Dirkschneider
Live - Back To The Roots

In the music scene, there have always been those kinds of people who remain etched in the minds of fans, whether due to some controversial statement or the charisma and energy they exuded on stage. When discussing a music genre, the conversation almost always ends with the assertion that the good old days when immortal icons of that genre reigned will never return, possibly overlooking the underground bands and musical artists who work tirelessly every day to make a name for themselves. These are nonsensical statements, therefore. However, as I mentioned at the start, these icons at a certain point in their careers must say goodbye, bidding farewell once and for all to the world that made them famous and immortal in the memory of those who recognize and appreciate them, but now requires a separation.

In the heavy metal music scene, Udo Dirkschneider is perhaps the artist who best fits this introduction. Or maybe he fits it halfway. Emerging into the music world in the late '60s, after a brief stint with a band called "Band X" in 1979, he witnessed the debut of his Accept, a band that proved to be one of the most influential in the German heavy scene, alongside Scorpions and Running Wild. Accept saw the first half of the '80s as their peak of popularity and maximum compositional inspiration, only to disband first in 1989 and then again in 1996. Recently, the band reformed in 2012 with a new singer, leaving Udo free to compose music with his band active for over 25 years, U.D.O., which has always been labeled as the worthy successor of Accept. During these 25 years of activity, U.D.O. have always included three or four Accept songs in their setlist, performed mainly to please the nostalgic, but in recent months something has changed.

Those who have followed Udo for a while know that it has always been quite bothersome for him to play Accept songs after the split, as he harbored a desire to completely detach from that band. And so, in the last days of August, it was announced that U.D.O. would embark on a tour, starting in September and ending in early March, dedicated solely to Accept classics, in order to finally rid himself of this "burden," if we can call it that, and thus, at the end of this tour, dedicate himself solely to U.D.O. without reprising Accept songs anymore.

For the occasion, the moniker under which Udo and his band will promote this tour will be simply "Dirkschneider", abandoning the name U.D.O., thus confirming that this tour was undertaken by Udo with the sole purpose of once and for all erasing Accept, removing them from any activity that would otherwise be linked to U.D.O. A few weeks later, the release of a Live CD for the occasion was announced, titled "Live - Back To The Roots", which will further and definitively show to fans who couldn't attend the tour in person that this is a unique opportunity to hear Udo sing Accept's historic songs for the last time.

Accompanied by a rather sparse cover, but effective in its message, the album is devoid of any weak points. Although close to 65 years old, Udo shows that his voice is still in great shape, like fine wine that improves with age, easily transitioning from explosive tracks like "Breaker", "London Leatherboys", and the magnificent "Princess of The Dawn", to other vocally challenging songs like "Up To The Limit", "Screaming For A Love-Bite", and the stunning "Son Of A B*tch". Also featured is the more paced "Neon Nights" and the ever-eternal "Metal Heart", with truly outstanding audience participation. Closing the album are the driving, albeit brief, "I'm A Rebel", the entertaining "Burning (Just Like Fire)", and a track universally recognized as the birth of the first speed metal song, as well as the most known Accept song, I'm obviously talking about "Fast As A Shark". Noteworthy, apart from Udo's voice that seems ageless, is the performance of the whole team, from Fitty Winehold's bass, outstanding in "Head Over Heels", to the scratchy and impactful guitars of Heikkinen and Smirnov, and the excellent work behind the drums by Udo's son, Sven Dirkschneider, who at more than one moment proved to be a real entertainer for the audience. Another merit is obviously the production, which highlights all participants in this live performance, from the musicians to the audience, with the latter truly engaged throughout the performance.

With this live album, Udo demonstrates not only that he has decisively closed the chapter dedicated to Accept in a fantastic way, but that at 65, he still knows how to hold a concert, not engaging much with the audience, sure, but distinctly conveying his passion and energy. And heck, for a little man of just one meter sixty-five, that's a lot. I find no flaws in the actual concert, but if I were to nitpick, I might say that the setlist lacks songs from albums like "Objection Overruled", or from the self-titled album, and from secondary albums like "Death Row" and "Predator", but this is more my regret than a genuine criticism of this live album. Accept, for their part, seem to have started a sort of cold war against their ex-leader, since in less than a month they will also release a live album, "Restless And Live". Beyond all possible criticisms toward Udo, one thing is certain. No matter how secondary this release might be perceived, or how it might be seen as a purely commercial move, nothing can change the fact that this live album will also indelibly mark Accept because what this album leaves us at the end of the listen is an immense awareness, namely the certainty that we won't hear the Accept classics sung by his historic voice again. And whether you believe it or not, this live album will make history.