U.D.O. is a German
heavy metal band founded by lead vocalist
Udo Dirkschneider
Udo Dirkschneider (born 6 April 1952) is a German singer and songwriter who rose to fame with German heavy metal band Accept. After leaving the band in 1987, he formed U.D.O., with which he has also enjoyed commercial success.
Biography
Fo ...
in 1987.
History
Following Udo Dirkschneider's departure from
Accept
Accept may refer to:
* Acceptance, a person's assent to the reality of a situation etc.
* Accept (band), a German heavy metal band
** ''Accept'' (Accept album), their debut album from 1979
* ''Accept'' (Chicken Shack album), 1970
* ACCEPT (or ...
in 1987, he formed his own band called U.D.O. He recruited guitarists Mathias Dieth and Peter Szigeti, bassist Frank Rittel and drummer Thomas Franke. They released their debut album titled ''
Animal House
''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hu ...
'' on 3 November 1987, which was entirely written by Accept. They would tour with the likes of
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
,
Lita Ford
Lita Rossana Ford (born 19 September 1958) is an English-born American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the lead guitarist for the all-female rock band the Runaways in the late 1970s, before embarking on a successful glam metal solo ...
and
Zodiac Mindwarp
Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction are a British hard rock group, which was formed in 1985.
Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction play a sleazy style of commercial hard rock featuring big riffs and choruses, as was the trend in the band ...
. Rubach, Rittel and Franke departed the band, and guitarist Andy Susemihl, bassist Thomas Smuzyszki and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann joined. The follow-up album ''
Mean Machine'' was released on 10 January 1989.
Susemihl left the band, with U.D.O. now as a four-piece. The band shifted to a lighter approach with the third album ''
Faceless World
''Faceless World'' is the third studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 25 February 1990 via RCA Records. It was recorded in Dierks Studios in Cologne and mastered in Hamburg. The album's musical style features a more light ...
'', which was released on 25 February 1990, achieving great success; this being their best selling album so far. It was produced by former Accept drummer
Stefan Kaufmann. The fourth album ''
Timebomb'' was released on 3 April 1991. It was a more heavier album than their previous releases. In 1992, Dirkschneider put U.D.O. on hiatus to reunite with Accept.
![UDO Band live](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/UDO_Band_live.jpg)
In 1996, Dirkschneider reactivated U.D.O. with a brand new line-up; Stefan Kaufmann, now undertaking guitar duties, with guitarist Jürgen Graf and bassist Fitty Wienhold from Bullet, and Stefan Schwarzmann returning to the band. They took part in the 1997 compilation album ''
A Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal'', in which they recorded the song "Metal Gods".
On 24 March 1997, U.D.O. released the fifth album ''
Solid
Solid is one of the State of matter#Four fundamental states, four fundamental states of matter (the others being liquid, gas, and Plasma (physics), plasma). The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount o ...
''. It was featured on the
Rock Hard
"Rock Hard" is a single by the Beastie Boys, released by Def Jam Records on 12" in 1984. The track contains samples from the AC/DC song "Back in Black", which was used without obtaining legal permission, causing the record to be withdraw ...
magazine reader charts for more than a year after its release. The album was followed up with ''
No Limits'' on 20 April 1998, featuring a similar songwriting approach from ''Solid''. The album features a cover of the Austrian pop band
Supermax's hit single "Love Machine". After the conclusion of the band's tour, Stefan Schwarzmann quit the band. New drummer Lorenzo Milani replaced him.
The seventh album ''
Holy
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
'' was released on 18 October 1999, which received critical acclaim. It was a return to the guitar-driven sound similar to the ''
Balls to the Wall
''Balls to the Wall'' is the fifth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept. European label Lark Records released the album in December 1983, but its United States release was delayed until a month later in January 1984 as to not compete ...
''-era Accept. A world tour followed with dates in the United States and several other major countries. The band known as Vanize, fronted by Udo Dirkschneider's brother Peter, supported U.D.O. during the tour. Line-up changes occurred during the second part of the tour with
Gotthard guitarist Igor Gianola replacing Jürgen Graf. The tour spawned the first live album ''
Live from Russia
The discography of U.D.O., a German Heavy metal music, heavy metal band, consists of 17 #Studio albums, studio albums, six #Live albums, live albums, three #Compilations, compilations, 17 #Singles, singles, six #Video albums, video albums and 19 # ...
'', which was released on 15 October 2001, a 2-CD release featuring many of the classic Accept songs that have since become staples of U.D.O.'s set.
On 24 July 2002, the eighth album ''
Man and Machine'' was released, receiving a somewhat lukewarm reception. Despite standout songs such as the title track and "Private Eye", the album was ultimately less successful than ''Holy''. It is notable for the song "Dancing with an Angel", featuring a duet performance of Dirkschneider and vocalist
Doro Pesch
Dorothee Pesch (born 3 June 1964), known professionally as Doro Pesch or simply Doro, is a German heavy metal singer and the former frontwoman of heavy metal band Warlock. Dubbed the "Metal Queen", Doro's contributions to music and culture mad ...
.
U.D.O. released their ninth studio album ''
Thunderball'' on 29 March 2004. The follow-up album ''
Mission No. X'' was originally due for release on 4 October 2005, but was pushed forward by one week and was released on 30 September 2005 instead. It was the first album to feature Edge of Forever drummer Francesco Jovino.
On 18 May 2007, the eleventh album ''
Mastercutor
''Mastercutor'' is the eleventh album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 18 May 2007.
The album title, according to frontman Udo Dirkschneider, is a shortened version of "Master Executor".
Track listing
Credits
*Udo Dirksch ...
'' was released. In August 2007, bassist Fitty Weinhold was unable to perform with the band due to "private reasons". He would be temporarily replaced with former
Majesty
Majesty (abbreviated HM for His Majesty or Her Majesty, oral address Your Majesty; from the Latin ''maiestas'', meaning "greatness") is used as a manner of address by many monarchs, usually kings or queens. Where used, the style outranks the st ...
bassist Marcus Bielenberg for touring purposes.
U.D.O.'s twelfth studio album ''
Dominator'' was released on 21 August 2009. The next studio album ''
Rev-Raptor
''Rev-Raptor'' is the 13th studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 20 May 2011 via AFM Records. It is the final album to feature Stefan Kaufmann and Igor Gianola.
Track listing
Personnel
* Udo Dirkschneider: vocals ...
'' was originally due for release on 14 January 2011, but was delayed until 18 March 2011 due to the recurrence of Stefan Kaufmann's back problems. It was delayed again, but was officially released on 20 May 2011.
In September 2012, Kaufmann announced his departure for health reasons. He would continue to work in the surroundings of the band and produce for other bands in his own personal studio. On 15 January 2013, Russian guitarist Andrey Smirnov was recruited as the new member. A week later, Igor Gianola left the band "due to conflicts between band appointments and his private life and business." Following his departure, former
Amberian Dawn
Amberian Dawn is a Finnish symphonic power metal band, formed in 2006 by Tuomas Seppälä and Tommi Kuri. Their fifth album '' Re-Evolution'' (a re-recorded compilation with a new singer) was released on KHY Suomen Musiikki & Encore Music in sum ...
guitarist
Kasperi Heikkinen
Kasperi Heikkinen (born 1980) is a guitar player who is best known as a member of Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn. He played in the band from early 2007 until late 2012. He is also the guitarist for Finnish metal bands Merging Fl ...
joined the band. The fourteenth album ''
Steelhammer
''Steelhammer'' is the 14th studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 24 May 2013 via AFM Records. It is the first album with guitarist Andrey Smirnov. Second guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen joined the band after all recordings wer ...
'' was released on 20 May 2013.
In December 2014, drummer Francesco Jovino left the band for personal reasons, joining
Primal Fear in 2015. He was replaced by Udo Dirkschneider's son Sven in February 2015. U.D.O. released the fifteenth studio album ''
Decadent
The word decadence, which at first meant simply "decline" in an abstract sense, is now most often used to refer to a perceived decay in standards, morals, dignity, religious faith, honor, discipline, or skill at governing among the members of ...
'' on 23 January 2015.
In February 2017, Heikkinen announced his departure citing personal reasons. According to the band, no bad blood or drama were involved between the two. In March 2017, guitarist
Bill Hudson was announced as the new member. On 24 April 2018, Hudson parted ways with the band "due to a difference in their individual visions for the future", according to Dirkschneider, adding that there was no "negative feelings on either side." In June 2018, Stefan Kaufmann temporarily rejoined the band only for the summer festival appearances until a new guitarist was found. The sixteenth album ''
Steelfactory
''Steelfactory'' is the sixteenth studio album by U.D.O., released on 31 August 2018 by AFM Records. It is the first album to feature Udo Dirkschneider's son Sven as the new drummer. The first single "Rising High" was made available for streami ...
'' was released on 31 August 2018, with the first single "Rising High" being made available for streaming. On 19 September 2018, bassist Fitty Wienhold announced his departure from U.D.O., but stated that he would remain with the band if needed, " as a friend, as an advisor...whatever." The band soon recruited German guitarist Dee Dammers and Slovenian bassist Tilen Hudrap as their new members.
During U.D.O.'s touring in Europe in early 2019, Dirkschneider performed as a handicap after experiencing left knee pain. He vowed to continue without doctors' advice and without causing disappointment to the fans. The band was originally scheduled to perform at the
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a rock music, rock music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all styles and su ...
festival in 2020 by performing Accept's 1985 album ''
Metal Heart
''Metal Heart'' is the sixth studio album by German heavy metal music, heavy metal band Accept (band), Accept, released in 1985.
Although the group had recorded before at Dierks-Studios, this was the first album produced by Dieter Dierks himsel ...
'' in its entirety to celebrate its 35th anniversary, with the addition of Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr, but the festival was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. In 2020, U.D.O. collaborated with Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr to record an album titled ''We Are One'', which was released on 17 July 2020. It reached number 8 in the official German album charts, the second highest position for any U.D.O album in 34 years, right after ''Steelfactory'', which peaked at number 7.
A live album titled ''Live In Bulgaria 2020 – Pandemic Survival Show'' was released on 19 March 2021. It was recorded live on 18 September 2020 in front of 2500 fans in
Plovdiv
Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
. The seventeenth studio album ''Game Over'' was released on 22 October 2021.
Dirkschneider
U.D.O. performed under the name Dirkschneider for an occasion in which Udo Dirkschneider described as his "farewell to Accept", stating that he would no longer perform Accept songs again in the band's live shows. In early 2017, they performed in North America. A 2-CD live album titled ''Live: Back to the Roots'' was released on 28 October 2016. An updated version titled ''Live: Back to the Roots – Accepted!'' was released on 4 August 2017, featuring a DVD of their performance from
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
, Czech Republic.
The band continued to perform Accept songs for at least another year, due to the request from fans. They returned to North America in early 2018 after a positive reception from their first visit the previous year. In 2018, Udo Dirkschneider put his side project to a close as he did not want to cause confusion between his main band and his side project.
Discography
* ''
Animal House
''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hu ...
'' (1987)
* ''
Mean Machine'' (1989)
* ''
Faceless World
''Faceless World'' is the third studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 25 February 1990 via RCA Records. It was recorded in Dierks Studios in Cologne and mastered in Hamburg. The album's musical style features a more light ...
'' (1990)
* ''
Timebomb'' (1991)
* ''
Solid
Solid is one of the State of matter#Four fundamental states, four fundamental states of matter (the others being liquid, gas, and Plasma (physics), plasma). The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount o ...
'' (1997)
* ''
No Limits'' (1998)
* ''
Holy
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Man and Machine'' (2002)
* ''
Thunderball'' (2004)
* ''
Mission No. X'' (2005)
* ''
Mastercutor
''Mastercutor'' is the eleventh album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 18 May 2007.
The album title, according to frontman Udo Dirkschneider, is a shortened version of "Master Executor".
Track listing
Credits
*Udo Dirksch ...
'' (2007)
* ''
Dominator'' (2009)
* ''
Rev-Raptor
''Rev-Raptor'' is the 13th studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 20 May 2011 via AFM Records. It is the final album to feature Stefan Kaufmann and Igor Gianola.
Track listing
Personnel
* Udo Dirkschneider: vocals ...
'' (2011)
* ''
Steelhammer
''Steelhammer'' is the 14th studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O., released on 24 May 2013 via AFM Records. It is the first album with guitarist Andrey Smirnov. Second guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen joined the band after all recordings wer ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Decadent
The word decadence, which at first meant simply "decline" in an abstract sense, is now most often used to refer to a perceived decay in standards, morals, dignity, religious faith, honor, discipline, or skill at governing among the members of ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Steelfactory
''Steelfactory'' is the sixteenth studio album by U.D.O., released on 31 August 2018 by AFM Records. It is the first album to feature Udo Dirkschneider's son Sven as the new drummer. The first single "Rising High" was made available for streami ...
'' (2018)
* ''Game Over'' (2021)
Band members
Current members
*
Udo Dirkschneider
Udo Dirkschneider (born 6 April 1952) is a German singer and songwriter who rose to fame with German heavy metal band Accept. After leaving the band in 1987, he formed U.D.O., with which he has also enjoyed commercial success.
Biography
Fo ...
– vocals
* Andrey Smirnov – guitars
* Sven Dirkschneider – drums
* Dee Dammers – guitars
See also
*
Darxon
*
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédér ...
*
Sinner
*
Gravestone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a stele or marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. It is traditional for burials in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, among others. In most cases, it has the deceased's name, da ...
*
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
*
Teutonic thrash metal
Teutonic thrash metal is a regional scene of thrash metal music that originated within German-speaking countries during the 1980s. Along with Bay Area thrash metal, East Coast thrash metal, and Brazilian thrash metal, it was one of the major s ...
References
External links
*
*
Interview with Udo Dirkschneider @ Metalpaths.com (2011)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Udo
1987 establishments in Germany
German heavy metal musical groups
Musical groups from North Rhine-Westphalia
Musical groups established in 1987
GUN Records artists