Udo

"Man And Machine"
(SPV)  

Interesting that this record is being billed as a "Return to the roots of Accept…" not that I'm dissenting here, but you can say the same for every UDO record that's come out from the first moment he willingly left his own band until today. Udo was, is and always has been the lifeblood of Accept and he makes no bones about it, on record, on stage or in person. So while Accept as it was, the classic lineup, having long since parted ways, Udo, the "other" voice of Metal albeit one that's a 33 playing at 45 speed, keeps the spirit alive with every record he and his band produce. "Man And Machine" as with their seven other studio releases, differs mainly in theme, if there is one to yield to such as the mighty mite's traditional raised fist impulses, such as would a "Holy" a couple years prior and "Man And Machine," which casts a piercing glance at the misuse of technology as the title track or "Private Eye," could indicate… "Network Nightmare," and so forth. And yet such is only part of the program, the rest relying on typically "Metal" subjectivity: "The Dawn Of The Gods," "Like A Lion," "Black Heart." So yes the record sounds like classic Accept, true enough, with little variance from that which we've come to expect. It does not possess the immediacy of "Holy" or a "Solid," from the first whip crack, in fact begins somewhat lethargically on the opening title before that expected riff-heavy insurgence kicks in to rival their incomparable group choral penetration, a life long characteristic that I'll put to the lofty ledge of a "Restless And Wild" without worry. "Dancing With An Angel" steps away from safety as they recruit Doro Pesch to trade tears with the sensitized Udo for a lovely "Close My Eyes Forever" type ballad that's more about "Forever" than goodbyes. A master of subtlety, Udo, still accompanied by longtime drummer gone guitarer Stefan Kaufmann, reaches into his usual mixed bag of not so foolish tricks for a few odds and ends as the above mentioned duet, or a few mechanical men hazing in the background; though overall listeners will find this release to be of a more emotional kind, maybe at the sacrifice of overworked instrumentality for harmonic simplicity. Save for the few usual elastic tracks, the tunes are ballsy and catchy enough to satisfy the old grade and bore to death fans of the last Priest record. We'll let that statement stand for itself.

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