U.D.O.

U.D.O.
U.D.O. live in 2004
Background information
Origin	Solingen, Germany
Genres	Heavy metal
Years active	1987–present
Labels	AFM Records, Breaker Records, GUN Records, RCA Records
Associated acts	Accept, Gotthard, Bullet, Edge of Forever
Website	Official website
Members
Udo Dirkschneider Stefan Kaufmann Igor Gianola Fitty Wienhold Francesco Jovino
Past members
Peter Szigeti Frank Rittel Mathias Dieth Thomas Franke Wolla Böhm Andy Susemihl Thomas Smuszynski Stefan Schwarzmann Frank Fricke Jurgen Graf Lorenzo Milani

U.D.O. is a German heavy metal band founded by lead singer Udo Dirkschneider in 1987.

History

1987–1992

After Udo Dirkschneider left Accept in 1987, a large fan community followed him to U.D.O.

Starting with the first albums Animal House in 1987 and Mean Machine in 1988 U.D.O. proved to be pure heavy metal without any Trend-Sound influences. Both albums continued where Accept had left off in 1986 with Russian Roulette. Apart from Udo, Animal House was recorded by Peter Szigeti (guitars), Frank Rittel from Warlock on (bass), Mathias Dieth from Sinner (guitars) and Thomas Franke (drums).

By Mean Machine (released in 1988) the band had a totally different line-up : only Udo and lead guitarist Mathias Dieth remained, and new additions were Andy Susemihl (guitar), Thomas Smuszynski (bass) and Stefan Schwarzmann (drums).

U.D.O. achieved success with the album Faceless World, produced by ex-Accept drummer Stefan Kaufmann. U.D.O.'s follow-up album was Timebomb, and it was their last for five years.

1996–present

U.D.O. performing live at Norway Rock Festival in 2009

From 1992-1996 Accept refromed their classic line up, and Dirkschneider put U.D.O. on hiatus to record three albums with his old Accept colleagues. After another break up, Dirkschneider returned to U.D.O., with Stefan Kaufmann (guitar), Jürgen Graf (guitars), Fitty Wienhold (bass) und Stefan Schwarzmann (drums). Udo Dirkschneider and Stefan Kaufmann then recorded tracks for the Tribute to Judas Priest compilation of Judas Priest cover songs, U.D.O. performing the track "Metal Gods".

1997 saw the band return with Solid, the first full-length U.D.O. album to feature the guitarwork of Stefan Kaufmann. Solid featured on the Rock Hard magazine reader charts for more than a year after release.

Solid was followed by No Limits in 1998, and featured a similar songwriting approach as the previous year's effort. The album also featured U.D.O.'s first returning lineup since the band's inception ten years prior. The album also featured a cover of the Austrian pop band Supermax's hit single "Love Machine".

With the release of the critacally acclaimed Holy a return to the guitar-driven sound similar to Balls to the Wall-era Accept. A world tour followed with dates in the United States and several other major countries. Lineup changes occurred during the second part of the 1999 tour with Igor Gianola, ex of Gotthard, replacing Jürgen Graf. When the No Limits tour concluded, Schwarzmann quit the band, and on the Holy tour (2000) Lorenzo Milani took his place behind the drum kit. The tour also spawned U.D.O.'s first live album, Live from Russia a two-disc affair which featured many of the classic Accept tunes (with the exception of "Balls to the Wall") that have since become staples of U.D.O.'s set.

2002's Man and Machine received a somewhat lukewarm response. Despite standout songs like the title track and "Private Eye", the album was ultimately less successful than its predecessor. It is notable for spawning a promo video of "Dancing With An Angel", featuring a duet between Udo and Doro Pesch (of Warlock).

The next two studio releases – 2004's Thunderball and 2005's Mission No. X – were slightly livelier affairs, with the band's touring of Germany, South America, and Eastern Europe. Sonically, the former shared much in common with Timebomb, while the latter followed No Limits.

It was with 2007's Mastercutor, that U.D.O. returned to form. The album was the most financially successful in years and received universally high marks from musical critics and metal fans alike. Udo's appearance on Finnish metal band Lordi's album, The Arockalypse, exposed U.D.O. to a wider audience. Live DVD Mastercutor Alive was released in 2008.

U.D.O.'s twelfth studio album, Dominator, was released on 21 August 2009. U.D.O.'s next studio album, Rev-Raptor was released on 20 May 2011.

Discography

Studio albums

• Animal House (1987)
• Mean Machine (1988)
• Faceless World (1990)
• Timebomb (1991)
• Solid (1997)
• No Limits (1998)
• Holy (1999)
• Man and Machine (2002)
• Thunderball (2004)
• Mission No. X (2005)
• Mastercutor (2007)
• Dominator (2009)
• Rev-Raptor (2011)

Live albums

• Live from Russia (2001)
• Nailed to Metal – The Missing Tracks (2003)
• Mastercutor Alive (2008)

Compilation albums

• Best Of (1999)
• Metallized - 20 Years of Metal (2007)

Singles/EPs

• They Want War (1988)
• Heart of Gold (1990)
• Faceless World (1990)
• Two Faced Woman (1997)
• Independence Day (1997)
• Lovemachine (1998)
• Dancing With An Angel (2002)
• 24/7 EP (2005)
• The Wrong Side of Midnight EP (2007)
• Infected EP (2009)
• Leatherhead EP (2011)

DVDs

• Nailed to Metal – The Complete History (2003)
• Thundervision (2004)
• Mastercutor Alive (2008)
• Rev-Raptor In Sofia (2012)

Members

Current members

• Udo Dirkschneider – vocals (1987–present)
• Stefan Kaufmann – guitar (1996–present)
• Igor Gianola – guitar (1999–present)
• Fitty Wienhold – bass (1997–present)
• Francesco Jovino – drums (2004–present)

Former members

• Wolla Bohm – guitar (1990)
• Andy Susemihl – guitar (1987–1990, 1991)
• Frank Fricke – guitar (1991–1992)
• Jurgen Graf – guitar (1997–1999)
• Jorg Fisher - guitar (1997) uncredited on A Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal
• Thomas Smuszynski – bass (1989–1991)
• Dieter Rubach – bass (1987–1989)
• Stefan Schwarzmann – drums (1988–1991,1996–1999)
• Lorenzo Milani – drums (2000–2004)

Original line-up

• Udo Dirkschneider – vocals
• Peter Szigeti – guitar (1987)
• Mathias Dieth – guitar (1987–1991,1997)
• Frank Rittel – bass (1987)
• Thomas Franke – drums (1987–1989)

External links

• U.D.O. official website
• Interview with Udo Dirkschneider @ Metalpaths.com (2011)