. Yeah. And, and, and keep your story short while you're at it, you know, don't beat around a bush. Give it to me straight. Do you find because except it's still relevant and it was still relevant that you're kind of both upping your own game, you know, it's sort of like it's the competition of it all seemed to make great, better music. Yeah. I mean, it's natural. You know, I suppose, I mean, I really don't think about that. But you know, you could look at it that way. I'm sure some people do. So people be saying that now about KK's priest and Judas Priest. Same thing. Yeah. And we just saw that we saw KK and Ripper on the Monsters of Rock crews, man. They were amazing killing it. I think that's a great point. I mean, that's a great analogy because priest's new album is incredible. KK's new album is incredible. And it seems like that competition is just creating better music. And I think it's the same case for you guys with you and Odo. Like it's just going now. So yeah, yeah, yeah. And the song Unbreakable, I mean, you talk about One United Force metal soldiers, or you wire metalheads so, so loyal, maybe now more than ever. They just are, man. It's amazing. It's probably the only genre of music that you don't grow out of. You know? Yeah. I think we're the living proof. Yeah. You're a lifer. It's it. And no matter where we go, on this planet, you know your people when you see them. Yeah. You know, we're driving, let's, you know, in a transport from the hotel to wherever the gig is. And as you get closer, you just see more and more black shirts and long hair and tattoos and, you know, band shirts. And it's like, it's my people. And you get out of the car and people. I always said that the safest place you could ever be is at a heavy metal concert with true fans because everybody knows each other feels the same. They're there for the music. Yes. Exactly. We're all, you know, one big happy family, man. Yeah. When I was a kid, you know, I didn't want to go to the punk rock clubs. I wanted to go to the metal clubs. I didn't because they were too violent on the punk rock side, but I really took care of each other at the metal clubs. Yeah. Now you go in the mosh pit. Well, I don't go, I don't go in the mosh pit. I'm too old and brittle at this point. Yeah. We'd have to call an ambulance. What has always been your challenges to tour the U.S.? Wolf is based in the U.S. You're based in the U.S. You would think it'd be that much easier, right? To tour the U.S.? You would. It's just, we don't have that kind of following in the U.S. that we have everywhere else in the world. So, you know, the money's not there. It's, it's, it's rough, but we are, we are going to make a run this year and we'll see how it plays out. Yeah, that's what we're wondering. It is in the works. Okay. So, North America or just U.S.? North American. Okay, good. So, U.S. and Montreal. Or Toronto. Or Toronto. I have not seen the final schedule yet, so I'm not at liberty to say anything. And none of that's been announced. So, I got you. We'll play that by ear. Right now we're working, you know, we have South America in May, summer festivals in Europe, and a European headline tour starting in October. So somewhere between the summer festivals and October, we should be doing a U.S. run. Okay. And, you know, not only the great lyrics on this, this album, but how the voice, you know, you, you explained to me it's a muscle, you got to take care of it. But, you know, we're all aging and you sound just good as ever on this album. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. And it is a muscle and we are all aging, but, you know, I still go to the gym too, you know, I'm not going to, if you don't use it, you lose it. And I think that's, that's the key to it right there. If you keep continuing to sing and pushing yourself to do it, then it'll continue to work, hopefully, you know, I mean, it sounds wonderful. Let's hope that's the truth. So far, so good. What are the toughest songs for you to sing today live? Are you still? Oh, boy. There are some tough ones, man. Breakers always a challenge. Zombie Apocalypse has been the opener for the last couple of years. And that's coming out of the gate with that is a tour. But you get it done. So I'm really glad we do it that way, that we have done it that way. But now that'll be changing up now, I'm sure that Humanoid Albums out, we'll see what wonderfulness they're going to make me do first. So what's dynamic with you and, you know, Wolf, how does it go about the songwriting process? It's totally, every song is different. Like some of the things on these, especially these past two albums, Humanoid and To Mean, a lot of times I just wrote lyrics to nothing and sent him the lyrics and the song would come back. Or he would send me a piece of music with nothing but a title, and I'll write the lyrics and send it back. So it could be, you know, and then Martin Mott next been involved in the songwriting on the last two albums. Thank goodness. And these comes up with some good ideas as well and lyrical ideas. So it's a collaboration, you know, that's all I could say. And it's not done until it's printed, you know. We will tweak things right to the very end until it goes to mastering. So that's great. Yeah, Wolf also offered jokes that, you know, being German, it's almost near perfection has to be achieved before something's put put away. Yeah. Yeah. Especially with Andy, man. He is a perfectionist, you know. I just watch his face when I'm singing and I know when he's going to go, I think you got that one in you, mate. Oh, God. Do you miss Peter Bautas as a songwriter? I mean, he was a fixture for so long. Yeah, he's a great guy. As I said, though, you know, Martin Mott, Nick has stepped up and become that guy right now that we, you know, it brings in ideas and we bounce them off of him as much as each other. So it's it's just tough shoes to fill. I know all about that, you know. Yeah. It's tough shoes to fill, but, you know, you got a man up and do it. Hands man up. And let's take a big high five for nobody gets out alive. I mean, I think that's probably the most 80 sounding song on the album. Yeah, I really like that song too. That's that's another one I wrote the lyrics before the music. And I was really, really happy with the way it came out. You know, it's amazing. You've become the classic era now. You've been in the band so long, right? Because there's usually about it on a steady run. I've been in the band longer than Udo ever was. Yeah, unbelievable, unbelievable. I remember, you know, when you guys were you guys first started off, it was it just it doesn't seem like yesterday, but it seems like a long time ago. It just really does in a good way in a good way. I don't mean yeah, but I mean, it's 15 years went by pretty damn fast. I imagine. So yeah, that's for sure. Lots of trips around the world and, you know, crazy. Still doing electricity. Last year. Oh, congratulations. 2023. I called it called it quits just basically for more more reasons than not is just too much to handle with the logistics of getting work and and benefits and you know, I'm retired now. I don't think about benefits anymore. I got health insurance for life. Oh, that's good. That's great. I didn't as long as I was still working because if you're not, you don't have enough hours, then you had to pay Cobra and Cobra payments now are up over $1,000 a month. I'm like, yeah, why don't you pay me instead? I'll stay home. How's that? Yeah. So there you go. So in other words, union-wise, you officially retired at that age where you could keep on collecting, right? Yes, you could have enough and have enough years in. Yeah. So I collect the pension from them now and and I still have my health insurance on my Medicare, obviously, because I'm a freaking old man. But that's my secondary and they cover everything that Medicare doesn't. So when you get to concentrate on music, that's great. That's great. That's a nice problem to have. Well, it's a nice problem to wake up in the morning and go, no, I really don't have to go there today, do I? I'm going to stay home and do interviews. I'll drive a few lyrics down. Do you guys still have any contact with Gabby? My wife and I do. Okay. She okay? She good? She well? My wife and Gabby are very good friends. Sorry, Gabby and myself, we're all good friends. Good, good, good, good. She used to like, you know, she was a huge supporter of the show. You know, I don't know that she's retired now and just give her her best wishes. That's all. Yeah, I think I most certainly will. Lovely lady though. Yes, she is. No, just, you know, we're talking about all these albums and you say it's a little bit harder. I mean, except with your set, I mean, they started out gangbusters and again, all the albums are charting. Has there been a little load that's making it a little difficult to tour North America or? It's always been difficult to tour North America. It's mostly promoters and the fact that, you know, we need to play at least a big enough room where we're going to make some money, but to get out the turnout to do it, you know, so, but we're going to make it happen this year, no matter what. I know that we've all decided that, you know, if we have to take a cut, we'll take a cut, but let's we got to play. We got to play for the fans. So, you know, we, we interviewed Blackie Lawless and they were telling him for decades that there's nobody there. Nobody's going to turn up. It's no interest yet. Yet he sold out every place that he played when he finally came back. So, hopefully that'll be the case. We've been away long enough. No trouble selling tickets in South America. No trouble selling tickets in Europe or elsewhere else. So, it's, I think it's just that the United States is just not metal territory anymore. Whoa. I don't know why. Adrian Vandenberg, we had him on a couple of weeks ago. He was saying the same thing. It was kind of a test drive for him going around this tour, but the reaction was so strong that they're going to do a full tour down the road. His agent believes in it now. Oh, let's hope so. I hope they prove, I hope they prove me wrong, you know. I mean, I would love nothing better than to tour the U.S. You know, every year, but we'll see how it plays out. Well, just so you know, in Canada, balls to the walls, I think went gold. Like, I mean, Canada has always been a strong hold for, except in general, your era, Uduz era. So, hopefully the promoters will see some value in that and book you guys. I hope so. Well, as I said, there's definitely going to be a run in, I'm going to say, late August through October. So, and I can't really say any more about it right now. It's not confirmed and it hasn't been announced, obviously, but there's, it's going to be going to be very interesting bill. You know, on a last note, I remember when you played Toronto and Jason McMaster, he took over for you because you were sick for a few days. I was more sick for a few days. I had RSV. Oh, wow. Fucking evil. I'm telling you. And I was singing through it. I had sang four shows already with it. I mean, we had been out on that run for a few weeks already. But I got sick, I think in Colorado. And I sang that show. And I sang two more after that. And I woke up on the bus in Toronto and I couldn't breathe. Oh, seriously. I literally was laying in the bunk on the bus and I had to cough. I'm going, shit, I don't want to cough. I know it's what's going to come up. But okay, go ahead, cough. I went to take a breath and nothing went in. I was like, oh, whoa, whoa, what the hell is that about? I jumped up out of the bunk and I'm like, calm down, dude. If you couldn't breathe, you would have died in your sleep. Oh, yeah, that makes sense. So just calm down, breathe through your nose. Okay, that works. That kind of works. I couldn't talk. I went up to the front of the bus and I, and they're all sitting in the lounge. I walk up to the front of the bus. I mean, there's no fucking show tonight. It's not going to happen. And went to the hotel and they got a doctor came in and, and he pumped me up full of freaking cortisone, try to get me to, and he pretty much said to us, dude, don't, you're going to kill yourself. Don't do it. It's just your vocal cords are like this big. That's why you breathe this morning. Oh, so crazy. So I missed that show. Then there was a show in New Jersey two days later that they canceled and then Jason did the Pence peak show in Pennsylvania. And then we were supposed to do, there was three shows, there's two in New York and one in New Jersey, all the same promoter. And the second the promoter got wind of what was going on. And he calls the management goes, if Tornillo doesn't show up to these shows, I'm canceling them. I'm like, you, and I came home. I was home by then. And my wife's an emergency room nurse, or she was at that point. And went down, went to her emergency room and they ran a full panel on me. And I had, they, you know, test me for COVID and shit. And I had you, I had RSV. It was, I don't wish that on no one. I've had COVID three times. That was shit compared to this. Oh, this was, this was nasty, man. And they were going to cancel the shows. And I said, well, I can't let that happen. Can I? So I've gotten a car and I drove to upstate New York. And Jason and I split the night. And we did the same thing in those three shows like that. There was two in New York, there was one in North Jersey. And then he went back to Texas and I played the New York show, New York city show. It was, it was nasty. Yeah. The court of zone usually, the court of zone usually takes about five days to kick in. Yeah. Well, I was going to take the swelling down, hopefully, but boy, I wouldn't wish it on anybody, bro. And trying to sing with it is even worse. I mean, because you, you know, it's, it's not, it's not working. So you're trying harder and literally just beating yourself up. That's how Robert Plant lost his voice completely. He was sick during the Led Zeppelin tour. And he kept going out, he kept going out. And he just, to the point where he just abused his vocal cords. Well, I did that in the early days of TT quick. I was really sick. And I didn't want to cancel any shows. You know, I'm putting 10 guys out of work if I cancel the show. So I'm not going to do it. So we played, we played, we played, and it turned out I had walking pneumonia, went to a party, smoked something I shouldn't have after a show, had a coughing fit and my lung collapsed. Oh, so I was in intensive care for 10 days, damn near died. And of course, I'm night people on intensive care, and they keep bringing it. I'm awake all night. I can't sleep. They're everybody they put in a bed next to me died. Shitting me with this, I got to get the hell out of here. I need a beer. But it worked out. That's how that's what made me quit smoking. Actually, it was, that was 1980. So I quit smoking 44 years ago. Wow. And this is the pressure they put on singers, because the singer is too sick to play. Everybody's out of work. The band's losing money. And that's where and that's where they pushed the singers to use backing tracks to go, look, just fake it, fake it. You know, we're not going to lose it. And that's that's the that's the pressure that's the pressure on singers. But it's not fair. It's not it's not fair to the audience to be doing that. It's not. It's not. And and yeah, it is a lot of pressure. And the thing is, too, is, you know, the guitar player breaks a string, you can change it. Somebody changes it for him, drink a drink a drumhead, put another drum on there, you break the shit, it don't come back until it heals. So there was no permanent damage, or do you find any notice to your voice? No, no. I think it usually comes back stronger when something like that happens. There you go. Wow. It sounds like it on this album. The whole thing would collapse long when I left the hospital. The doctors said to me, because, oh, you're a singer or something, right? I go, yeah, you guys, you don't sing anymore. I go, oh, my beer. Like 45 years ago. Yep. On that note, you are definitely a humanoid, my friend, you are definitely or you're heading that way or Frankenstein. I don't know what or the other. Frankenstein. It's going to be, it's going to be released April 26th. Napalm Records, is there any closing remarks you'd like to add, Mark? The second single, which is The Reckoning. The Reckoning. Reckoning comes out Wednesday, day after tomorrow. Okay. There we go. So video and single. So by all means, check that out. The album is on April 26th. And other than that, we'll see you on the road. Mark, finally letting go. Finally letting go. Let's book, let's book this in the calendar. 11 years from now, we are going to have this. Okay. That's a, that's a, that's a plan. Always a pleasure. And I'm glad you're feeling good. I'm glad you're looking good. You're strong. This album is unbelievable. And the voice sounds great. And it just another, another quality release from Accept, what everybody expects from you guys in your delivery. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. And hopefully we'll see you guys. Yeah. We'll keep our fingers crossed. All right. Thanks Mark. All right guys.