Reigning Phoenix Music
The latest release that falls into this category is this one, where Udo Dirkschneider teams up with several old friends to produce a really good metal album that rocks, but with some surprising elements to it as well.
What began as a charity campaign during the coronavirus lockdown has developed into a more fully formed project that has just released this excellent 12-track album. Udo and his wonderful glass-gargling vocals are joined by Peter Baltes (bass, vocals; Accept), Stefan Kaufmann (guitar; Accept, U.D.O.) and Mathias Dieth (guitar; Sinner, U.D.O.) as well as Udo’s son Sven (drums; U.D.O., Dirkschneider), who has played for his dad for the last ten years. The sixth member is singer Manuela Bibert, who memorably performed on the recording of the U.D.O. orchestra album “We Are One” in 2019.
Because there are three main vocalists here, there is significantly more light and shade here than on previous U.D.O. albums. While Metal is very much to the fore – with song titles like “Hellbreaker” “Metal Sons”, and “Battle Power” that really isn’t a revelation – there is far more variety, and indeed complexity, in the song structures and compositions and a definite stronger sense of melody throughout.
Take “Propaganda”, for example, which is played at a hell-for-leather pace, but with pleasing elements of symphonic rock in the soloing and “Babylon”, which has vocals led by Manuela and features superbly judged low-key backing vocals (yes, really!) from Udo himself.
On the epic power-ballad “Blindfold”, Manuela once again handles the lead superbly, and this track also features some delightful acoustic guitar.
The stocky 73-year-old Udo certainly makes his presence felt here, but when he is coupled with one or both of the other vocalists, the album really comes into its own. None more so than on the nearly 8-minute closer “Beyond The End of Time,” which simply lets everyone shine.
I recommend this wholeheartedly as each song rewards repeated listening, and special mention must be given to the powerful production and Mathias “Don” Dieth, who plays his heart out.
4,5/6 | Ross Sampson
Release date October 3rd, 2025