Heavy metal quintet U.D.O. — fronted by legendary singer Udo Dirkschneider and officially completed by former Accept bassist Peter Baltes in April — will release their new studio album, Touchdown, on August 25th via Atomic Fire Records.
Crafted with producer and mixing engineer Martin “Mattes” Pfeiffer at Redhead Studio (Wilhelmshaven, Germany), the massive, thirteen track Touchdown was mastered by Stefan Kaufmann at ROXX Studio (Solingen, Germany). The record includes a guest appearance by violinist Stefan Pintev on the closing track, and bass tracks were recorded by new member Baltes. Artwork was provided by Martin Häusler who was also responsible for shooting band photos in support of the new album campaign.
Preorder Touchdown, presave it on your favorite DSP, or preorder it digitally to receive “Forever Free” instantly now, here: http://udo.afr.link/touchdownPR.
He is one of the epitomes of international heavy metal: With his unique voice, Udo Dirkschneider has been shaping legendary rock anthems since the ‘80s. Spending five decades on stages, Dirkschneider is a true icon of the metal scene.
Despite his long history and the many ups and downs that rock’n’roll life entails, Udo Dirkschneider continues to write his own story and never ceases to amaze. This year is no exception.
His band U.D.O.’s new album Touchdown will be released on August 25th, and once again the name says it all. Just as the “touchdown” in American football describes an important goal for players and teams, the same applies to the album and Udo Dirkschneider.
After the difficult years of the pandemic and the split from bassist Tilen Hudrap, U.D.O. is back with a true touchdown, and deliver it at the start of the new football season. Anthemic, brutal and authentic beyond all measure, this is yet another musical milestone in the band’s career.
The album feels almost like a home game for Udo himself with his Accept companion from the early days, Peter Baltes, taking over the bass duties, although this was never actually planned: “When Tilen suddenly had to cancel the shows of last summer for health reasons, we urgently needed a replacement for the current tour and the next festivals. By a huge coincidence, Peter offered to help us out for the few shows,” Dirkschneider recalls. And already after the first evening they stood on stage together, it was clear that they still felt the same chemistry as back in the day. Old emotions, old memories lingered in the air. “It just felt so incredibly familiar and right to me,” Udo continues. “Somehow, what belongs together has come together again.”
And that is how the pieces fell into place: Peter Baltes recorded all bass tracks on Touchdown and the album turned out to be the result of a homogeneously functioning team in which everyone contributed to the whole and had their own place. Fair play is not only important to Udo when it comes to his band. Despite the fact that he’s been in an industry widely regarded as a shark tank for just under half a century and he often has been treated unfairly himself, he always remained true to himself and has great respect for his teammates.
It’s an authenticity and perseverance that is now paying off. According to his philosophy of life, “honesty is the best policy.” He’s seen many bands and musicians come and go. Yet that is exactly why the music scene needs Udo Dirkschneider now more than ever, and this is reflected in the continually growing success of U.D.O.
The band have experienced an almost meteoric rise within the last few years. With the arrival of Udo’s son Sven Dirkschneider to the band, U.D.O. has turned into a family business, and since the two guitarists Andrey Smirnov and Fabian “Dee” Dammers have joined as well, it has clearly become company spanning over two generations.
U.D.O. / DIRKSCHNEIDER:
Udo Dirkschneider – vocals
Andrey Smirnov – guitar
Sven Dirkschneider – drums
Fabian Dee Dammers – guitar
Peter Baltes – bass
For U.D.O. coverage contact liz@earsplitcompound.com.
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