This is Udo Dirkschneider’s 17th album with his own band that bears his name. 17th! Then you can add seven live-albums, EP’s and ten albums with Accept to that. And the one he did as U.D.O. with Das Musikkorps Der Bundeswehr (the concert ensemble for the German Armed Forces). Not all of the albums he has released with U.D.O. has been great, some of them actually underwhelming, the We Are 1 album with the ensemble mentioned above being a good example, but I will always bow to Udo Dirkschneider – the guy’s a friggin’ icon – and then some. He will always have my full respect. The last album U.D.O. did, Steelfactory (2018) was a solid affair, nothing new under the sun but the songs were awesome so it was saddening that he followed it up with the pretentious and in my book, pointless We Are 1. Now, Udo & co. are back with a new release, all U.D.O. and nothing else – and I hope that the band will repeat the solidness of Steelfactory.
The album opens in a classic U.D.O. way and there’s no doubt what so ever who it is I’m listening to. “Fear Detector” could easily have been an old, unreleased Accept tune. It’s a powerhouse opener, punchy, raw hard and aggressive but with distinct and direct melodies that hits the mark right away with a fist-on-jaw chorus. Very good. “Holy Invaders” follows in the same direction – upbeat, stompy and straight ahead with a good, beefy punch that takes us back to the glory of 80’s Accept. The edgy chorus comes with a direct hook with big background vocals. Very good.
“Prophecy” is the latest single. It’s fast, heavy and punchy with a galloping rhythm, very bang-on-target and headbang-friendly. The song goes full throttle right for the throat with a classic sounding U.D.O. refrain full of metal-hooks with infectious melodies. Very good. “Empty Eyes” comes in a mid pace and holds a darker edge on a heavy, fat rhythm, very fist-in-the-air. It’s even slightly Sabbath-y here and there with gravely, menacing vocals by Udo himself. The refrain is right on the spot with all the typical Accept/U.D.O. melody-lines. Good one.
The straight forward “I See Red” might be right in your face with a good, juicy beat and a raunchy outlook but it’s also a bit monotone in it’s structure and even though it’s easy to recognize Udo’s personal vocal-melodies, it never really takes off. The song isn’t crappy but it’s underwhelming and is really filler material. The lead-off single “Metal Never Dies” is tongue in cheek clichéd – I can’t help but to think of Manowar when I read the title – but it’s herr Dirkschneider all the way. The verses is down-beat and held-back, a song like “Dogs On Leads” comes to mind here but steps up with a beefy bounce in the pre-chorus which paves way for the bulls-eye chorus that holds a distinct and hooky melody. The mid-break is classic 80’s Accept right off the bat. Great stuff.
Another single, “Kids And Guns” is a mid-paced rocker with some chunky riffage on a solid beat with where the verses are bass-guitar driven. It’s a bit AC/DC-esque rhythmically but it’s metal-muscular and edgy. It holds a great message but I’m dubious to it working as a single as I don’t find it catchy enough and quite frankly, the song is only decent tops. Another filler, I’m afraid. The same goes for “Like A Beast”. A fast, hard and aggressive metal-belter, very in-your-face and concise but way too anonymous for it to linger. Again, not bad but forgettable.
Slow, stripped and mellow, “I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye” is another one of those emotional and heartfelt Udo-ballads. It’s a saddening and serene acoustic-guitar based tear-jerker that holds a somber vocal-performance by Udo – it really feels like he means every word he’s singing. A great song and a welcome breather. The upbeat, bouncy and rhythmic metal-stomper “Unbroken” brings on some intense pop-hooks and an uplifting main-melody with a massively catchy chorus as the icing on the cake. This one would have made for a way more natural single than “Kids And Guns” if you ask me. Killer stuff.
The Accept meets Dio like “Marching Tank” opens with a steady bass-line and a down-to-earth beat with a fat guitar-riff coming in, going for a headbang welcoming rhythm. The song holds a slower pace, it’s heavy, dark and menacing yet with distinct and infectious melodies. This too could have been an unreleased Accept tune especially the spot-on chorus. Awesome! On a fast and speedy note, “Thunder Road” breaks loose and attacks like a shot-wounded lion with ADHD. As much as I dig when U.D.O. takes the aggressive path, the song lacks strong and memorable melodies and fades fast from my mind when it’s done. It’s ok but not more.
The main-riff for the straight ahead rocker “Midnight Stranger” sounds picked up from the pocket of Accept’s old pearl “Princess Of The Dawn”. It’s a mid-paced number, a bit held-back yet upbeat and a real solid affair. It’s a rhythmic and crunchy metallic hard-rocker with a damn catchy chorus that really holds water. “Speed Seeker” is a classic U.D.O. metal-rocker that holds some razor-sharp riffage, it’s short and concise with an intense rhythm and a kicking beat, made for a headbang-fest. It’s a good song and I dig it while listening but it doesn’t really stand out.
In a mid pace and on a beefy foundation “Time Control” brings on both a direct heaviness and some stellar melodies with sharp hooks that sticks from hello. The big-layered backing vocals makes a big chorus massive and it’s so damn catchy it brought a smile to my face right off the bat. Awesome. The album ends with “Metal Damnation”, a hard and gritty number that comes in a fast tempo, punchy and rough with screeching guitars and a direct approach, perfect for the stage. Classic Accept comes to mind but there’s also a Judas Priest vibe woven in, especially in the riffing. A good, meaty track that could easily be a future live-opener.
First of all, the album is too long. Way too long. 16 songs – 17 if you get the Japanese version where the song “Wilder Life”, a crisp-riffed and upbeat, heavy rocker with a great pop-hook, is included – is overkill and at least four tracks too many. This also means that a few fillers has found its place on the album which in turn makes for an uneven record. That said, when the album is good, it’s really damn good, a lot better than many of the albums of the late 90’s and the early 2000’s – and it’s definitely better than the symphony debacle that is We Are 1. It sounds like U.D.O. all the way and just like with AC/DC, that’s exactly what we want but the songs could’ve been stronger and it’s a few steps away from the greatness that was Steelfactory.
6/10
More U.D.O. reviews:
Steelhammer
Decadent
Steelfactory
We Are 1
Tracklist:
1. Fear Detector
2. Holy Invaders
3. Prophecy
4. Empty Eyes
5. I See Red
6. Metal Never Dies
7. Kids And Guns
8. Like A Beast
9. Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye
10. Unbroken
11. Marching Tank
12. Thunder Road
13. Midnight Stranger
14. Speed Seeker
15. Time Control
16. Metal Damnation
CD & Festival reviews 