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In a brand new interview with Australia’s “Scars And Guitars” podcast, former ACCEPT singer Udo Dirkschneider was requested if he has had any contact with ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann lately. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “By no means. And I do not wanna have any contact with him… I am actually good pals now once more with [former ACCEPT bassist] Peter Baltes; he did all of the bass guitars on [my new] cowl album [‘My Way’], for instance. I nonetheless have a very good relationship with [ex-ACCEPT drummer] Stefan Kaufmann. Through the years, he was the guitar participant in U.D.O. [and] he was producing U.D.O. and stuff like that. And the one man I do not wanna discuss to — for example it this fashion — is Wolf. There’s loads of explanation why. I want him all the very best. [He’s] an awesome guitar participant anyway, however for me to work with him once more — by no means.”
Throughout the identical chat, Udo was requested if he has ever had a chance to fulfill present ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo, who joined the band in 2009. Dirkschneider mentioned: “There was a pageant, Masters Of Rock, taking place within the Czech Republic, and I used to be a visitor singer of LORDI — I did a tune along with LORDI. And LORDI was headlining and ACCEPT was the particular visitor of this pageant, not the headliner. And on the lodge, we [Mark and I] had been ready each for a driver, and he by no means mentioned to me whats up or one thing like that. Okay, I imply, what can I do? Why not say whats up? I am additionally actually good pals with David Reece who did [ACCEPT‘s] ‘Eat The Warmth’ album. We’re actually, actually good pals; we discuss typically on the cellphone and blah blah blah. I do not know… What I heard from Peter is that it was not allowed that he discuss to me. Do not ask me. Neglect it…”
Udo added: “He is a very good singer, he is doing a very good job now with ACCEPT, and I want him good luck. And perhaps sooner or later [we will meet and speak to each other]. You by no means know.”
Final December, Udo informed Simfonia Metàl·lica that shedding the rights to the ACCEPT identify was the most important mistake he made in his skilled profession. “That is the one factor I am actually not proud of,” he mentioned. “I used to be creating the identify ACCEPT. After which, once we got here — for example in ’80, ’81, we needed to signal loads of paperwork. And typically you are probably not trying on this. After which, in the long run, after they fired me [from] my very own band, I discovered a paper [saying] all of the rights [to the ACCEPT name] go to Wolf Hoffmann. And that is actually a giant level, a nasty level for me. The identify is generally on me and never on Wolf Hoffmann.”
He continued: “This was a giant mistake — probably not to look what you are signing. However anyway, that is historical past — [it happened] a very long time in the past. And I feel in the long run now, in a approach I do not care. However typically [I think] I did a giant mistake. However anyway, it occurred.”
Final yr, Udo dominated out the potential of a reunion with ACCEPT, telling TNT Radio Rock: “I do not wanna say something dangerous. Wolf is a superb guitar participant. He is an awesome man — I do know that. However one factor, and that is why by no means ever can occur once more a reunion or stuff like that, is he was stealing my identify. A very long time in the past, in ’81, once we needed to signal some papers. I used to be actually younger, and, ‘Yeah, okay,’ I signed my contracts. There was some paper in between [all the others], and he [got] the rights [to the ACCEPT name]. Nevertheless it was not Wolf [who orchestrated it]; I feel it was now his spouse. She was the supervisor of ACCEPT, and she or he was intelligent to place the [ACCEPT] identify on Wolf Hoffmann. And that is the factor that makes me nonetheless offended — he was actually stealing the identify. I imply, I used to be making ACCEPT in ’68.
“In the long run, as an individual, [he’s] positively an awesome guitar participant, an awesome man,” Udo added. “It is historical past. I feel I am fairly profitable with U.D.O. If I would like, I can do anytime a tour beneath [the name] DIRKSCHNEIDER and play ACCEPT songs. If I actually say, ‘Okay, I wanna do that once more,’ no issues in any respect. However the remainder, in a approach, is historical past.
“For instance, I used to be working with Peter Baltes and Stefan Kaufmann collectively on the only ‘The place The Angels Fly’, and everyone was, like, ‘Oh, what is that this? That is extra ACCEPT than ACCEPT is doing now in the meanwhile.'”
Dirkschneider‘s long-running metallic band U.D.O. launched an album in July 2020 referred to as “We Are One”, that includes contributions from Baltes and Kaufmann. Baltes and Kaufmann additionally reunited with Dirkschneider within the studio to file an EP beneath the DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG banner, titled “Arising”, which got here out in August 2021.
In January 2021, Hoffmann was requested by SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” if he was shocked to see Baltes working with Dirkschneider on some new music final yr. He responded: “Yeah, I most likely should not say a lot about that. Once more, I can solely speculate what that was all about. On the finish of the day, we do our factor, and everyone has to know for themselves what they wanna do. Yeah, let me not say as a lot about that as I can, please.”
Again in 2015, Hoffmann dismissed Dirkschneider‘s remark that the band’s then-lineup — which included Baltes and Tornillo — carried out stay “with none emotion.” “It is simply hilarious at this level,” Wolf mentioned. “It is only a massive joke in our lives. And we simply go on about our lives, and we do our factor, and we simply… We let this stuff go by and giggle about it. He is really type of our press agent, in a approach. He retains us [in the news].”
Launched earlier this month by way of Atomic Hearth Information, “My Manner” incorporates 17 cowl variations of songs which have influenced Udo essentially the most, together with basic tracks from URIAH HEEP, RAINBOW, THE SWEET, MOTÖRHEAD, LED ZEPPELIN, SCORPIONS, AC/DC and JUDAS PRIEST.
