Last Sunday, Metal-Rules' Marko Syrjala interviewd the legendary Peter Baltes, former bassist of Accept, in Finland. Baltes has since joined U.D.O., a band led by his former bandmate, Udo Dirkschneider.

An expert from the chat follows...

Metal-Rules: What is the main difference for you between being a member of the U.D.O. band and your last years with Accept?

Peter Baltes: "I believe that the main difference is that U.D.O. is a band where everyone gets along, and no one has an ego, not even Udo. At his age, ego no longer matters, and he is just simply happy to sing and perform. The feeling of camaraderie that you have when starting out as a band is still present, unlike in some other bands, where it slowly faded away as business and money come into play. However, that’s not the case in this band. Everything is transparent, and the conditions are great financially and otherwise for me. So, the main difference is the positive atmosphere and the sense of camaraderie that we share every day. It’s really karma and about how you feel every day."

Metal-Rules: I presume that one of the biggest differences between U.D.O. and Accept is the songwriting process. In U.D.O., all members are involved in writing songs, and you work together as a team.

Baltes: "Yes, everyone is involved in songwriting in U.D.O. It’s great because so many different writing styles come together to create something unique. In Accept, it was always just Wolf and me. Herman Frank, Udo, or Mark Tornillo didn’t write music, which is why the albums started to sound the same towards the end. I didn’t like it anymore and felt like we were always just doing the same album or concept again and again, only with different lyrics. I was thinking like, 'This is just the same. It’s not growing'. In contrast, I still grow as a bass player. I listen to other bass players and other types of music, whatever it is. I practice my bass every day because I want to become better. The growing never stops."

Metal-Rules: (Your) solo album has been in the works for a while already. What can fans expect to hear from you on that album?

Baltes: "My solo album. Interestingly enough, I was ready to start finalizing it and gathering musicians before Udo called me. But since he called, I’ve hardly had any time to work on it. I would say that I have about 80% of the material written. I got to start early because I want Don Airey to play the keys, so I have to hurry up. All I can say is that musically, it’s going to be a cross between Rainbow and Dream Theater. It’s very progressive but has an old-school feel to it. I’ve always wanted to do that because it’s my style. That’s why I took my time. I don’t have to rush. Nobody wants to hear my album anyway! (Laughs) But for me, it will be a good ’80s record with a progressive sound."

Read the complete interview at Metal-Rules.com.

(Photo - Martin Häusler)