|
|
U.D.O. - We Are One
Label: AFM Records
Format: Download
Released: 2020
Reviewed By: Jack Mangan
Rating: 9/10
|
|
Half-orc, half drill sergeant, all awesome, Udo Dirkschneider has been a pillar of the Metal community since 1979. Historically, there seem to have been 3 reactions to Udo’s screamy-growly voice: hate, love, and grow to love. (I was in the latter category, if it matters.) For most of the world, he’ll only ever be “that ‘Balls to the Wall’ guy.” but his career has a hell of a lot more depth than that, whether with Accept or U.D.O.
|
|
If you need proof of Udo’s musical bravery and worth, then look no further than the 2020 release, “We Are One,” created in collaboration with a few former members of Accept, and most notably, the the official Concert Band of the German Armed Forces (Musikkorps der Bundeswehr).
Udo’s career has been all about bold choices, and “We Are One” is his latest. It would have been easy fan service for him to do a career retrospective with this lineup, but instead, he’s chosen to deliver 15 killer new Symphonic Metal songs. Some of them strut with 80s Hair Band swagger, some just blast like pure Power Metal, and some reach majestically for the heavens, ambitious, triumphant, and uplifting.
Orchestras can sometimes be an ill fit when shoehorned into Metal tunes. To be honest, there are a small number of these awkward spots on “We Are One” where the two disparate elements feel like they’re at odds. For the most part, though, the guitars, bass, drums, and Udos pull together in synchronicity with the horns, woodwinds, pipes, drumline, percussion, and strings. The songwriting team included U.D.O., Christoph Scheibling, two former Accept musicians Stefan Kaufmann and Peter Baltes, plus German Armed Forces composers, Guido Rennert and Alexander Reuber. Everyone involved worked together like a crew, not just a roomful of hired musicians doing jobs. The results vary from Accept to Cinderella to Two Steps From Hell to the cinematic scores of James Horner.
The lyrics also merit respect; taking pointed, socially-aware stances against right-wing tyranny, global refugees, climate change and pollution.
Don’t tell Udo, but some of my favorite tracks here don’t even have his voice on them: “Blackout,” “Beyond Good and Evil,” and “Beyond Gravity” are glorious instrumentals, “Natural Forces” is a powerful chorale, and “Blindfold (The Last Defender)”. Of course, there are countless great moments with his trademark snarl, as well as his old-man baritone (which he’s had his entire career). The title track is catchy and legit, guaranteed to lodge in your head for days.
|
|