Many years passed since the singer Udo Dirkschneider and guitar player Michael Wagener based ACCEPT band in Solingen. Unfortunately after just few weeks, Michael left the band heading for Hamburg and then for Los Angeles, where, shortly became one of the most appreciated "sound engineer" of metal zone, his skills could be seen in the albums of Metallica, Dokken, White Lion, Skid Row etc. About ACCEPT it can be written tens of pages but, because we haven't enough space, we chosen an optimal variant and as a result of the interview which Udo gave exclusively to HMM, we selected the most important events from the of this famous band, initiator of "New Wave of German Heavy Metal".

"If you want to tell you about the first period of the band, I have sensation that I got very, very old. Accept was formed about half of '70, and if I'm not wrong, in 1977. I and Michael Wagener we wanted a rock band who adopt a hard and without compromises manner. To my regret, Michael had chance to find a very good job and his dream to become sound engineer came true. I tried to persuade him to stay, but I didn't succeeded. So I started to look for new musicians and I found Wolf Hoffmann, Peter Baltes, Jan Kommet and Frank Friedrich. In 1979, we released the first album, "Accept", the promotion being made in tens and tens of small clubs in Germany. Followed the second album "I'm a rebel" released in 1980. We started a new tour and we played more in Holland and Belgium. Shortly after tour's end Jan left the band and came Jorg Fisher instead. In 1981, we recorded and released "Breaker" which brought us fame in Europe, an important contribution having the open-tour for Judas Priest. Since then, all was great as albums and tours, though over the years we confronted with some changes of band members."

Making a balance, which do you think is the best period of ACCEPT history ?

"The best period...Yes. I think between 1981 and 1987."

In 1987, after "Russian Roulette" album you left ACCEPT to make your own band UDO. What did make you to have that decision ?

"I never left ACCEPT. It was just a temporary separation. I told them that for a period I'll go on my own and look for another singer. It was taken Rob Armitage from Baby Tuckoo but he didn't fit completely and in 1988 David Reece, with who it was recorded "Eat the Heat. What followed everybody knows."

I didn't asked you this question unintentional. I remember how immediately after the release of "Staying a life", mass-media announced that double-live was released to celebrate a glorious period in history of the band and somehow meant about a broke-up of the band.

"In mass media rumours appear all the time. Never existed the problem to break-up ACCEPT. "Staying a life" was an album that contains the best songs of ACCEPT, recorded live in a Japanese tour. It was a great tour and the Japanese's proposal to record it live was agreed by RCA and us. In the spring of 1992 I came back in the band so any comments are useless."

Udo, every album of yours has a indisputable value. Though, which is in your opinion the most representative ?

"Oh, God. Certainly there are more. For me, the best are "Breaker", "Balls to the wall", "Metal Heart" and not the last "Objection Overruled".

Let's put the history aside and talk about what you do now. The last album is called "Predator", released recently and fast penetrated among those who listen hard and heavy.

"What could I say. We recorded in America in the studious 16th Avenue Sound in Nashville (Tennessee) and Scream in Los Angeles and after many, many years I worked again with my friend Michael Wagener. He did recorders, production etc. On this album we appealed again to some formulas we used in '80 which made ACCEPT become world-wide popularly."

You didn't tell me why there are only three members in the band ?

"You're right. I can tell you that Stefan Kauffmann announced last year he doesn't want go on with. I can tell same thing about guitarist (????? - I don't know exactly what he meant ). Wolf Hoffmann took over also this responsibility and for recording drum parts we used Michael Cartellone, ex-Damn Yankees."

Why Michael Cartellone ?

"Wolf Hoffmann and Peter Baltes live for several years in America. They know him very well so they recommended him for this album."

About lyrics on "Predator" what can you say ?

"Generally they are for large interest. The subjects are available both in Germany and America and in all countries. We address specially the young and we try as much as possible to draw them attention about dangers which watch them everywhere: unemployment, violence etc. Also, we didn't forget our personal problems, which always been in ACCEPT compositions."

How do you characterise this album ?

"As a very good and present one. We mixed the sound of our glory period with the present one and thus "Predator" became o representative album for the 90's ACCEPT. I hope to be liked by those who became fond of us over the years and younger rockers."