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U.D.O - Thunderball |
AFM Records/The End Records | |
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Posted: 6/4/05Reviewed by: Dirt Category: Heavy Metal Released: 10/26/04 Label URL: www.afm-records.de Artist URL: www.udo-online.de | |
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I was just listening to the classic Accept album Balls To The Wall yesterday. I came to the conclusion that it's one of my favorite metal albums of all time. It has all the ingredients that you want in a heavy metal platter - great guitar riffs, biting vocals, and lyrical hooks that you want to sing along with.
Udo Dirkschneider has fronted U.D.O. since the demise of the original Accept after 1986's Russian Roulette. Then, after getting back with Accept for a few records in the late 90s, he resurrected U.D.O. once again. Thunderball is U.D.O.'s ninth studio album, and it's an interesting one because it's probably the band's most diverse offering. The riffs of "Fistful Of Anger" sounds like they came off of Accept's Objection Overruled, the ballad "The Land Of The Midnight Sun" is reminiscent of U.D.O's "They Want War," the bouncy "Pull The Trigger" sounds like a Russian Roulette track, and the title track sounds like the faster stuff we've heard on some of the later U.D.O. recordings. "Trainride In Russia" is possibly the oddest track that we've ever heard from Mr. Dirkschneider, as it's a bouncy, ethnic, polka song. Can you imagine him singing along with an accordian? Well, that's what's going on here, with a bunch of background vocals chanted in Russian. Weird to say the least, but it's actually kinda fun, and certainly adds to the variety here. The last three tracks on the cd are probably the most bland, especially the ballad "Blind Eyes." The choruses on "The Arbiter" and "Hell Bites Back" really work, though, and stick in your head for sure.
The Bloody Truth: If you've enjoyed other albums in U.D.O.'s catalog, then you'll like Thunderball. Dirkschneider's patented vocals are in fine form too. Don't expect an exact copy of Accept's sound though because the guitar playing, especially on the faster songs, has a different vibe. With that said though, there are definitely riffs on this recording that remind you of the style of Accept guitarist Wolf Hoffman. Of course since Stefan Kaufmann (former Accept drummer) is one of the two guitarists in U.D.O., it shouldn't be surprising. If you want some real heavy metal, something that's not always easy to find these days, give Thunderball a shot.
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