Dirkschneider - Live - Back to the Roots - Accepted

(CD Album Review)

****

German Heavy Metal does not disappoint

German Heavy Metal legend Udo Dirkschneider has spent the last year or so (and it’s looking like for the next year also) touring 'Back to the Roots' where he has said goodbye to Accept. In a roundabout way he has said Accept are out there touring and doing their thing so there is no need for him to keep singing the songs and taking up space on his live set.

So for this he is doing a set of Accept songs for the last time so he can focus on his solo career and focus solely on solo material in his live show. When you look at the mudslinging going on with other bands in similar situations I think this is a pretty class act thing to do.

So here over two discs and a Blu-Ray (this review is for the audio only) Udo backed by the current line-up of UDO rip through a mammoth twenty five song set of Accept classics. They plough through the classics like 'Midnight Mover, Fast as a Shark' and 'Balls to the Wall' while throwing in some deep cuts.

In all fairness Udo’s voice has aged and it takes him a few songs to get warmed up but that aside this is a great concert that really brings home what a body of work Accept and Udo Dirkschneider collectively have and the chemistry between the band during their time together. At their peak they really did give Judas Priest a run for their money.

Some editions come with a bonus studio cover of Frank Sinatra’s classic 'My Way' which is ….well awful but it’s good to have. Of courses since Accept released a live package of their own earlier this year which also was a marathon set which is better? Who cares? If you’re a fan I honestly can’t see why you won’t get both. This is a great document of a great tour and is essential for the fans.

Review by Joe Denby