U.D.O.'s Just Dominating The Metal Scene, Folks
LawrenceSvetlana | USA | 10/29/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What's to review? If you're into metal, you know Udo Dirkschneider always puts out a quality product. Has this 1,000 pounds of dynamite packed into a 4'11" frame ever let you down? This is the guy who quit Accept at the height of new found popularity and proved that, although we metalheads wish it had not come to that, Accept wasn't putting out the raging metal that they should have. So, he did it. And here in 2009, he's still doing it. After the crazy popularity of the Mastercutor cd and a top-notch best-of cd, he's once again put out the must have cd of the year. Again, like he always does. And that's not to say that U.D.O. isn't a group project. Stefman Kaufmann co-writes every song on this cd along with Udo, and the solid players Fitty and Igor are now lifers in this band. Igor Gianola has come and gone, but the bands he's been a part of during interims (Gotthard and Sinner, just to name two) are credentials enough to prove his worth. As to the cd, it's another rock hard, more than solid contribution to the metal world and to U.D.O.'s extensive catalog of impressive collections. The cd starts with (I know it sounds weird, but it works) a spooky metal rendition of your worst childhood nightmare: "The Bogeyman." To make it work, Udo gives you some instrumental ambience and then plunges into the over-the-top distortion he's been using since "Mastercutor." And though you've got to hear him sing it, he hits just the right tone with "the trembling of the toys . . . the whispers of the trees outside . . . puts your mind into reverse . . . the grip, the heat all over you." Awesome stuff. "Dominator" is an all-out rocker about the battle for a nation rendered in the mind of a PC gamer. In this one, it's the little things to listen for. He does a descending vocal trip on the fourth line of each stanza that absolutely makes the song, and then you kick into a high gear chorus. "Black and White" slows things down with a very mean guitar progression in a song that's about a rather mean relationship. It's about "hard and mean . . . cold desire," and just when the gal gets to "see the viper" she's still got a "heart of stone . . . You don't even whet my appetite," so she grants a "kiss good-bye." Ouch. Udo's response: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." LOL stuff. "Infected" is undoubtedly the best song here. It's a rock bomb about the rock world. "Heavy Metal Heaven" definitely comes in a close second, and will be a mean crowd pleaser played live. Udo gets on the biggest ego-trip since "Holy"; you've got to hear this one to believe it. It's an interplay between a power-fueled rage and a rousing chorus. I could talk about all the others, but it's a back and forth butt-kick between rockers ("Doom Ride," "Pleasure in the Dark Room" [a bonus on the digi version; GET IT], "Speed Demon") two thoughtful, inspiring ballads ("Stillness of Time" - a beautiful song about the passage of time rendered in nature imagery - and "Whispers in the Dark" - a song about resisting the call of anger, evil, and destruction), and the song that's the most fun since "Train Ride to Russia": this one's called "Devil's Rendezvous" and it's about a drinking bout with devil where you get women, cigars, and damn long headache! J This cd is undoubtedly, undeniably one of the very best of 2009. I can go ahead and say you're a fool if you miss it. Sorry. Udo's simply that good. If you're not won over by the metal (and I don't see how anyone couldn't be), you'll be won over by the ballads or the wonderful humor of a guy loving all his glorious and self-destructive passions. And, hey, don't forget about that video of "Black and White" that comes with the digi. Your eyeballs will pop out so many times, you'll have to wear shades all day and be massaging them back into place until the morning.
"
Heavy Metal Legend Udo Delivers Again!
Cathode Ray Shadow | USA | 09/12/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ah, if you like old school 80's metal in the ACCEPT vein and the shredding style of grizzled AC/DC meets JUDAS PRIEST vocals, then Udo Dirkschneider is the man for you! U.D.O's 12 studio album is every bit as good as classic ACCEPT and early U.D.O. albums...twenty some odd years later!
Coming off the heels of the well-received and excellent MASTERCUTOR album, there's no doubt U.D.O. and company are the DOMINATORS of heavy metal with this entry- Dirkschneider is a metal god on the order of Halford, Dickinson, Plant, etc. He's just not recognized in America's metal scene as much as he should be- and THAT is very annoying! Fortunately, however, the European countries treat him right and he's continued on in a career spanning out headed for...40 years now?!?!
Every track on DOMINATOR is severe, true heavy metal and a winner to boot. Starting out with THE BOOGEYMAN, a nice riff on unstoppable maniacs that haunt our bedrooms and closets, this sounds like it could've come off ANIMAL HOUSE-era U.D.O. Killer chorus, too! DOMINATOR is true thundering metal with the fast guitars in the traditions of RESTLESS AND WILD 'ACCEPT'- some high screaming to boot! BLACK AND WHITE is just an awesome 'gang anthem' style winner, compared best to Accept era METAL HEART- like 'Dogs On Leads.' INFECTED continues the fast-tempo heavy duty songs that Udo continues to DOMINATE with, followed by HEAVY METAL HEAVEN, which is just a great tune in the traditions of U.D.O. era "SOLID"- kind of a combo of THE HEALER and MISSION NUMBER X'S 'Eye Of The Eagle.' DOOM RIDE is a mid-tempo cruncher, very catchy, and STILLNESS OF TIME has Udo 'experimenting' with his voice and giving us a new dirty, 'gravel-gargling' sound which works brilliantly in the ballad-like portions of the song! Inspired by bands like RAMMSTEIN, Udo continues to try pushing his traditional sound into new realms and wildly succeeds with cuts like this. Amazingly, it works, but give it a few whirls before giving it a 'yay' or 'nay'-takes some getting used to! DEVIL'S RENDEZVOUS- wow, here's a punchy, up-tempo variation on HOLY'S popular 'CUT ME OUT" song- and again, it works. With darker lyrics, Udo still has a good time with it and delivers an incredibly wry wink here for his fans. Mixed real nice with his cool voice in the foreground. SPEED DEMON continues the traditional ACCEPT full-on double guitar, shrieking vocal attack that started so long ago with albums like BREAKER and RESTLESS AND WILD- and amazingly, Udo's voice is in top notch form! He sounds every bit as good as he did in the BALLS TO THE WALL heyday, when ACCEPT was touring with Motley Crew and Judas Priest. How he does it is beyond me! Finishing off the album is WHISPERS IN THE DARK, kinda-sorta a sad ballad/hopeful for an afterlife tune, including piano bits peppered in with the milder anthem chorus routine, a meshing that works just fine for the endcap of another superior entry into the U.D.O. catalog!
If you're a metal fan and have any reservations- don't. This album is worthy in any format and will provide endless listening pleasure for the true fan."
As good as anything he's done before
wizey | Margate, Tasmania, Australia | 12/16/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"German metal legend Udo "The Tank" Dirkschneider returns in 2009 with his band to deliver another quality must have metal album which must surely rank among the best from his long and illustrious career. Rising to fame as founding member and lead singer of 80's metal powerhouse band Accept, Udo quickly became a cult figure. Now is his late 50's he has nothing to prove, yet he continues to have a recording output and touring schedule that many younger artists just couldn't match. In the last ten years he has released six studio albums, two double live albums and a greatest hits/best of compilation.
Again the majority of song writing has been in partnership with his long time guitarist and former Accept drummer Stephan Kaufmann with the occasional contribution from other band members, and by now you would think these guys might have run out of ideas. Yet whilst they don't re-invent the wheel here, they have managed to write an album full of songs that have a sound that is both pure traditional metal but modern and fresh at the same time. This is something that many artists who have been around a while try to achieve, but few actually succeed. In an age where fans are screaming out for their favorite bands to get back to the sound they loved them for in the first place, Udo has never strayed from the course, but he always pulls out something new and is not afraid to experiment.
His last album Mastercutor received much applause around the world from both music critics and fans alike, yet whilst I liked it, I never could see why others thought it was so good. It had several great songs but I felt as a whole that album lacked consistency. Not the case here with Dominator. In fact I think it's his most consistent album since 2001's Man And Machine. This album is full of power riffs to get your head banging and fists pumping, great guitar solos, some faster songs, and a couple (just a couple) of mellow moments too. Most importantly though, it's just great melodic metal.
You have to wonder how a man who isn't even five feet tall with a voice than sounds like his throat has a mix of razor wire and fire in it has managed to keep singing (some may say screaming) for so long. But that fact is that Udo sounds just as good now as he did when Accept first caused my mother to screw her face up in absolute horror and bemusement at what her teenage son was listening to! Credit must go also to Kaufmann here, because he sure knows how to produce his friend's unique voice. He has also been able to perfectly capture the right mix of guitar distortion and clarity. In fact Kaufmann in my opinion is a very underrated producer and it's a wonder he hasn't been poached to produce more bands. The rest of Udo's band include Swiss born Igor Gianola (Gotthard, Jorn Lande) on guitar, German born long time U.D.O. bassist Fitty Wienhold, and Italian born Francesco Jovino on drums (since 2004). There is no doubt that Udo and Kaufmann have recruited some fine musicians here to get the sound they want.
The album starts with a short gothic type intro but The Bogeyman soon breaks into those crunching, pumping riffs fans of Udo just love, followed by another thumper in the title track Dominator. Black And White follows, and whilst at slightly slower tempo, it still has that aggressiveness and powerful guitar riffs. In fact the sound is reminiscent of the Accept song Dogs On Leads from their 1985 album Metal Heart. The following song Infected (released as a single) also sounds like faster Accept songs such as Fast As A Shark from 1983's Restless And Wild, as does track 9 Speed Demon. Track 6 Doom Ride is another power cruncher like the first three tracks, and like those the mix of power and melody is spot on.
The other four tracks on the album are a little different. Track 7 Stillness Of Time is a definite high light. It has a mellow piano intro followed by a power riff for a few bars, before things mellow down again as the verse begins with a bass line like something from Black Sabbath. Udo sings in a more subtle and mellow manner (as best he can with that voice anyway!) before the band join in with gang vocals in the chorus, which is then followed by that great riff from the intro. After the second verse the riff is followed by a very melodic and subdued guitar solo, before finishing off with more of that great riff. Then to end the song we get repeated chorus, more of the riff, and the piano comes back to close it. One of the songs of the year for me!
The album closer Whispers In The Dark is the other more mellow moment, a perfect album closer. Udo begins singing in a surprisingly good mellow voice with just piano accompaniment, and it isn't until after a minute and a half that we get guitar, bass and drums and the regular Udo screech. However, despite the addition of the heavier instruments the mellowness continues. A great power ballad indeed.
I have yet to mention track 5 Heavy Metal Heaven or track 8 Devil's Rendezvous, but will now. Of these, Heavy Metal Heaven is my least liked song on the album. It's an attempt at an anthem type song, but just doesn't quite hit the mark for my mind. Whilst not a bad song in itself, it's just that I've heard it before and with songs such as United by Judas Priest, and this song isn't as good.
Devil's Rendezvous is an interesting song to say the least! First time I heard it I thought "what the hell is this?!" It took me completely by surprise. It's a bit hard to describe but probably the best way is to say it sort of sounds like sort of heavy metal/swing sort of type song. Get what I mean? Nah... you have to hear it! But having given it a few listens I must say that despite it sounding different to anything else on the album, I like it! (finger clicking and all).
I love this album. It's heavy yet melodic, and also brutal at the same time. It's just what I (and no doubt most fans) was hoping for from U.D.O.
I must mention that I've also purchased the Infected single which has more great songs on it which aren't on the album. They are: Systematic Madness and Bodyworld, two power punchers which are good enough songs to stand alongside those on the album, plus a remix of Platchet Soldat (sung in Russian). I recommend fans buy this singele too.
Great stuff Udo!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1