
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

Orange Goblin: A Eulogy For The Damned
By Tommy Udo published
Greasy spoon biker metal from scary hell.

Earth: Angels Of Darkness Demons Of Light II
By Tommy Udo published
A different kind of heavy.

Acid Mothers Temple & Melting Paraiso UFO: Ripper At The Heaven's Gate
By Tommy Udo published
Cosmic thrills for space-rock-heads.

Canned Heat: Live At Montreux 1973
By Tommy Udo published
The glory of the blues-base.

Opeth: Heritage
By Tommy Udo published
‘Brave’ prog album washes away any remaining signs of band’s death metal past.

The Fuzztones: Preaching To The Perverted
By Tommy Udo published
I wish it could be 1966 again.

Cowboy Junkies: Demons: The Nomad Series Volume Two
By Tommy Udo published
Sad music for very sad times.

Faust: Something Dirty
By Tommy Udo published
The sick sounds of the underground still gurgle from the avante-garde Germans.

Mogwai: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
By Tommy Udo published
A perfect sound forever.

Ministry & Co-conspirators: Undercover
By Tommy Udo published
Greatest hits and covers mangled and milked for all they’re worth.

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.

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.

Crippled Black Phoenix: I, Vigilante
By Tommy Udo published
It’s doom, Jim, but not as we know it.

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

Tool: Enigma Variations
By Tommy Udo published
In 2006, Tool released the 10,000 Days album. At the time, Classic Rock talked to the band to better understand this mysterious band
Get the Louder Newsletter
Select the newsletters you’d like to receive. Then, add your email to sign up.