U.D.O. Infected
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
There’s not a lot of meat on Infected, the five-song single/EP by the diminutive ex-Accept front man Udo Dirkschneider and his band U.D.O. The EP was intended to drum up interest in the band’s upcoming Dominator album, which is where the title track “Infected” comes from. Like most U.D.O. singles, there are a few surprises on the 24-minute release for the serious fans. Here’s the track listing:
“Infected” – A wickedly fast, full-on metal assault leads things off. If Judas Priest had written a song for Udo during the Painkiller sessions, it would sound like this. If the rest of Dominator is this good, we should be in for something special.
“Systematic Madness” – This studio number is exclusive to this EP. It slows down the pace a bit from the title track, but it’s every bit as heavy.
“Bodyworld” – This is the most Accept-sounding song on the EP, and that may not be a good thing. It just sounds dated in a way that most U.D.O. songs manage to avoid.
“Platchet Soldat” (Remix) – This is a very folksy Russian version of the Mission No. X song “Cry Soldier Cry.” It’s an abrupt change of pace from the previous three blazing metal songs, but it’s very memorable and effective.
“Poezd Po Rossi” (Live) – The EP closes with a live version of the Thunderball track “Trainride in Russia.” The performance was recorded live in Moscow, and Udo does his best to sing the entire song in Russian (hence the Russian title). It’s a lively number with a lot of audience participation, and it should entertain even those who don’t typically enjoy live recordings.
Infected succeeds in building interest for next month’s Dominator full-length CD, and offers some nice extras for the die-hard U.D.O fans as well. It’s worth noting that at most of the (legal) download sites, you can purchase the songs on Infected individually, so if you only want the studio B-sides or live material, you can get it rather cheaply.
Online: www.udo-online.de/
AFM Records
Lineup:
Udo Dirkschneider – Vocals
Fitty Weinhold – Bass
Igor Gianola – Guitar
Stefan Kaufmann – Guitar
Francesco Jovino – Drums
Track Listing:
1. Infected
2. Systematic Madness
3. Bodyworld
4. Platchet Soldat
5. Poezd Po Rossi
HRH Rating: 7/10