When it comes to musicians who have contributed so much to heavy metal few could match the figure that is Udo Dirkschneider. Be it with Accept or be it with his band UDO the German singer and true frontman has delivered so much that it voids the need for an introduction actually. Now signed to AFM Records, Udo alongside guitarists Igor Gianola and Stefan Kaufmann, bassist Fitty Wienhold and new drummer Francesco Jovino, is back with Mission No. X which was the appropriate time to bring the readers an interview with the man. - 23.11.2005

METALLIAN: Udo, thanks for the call. We will chat about the new album next, but one question that begs to be asked is how you feel nowadays about your career and your longevity in the heavy metal arena.
UDO: Well, what can I say. You know, Mission No. X is of course the tenth studio album for UDO already which helped name the album. I think the point is that I have been doing it for so long because I still enjoy it. For me, it is a way of life this whole thing. The songs, the tours and playing in front of people is still fun for me.

METALLIAN: It is customary to say one's newest, but which one is your best album in your eyes?
UDO: It is very hard, very hard to say. Each album has its own thing, you know. For me Animal House was a very important album. It was my first one as UDO. Holy was also very good. I think we found our own sound on that album. The band really came together on that one. In a way it is important to continue the sound of the Accept, and of course the voice is still the same, but also a very important part of Accept was Stefan Kaufmann who used to be the drummer back then. When we write songs together now a lot of Accept's music comes out.

METALLIAN: Out of your new songs 24/7 begins with a patented Accept riff.
UDO:Yes, you are right. It is near to Monster Man. It just came out that way. When I heard the riff I said, 'erm, it sounds like Monster Man,' but later we said we should keep it and we don't care. 24/7 is a great song. Many songs might sound like Accept, but so what?

METALLIAN: Another new song is Hardcore Lover. You experiment with your voice there.
UDO: Yes, the voice is a little bit different. It is always up to the song, you know? I have done that before, like on Holy or elsewhere on the new album like on Mean Streets.

METALLIAN: Speaking of Mean Streets, the song reminded me of Judas Priest circa the Point Of Entry album.
UDO: (thinks)...no, I don't see that. I don't think so. There is some effect on my voice. Stefan put some effect on my voice in the spoken part of the song.

METALLIAN: Going back to Holy you would not divulge the name of the drummer who recorded the album and instead teased the fans with a 'Guess Who' remark. Are you ready to reveal the person's identity?
UDO: No, it is still hard to say. I cannot say it. Let me tell you though that if you read the liner notes' 'thanks' section you will know who played on that album. You are welcome for that hint!

METALLIAN: Where did you find your current drummer?
UDO: He is a very unknown drummer. Even our last drummer, Lorenzo Milani, was an unknown. We were lucky. When Lorenzo said he doesn't want to drum anymore and wants to leave the music business Igor told us about Francesco from Italy. They knew each other from some cover band. Igor said Francesco might be the right person. We got lucky again. Francesco learnt 25 songs in three weeks. He did a Scandinavian tour with us last year and we are very happy with him. He is a cross between Lorenzo Milani and Stefan Kaufmann. He plays heavier than Lorenzo who was more into technique.

METALLIAN: Do you find that you eclipse your musicians and they are under-rated?
UDO: Yeah, I know what you are saying. The press especially always criticizes Igor. He is a very good guitar player; same with Stefan. What can you do? They always compare them to Wolf Hoffmann which is stupid because Wolf Hoffmann is Wolf Hoffmann. You don't want a copy. I don't know sometimes what journalists are doing. When I go back to Accept we sometimes really had just one guitar player. With UDO we have two guitar players who work together. They don't have egos and work together. Many journalists criticize my guitarists. I know that.

METALLIAN: Going further back there was a report in the '80s that you have suffered a heart attack. More than 15 years later you are still going...
UDO: Those are not the right word actually. Around 1990 I had, what is the word, a body breakdown and not a heart attack. I was overworked, singing, recording, writing songs, producing and even being a manager. I was working on other albums. It was too much.
It was not a a heart attack. I remember the reports. I don't know where the report on a heart attack came from. In a way I am lucky. I have never had a problem with my voice. I have managed to stay healthy. I also stopped smoking a year ago. Especially, while on tour, you have to do your best to stay healthy. I always say that I am lucky, I am very lucky. Of course, we get drunk sometimes, but I never party or take drugs or something like that. I have always been a healthy man.

METALLIAN: Does your abandoning smoking affect your voice?
UDO: No, it does not. Well, when I stopped smoking I was thinking that if anything changes then I will start smoking again (laughs). There has been no difference though, so it is not an issue.

METALLIAN: I spoke to Wolf Hoffmann a while ago and he said something interesting about you. He mentioned that in all those years with Accept you were "asexual." What do you think he meant exactly?
UDO: Maybe it means I didn't party or maybe he was referring to groupies or something like that. I have been married now for nearly 19 years. I have two children. On tour, I was never... well, in the old old days maybe, I mean when you are young and you don't have a girlfriend and you are on the road... later, I was married and I was not interested in sex with groupies and stuff. Maybe that is what he meant. Basically, I am into my marriage.

METALLIAN: When I attended your concert in Toronto several years ago there must have been no more than 50 people there. Has that kind of an attendance turned you off returning to Canada?
UDO: Well, we came back to North America later and toured with Saxon. Furthermore, other cities like New York and Chicago we had sold out shows. New Mexico and Texas were very good. It does not matter. I mean, for me, I wait for a good package. It is also a money thing. I would love to come back of course, but who is paying for it? We get very bad offers money-wise. It makes no sense to do a couple of shows. We like to come and tour for three months and go all over the place. Maybe we will come back next spring after our European shows. Some people get me wrong though. I don't want to make money, but I also don't want to lose money. I just want everything to be paid off. I need to break even. I am definitely willing to come back. It is always up to the promoters it seems.

METALLIAN: You recently reunited Accept and did a series of shows. Wolf claims that you have been the stumbling block in front of a new Accept album.
UDO: This is completely stupid, sorry. The idea behind reuniting Accept is now two or three years old, but I never had time for it. I was touring and writing and recording a new album. The plan was that I would do it when I was not busy with UDO. Then Accept called me up during last year's Scandinavian tour and they were telling me that they have heard that I have some time and a break is coming up and how about we reform Accept for some shows? I said OK, but first we have to check with the record company, the old members, my band now and then we will see. Then I had to write and record my new album which I had to complete by late February or March. I made it clear to Accept that I will do this as a special event tour. There will be no reunion, there will be no new album and I will go back to promoting my new album and touring for it. Wolf had also said to me that he has no interest in doing a new album. Now something has happened. It is very crazy. Maybe Wolf found out that he wants to get back into the music business. Of course, he can get back into the music business, but it would be without me! It is not possible that we compose songs together. I have been doing UDO for so many years. That was completely clear from the beginning. The only thing that is happening at the moment is that we might do a live DVD of Accept from Wacken festival. I am waiting for some information on that. That is the only thing that will be coming out. I had already done a reunion with Accept and it did not work. We did three albums together, namely Objection Overruled, Dearthrow and Predator and we found out, especially with Predator, that the magic was gone. Stefan was not involved which showed how important he was in Accept. It is very complicated to explain.

METALLIAN: How about old Accept video footage?
UDO: In a way, and it is a shame, but there is nothing there. Of course, we have tons of really private stuff, old stuff from the beginning of the '80s, but there is nothig to put on a DVD. Everything we had is on the Metal Blast From The Past DVD. I know people would be interested in the really old stuff, so there is a little bit of stuff so you never know. Maybe sometime we can put out something like that.

The man is a living wonder and responsible for some of the best heavy metal both with Accept and with UDO. Could there be anyone left out there who has missed out?