UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER: 'I Never Said That ACCEPT Cannot Write Good Songs Anymore'

Greece's Rockpages.gr recently conducted an interview with former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Rockpages.gr: I am sure that you learned about ACCEPT's comeback [with new singer Mark Tornillo]. Did you listen to the album ["Blood Of The Nations"]?

Udo Dirkschneider: Of course. It's a good album and the singer's doing a pretty good job. I will tell you this I was expecting that Wolf (Hoffmann, guitar) and Peter (Baltes, bass) would make a remarkable record and I am glad that the tour is successful. It's been so many years since they last did this. But let me say something on the record. I read somewhere that Wolf says that I go around and say to the journalists that ACCEPT cannot write great music anymore. That's absolutely bullshit I never said that ACCEPT cannot write good songs anymore. It's like a kindergarten. But I wish them luck.

Rockpages.gr: Did you feel extra pressure due to the fact that there will be made comparisons between the [new U.D.O. album "Rev-Raptor" and "Blood Of The Nations"]?

Udo Dirkschneider: No! After all, "Rev-Raptor" was completed before ACCEPT's album [was released]. It is only natural to sound a little bit like ACCEPT in a way two members of U.D.O. were important members of ACCEPT in the '80s. But you know what I think The world is a big place to fit both ACCEPT and U.D.O.

Rockpages.gr: In my opinion, "Rev-Raptor" carries on from where "Mastercutor" and "Dominator" stopped and it features more or less the same songwriting and production style. Do you agree with this?

Udo Dirkschneider: Absolutely. You are right and that's what we wanted to achieve right from the beginning of the rehearsals. But, on the other hand, I believe that there are more melodies in there more twin solos and the ballads were written in a kind of different way.

Rockpages.gr: Once again, the album bears all the traditional U.D.O. elements in a modern environment especially the guitar sound once again may be melodic yet is sharp and quite distorted. Do you want to keep the band up to date with all that's going on in nowadays technology?

Udo Dirkschneider: Yes! This is the third album in a row that you make extensive use of the modern technology without losing our signature sound the classic U.D.O. sound. There is a new generation that listens to music in a different way than what was going on in the '80s. I mean, there is the Internet, the file sharing and all that stuff. But, also, the '80s sound may not be so appealing to them anymore. We don't want to be static and rely only on our past albums and the '80s.

Rockpages.gr: Do you fear about the reaction of the old-school, die-hard U.D.O. fans?

Udo Dirkschneider: (laughs) Of course always! But, as I said, the classic sound is still present but in a more modern package.

Read the entire interview from Rockpages.gr.