U.D.O.-Thunderball
AFM Records-AFM 4077-October 26, 2004
By Josh Phillips
AC/DC meets Hammerfall is perhaps a good description of how this album sounds. Straight out of the 80s, U.D.O. is all about good old fashioned traditional heavy metal. The band is headed by Udo Dirkschneider, former Accept vocalist who has a voice that seems to be a combination of a rasp and the traditional vocals characteristic to this style of music. This distinctive voice, more than anything, was what immediately made me think of AC/DC, as the vocals are not all that dissimilar. The info sheet that came with this release claims that U.D.O.'s music is for fans of Iron Maiden, Hammerfall, Manowar and Saxon and that sounds about right.
The music on this record is par for the course in this genre, with soaring guitar melodies being the focus point. Without a doubt catchy and just plain fun to listen to, the melodic riffs give off a happy tone and the solos take it even further. The bass playing and drum work on the other hand, dont really stick out, but with this kind of release, its not really their purpose to. Thunderball is 11 songs and about 45 minutes of old fashioned heavy metal, ballads and all. If that is your thing, youre certainly in for a treat, but for me, this release grew stale quickly.
After youve listened to the first 5 or so songs on Thunderball, it isnt really necessary to listen to any more, which isnt a good thing in my book. After covering the album with a few listens, I find that this release basically hits its peak with the first two songs and heads on a steady decline. Track 2, entitled The Arbiter, is the best on this record and makes you wonder why they couldnt construct a few cuts like this to distribute in the middle and later sections of the release.
Essentially, this is old school, cheesy, straight from the golden days, heavy metal. Depending on where you stand on said music, youll either love or hate this release. Personally, I rarely listen to the style and an album like this definitely requires a certain mood for me to even throw on. Probably not something Id pull off the shelf more than once or twice a month and even then, I'd probably reach for Iron Maiden were I in the mood for something of this sort. A very good listen if youre incredibly upbeat on a warm summer day, as this album is purely about rockin out, but if that doesnt sound like your idea of a good time, stay away from this one.
5.5/10
Official U.D.O. Website
Official AFM Records Website
AFM Records-AFM 4077-October 26, 2004
By Josh Phillips
AC/DC meets Hammerfall is perhaps a good description of how this album sounds. Straight out of the 80s, U.D.O. is all about good old fashioned traditional heavy metal. The band is headed by Udo Dirkschneider, former Accept vocalist who has a voice that seems to be a combination of a rasp and the traditional vocals characteristic to this style of music. This distinctive voice, more than anything, was what immediately made me think of AC/DC, as the vocals are not all that dissimilar. The info sheet that came with this release claims that U.D.O.'s music is for fans of Iron Maiden, Hammerfall, Manowar and Saxon and that sounds about right.
The music on this record is par for the course in this genre, with soaring guitar melodies being the focus point. Without a doubt catchy and just plain fun to listen to, the melodic riffs give off a happy tone and the solos take it even further. The bass playing and drum work on the other hand, dont really stick out, but with this kind of release, its not really their purpose to. Thunderball is 11 songs and about 45 minutes of old fashioned heavy metal, ballads and all. If that is your thing, youre certainly in for a treat, but for me, this release grew stale quickly.
After youve listened to the first 5 or so songs on Thunderball, it isnt really necessary to listen to any more, which isnt a good thing in my book. After covering the album with a few listens, I find that this release basically hits its peak with the first two songs and heads on a steady decline. Track 2, entitled The Arbiter, is the best on this record and makes you wonder why they couldnt construct a few cuts like this to distribute in the middle and later sections of the release.
Essentially, this is old school, cheesy, straight from the golden days, heavy metal. Depending on where you stand on said music, youll either love or hate this release. Personally, I rarely listen to the style and an album like this definitely requires a certain mood for me to even throw on. Probably not something Id pull off the shelf more than once or twice a month and even then, I'd probably reach for Iron Maiden were I in the mood for something of this sort. A very good listen if youre incredibly upbeat on a warm summer day, as this album is purely about rockin out, but if that doesnt sound like your idea of a good time, stay away from this one.
5.5/10
Official U.D.O. Website
Official AFM Records Website
...nice to hear a band having a laugh instead of moaning about how bad things are.
