Tommy Udo

Tommy Udo

Allan McLachlan spent the late 70s studying politics at Strathclyde University and cut his teeth as a journalist in the west of Scotland on arts and culture magazines. He moved to London in the late 80s and started his life-long love affair with the metropolitan district as Music Editor on City Limits magazine. Following a brief period as News Editor on Sounds, he went freelance and then scored the high-profile gig of News Editor at NME. Quickly making his mark, he adopted the nom de plume Tommy Udo. He moved onto the NME's website, then Xfm online before his eventual longer-term tenure on Metal Hammer and associated magazines. He wrote biographies of Nine Inch Nails and Charles Manson. A devotee of Asian cinema, Tommy was an expert on 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano and co-wrote an English language biography on the Japanese actor and director. He died in 2019. 

Latest articles by Tommy Udo

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Orange Goblin: A Eulogy For The Damned

By Tommy Udo Published

Greasy spoon biker metal from scary hell.

Albums
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Earth: Angels Of Darkness Demons Of Light II

By Tommy Udo Published

A different kind of heavy.

Bands & Artists
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Wino & Conny Ochs: Heavy Kingdom

By Tommy Udo Published

Wino unplugged.

Bands & Artists
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Acid Mothers Temple & Melting Paraiso UFO: Ripper At The Heaven's Gate

By Tommy Udo Published

Cosmic thrills for space-rock-heads.

Bands & Artists
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Venom: Fallen Angels

By Tommy Udo Published

Demonic predictability.

Albums
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Canned Heat: Live At Montreux 1973

By Tommy Udo Published

The glory of the blues-base.

Concerts & Shows
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Opeth: Heritage

By Tommy Udo Published

‘Brave’ prog album washes away any remaining signs of band’s death metal past.

Albums
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NeonFly: Outshine The Sun

By Tommy Udo Published

Tune!

Tracks & Singles
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The Fuzztones: Preaching To The Perverted

By Tommy Udo Published

I wish it could be 1966 again.

Bands & Artists
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Cowboy Junkies: Demons: The Nomad Series Volume Two

By Tommy Udo Published

Sad music for very sad times.

Albums
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Faust: Something Dirty

By Tommy Udo Published

The sick sounds of the underground still gurgle from the avante-garde Germans.

Tracks & Singles
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Mogwai: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

By Tommy Udo Published

A perfect sound forever.

Albums
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Ministry & Co-conspirators: Undercover

By Tommy Udo Published

Greatest hits and covers mangled and milked for all they’re worth.

Tracks & Singles
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Doobie Brothers: World Gone Crazy

By Tommy Udo Published

Long train still running.

Albums
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Swans: My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky

By Tommy Udo Published

Keeping music evil. Just the way we like it.

Bands & Artists
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Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band: The Anthology... So Far

By Tommy Udo Published

All Starr... you see what he did there? Oh please yourselves.

Bands & Artists
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Crippled Black Phoenix: I, Vigilante

By Tommy Udo Published

It’s doom, Jim, but not as we know it.

Tracks & Singles
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Apocalyptica: 7th Symphony

By Tommy Udo Published

String-driven thing.

Albums
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Marilyn Manson: Goth Icon Through The Looking Glass

By Tommy Udo Published

A special archive interview with Marilyn Manson from Metal Hammer in 2007, with the man talking about music, movies and a blood-splattered room

Interviews
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Robert Calvert: Flying High With The Starfighters

By Tommy Udo Published

In 1974, Hawkwind's Robert Calvert released a determinedly eccentric, yet endearingly charismatic concept album. In 2004, Classic Rock celebrated Calvert's genius

Albums
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Fear Factory: The Story Behind Demanufacture

By Tommy Udo Published

On November 7, 1995 Fear Factory released the influential Demanufacture. IN 2004, Metal Hammer told the surprising story of its creation

Biographies
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