Susemihl left the band, with U.D.O. now as a four-piece. The band shifted to a lighter approach with the third album Faceless World, which was released on 25 February 1990, achieving great success; this being their best selling album so far. It was produced by former Accept drummer Stefan Kaufmann. The fourth album Timebomb was released on 3 April 1991. It was a more heavier album than their previous releases. In 1992, Dirkschneider put U.D.O. on hiatus to reunite with Accept.
In 1996, Dirkschneider reactivated U.D.O. with a brand new line-up; Stefan Kaufmann, now undertaking guitar duties, with guitarist Jürgen Graf and bassist Fitty Wienhold from Bullet, and Stefan Schwarzmann returning to the band. They took part in the 1997 compilation album A Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal, in which they recorded the song "Metal Gods".
On 24 March 1997, U.D.O. released the fifth album Solid. It was featured on the Rock Hard magazine reader charts for more than a year after its release. The album was followed up with No Limits on 20 April 1998, featuring a similar songwriting approach from Solid. The album features a cover of the Austrian pop band Supermax's hit single "Love Machine". After the conclusion of the band's tour, Stefan Schwarzmann quit the band. New drummer Lorenzo Milani replaced him.
The seventh album Holy was released on 18 October 1999, which received critical acclaim. It was a return to the guitar-driven sound similar to the Balls to the Wall-era Accept. A world tour followed with dates in the United States and several other major countries. The band known as Vanize, fronted by Udo Dirkschneider's brother Peter, supported U.D.O. during the tour. Line-up changes occurred during the second part of the tour with Gotthard guitarist Igor Gianola replacing Jürgen Graf. The tour spawned the first live album Live from Russia, which was released on 15 October 2001, a 2-CD release featuring many of the classic Accept songs that have since become staples of U.D.O.'s set.
On 24 July 2002, the eighth album Man and Machine was released, receiving a somewhat lukewarm reception. Despite standout songs such as the title track and "Private Eye", the album was ultimately less successful than Holy. It is notable for the song "Dancing with an Angel", featuring a duet performance of Dirkschneider and vocalist Doro Pesch.
U.D.O. released their ninth studio album Thunderball on 29 March 2004. The follow-up album Mission No. X was originally due for release on 4 October 2005, but was pushed forward by one week and was released on 30 September 2005 instead. It was the first album to feature Edge of Forever drummer Francesco Jovino.
On 18 May 2007, the eleventh album Mastercutor was released. In August 2007, bassist Fitty Weinhold was unable to perform with the band due to "private reasons". He would be temporarily replaced with former Majesty bassist Marcus Bielenberg for touring purposes.
U.D.O.'s twelfth studio album Dominator was released on 21 August 2009. The next studio album Rev-Raptor was originally due for release on 14 January 2011, but was delayed until 18 March 2011 due to the recurrence of Stefan Kaufmann's back problems. It was delayed again, but was officially released on 20 May 2011.
In November 2011, Dirkschneider's son Sven supported U.D.O. on a date in Germany and became a permanent member of his father's band in February 2015. On the same year, the band was temporary renamed as "Dirkschneider" and embarked in a long tour called "Back To The Roots" where the band only performed Accept songs.
In September 2012, Kaufmann announced his departure for health reasons. He would continue to work in the surroundings of the band and produce for other bands in his own personal studio. On 15 January 2013, Russian guitarist Andrey Smirnov was recruited as the new member. A week later, Igor Gianola left the band "due to conflicts between band appointments and his private life and business." Following his departure, former Amberian Dawn guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen joined the band. The fourteenth album Steelhammer was released on 20 May 2013.
In December 2014, drummer Francesco Jovino left the band for personal reasons, joining Primal Fear in 2015. He was replaced by Udo Dirkschneider's son Sven in February 2015. U.D.O. released the fifteenth studio album Decadent on 23 January 2015.
In February 2017, Heikkinen announced his departure citing personal reasons. According to the band, no bad blood or drama were involved between the two. In March 2017, guitarist Bill Hudson was announced as the new member. On 24 April 2018, Hudson parted ways with the band "due to a difference in their individual visions for the future", according to Dirkschneider, adding that there was no "negative feelings on either side." In June 2018, Stefan Kaufmann temporarily rejoined the band only for the summer festival appearances until a new guitarist was found. The sixteenth album Steelfactory was released on 31 August 2018, with the first single "Rising High" being made available for streaming. On 19 September 2018, bassist Fitty Wienhold announced his departure from U.D.O., but stated that he would remain with the band if needed, " as a friend, as an advisor...whatever." The band soon recruited German guitarist Dee Dammers and Slovenian bassist Tilen Hudrap as their new members.
During U.D.O.'s touring in Europe in early 2019, Dirkschneider performed as a handicap after experiencing left knee pain. He vowed to continue without doctors' advice and without causing disappointment to the fans. The band was originally scheduled to perform at the Wacken Open Air festival in 2020 by performing Accept's 1985 album Metal Heart in its entirety to celebrate its 35th anniversary, with the addition of Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr, but the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, U.D.O. collaborated with Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr to record an album titled We Are One, which was released on 17 July 2020. It reached number 8 in the official German album charts, the second highest position for any U.D.O album in 34 years, right after Steelfactory, which peaked at number 7.
A live album titled Live In Bulgaria 2020 - Pandemic Survival Show was released on 19 March 2021. It was recorded live on 18 September 2020 in front of 2500 fans in Plovdiv. The seventeenth studio album Game Over was released on 22 October 2021.
Dirkschneider
U.D.O. performed under the name Dirkschneider for an occasion in which Udo Dirkschneider described as his "farewell to Accept", stating that he would no longer perform Accept songs again in the band's live shows. In early 2017, they performed in North America. A 2-CD live album titled Live: Back to the Roots was released on 28 October 2016. An updated version titled Live: Back to the Roots - Accepted! was released on 4 August 2017, featuring a DVD of their performance from Brno, Czech Republic.
The band continued to perform Accept songs for at least another year, due to the request from fans. They returned to North America in early 2018 after a positive reception from their first visit the previous year. In 2018, Udo Dirkschneider put his side project to a close as he did not want to cause confusion between his main band and his side project.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.D.O.
Studio albums
Animal House (1987)
Mean Machine (1989)
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)
Steelhammer (2013)
Decadent (2015)
Steelfactory (2018)
Game Over (2021)
Backstreet Loner
U.D.O. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She did a little pirouette
No friend of mine - a dollar's fine
A cruel world - when you cross this line
The masquerade is over
The mask - it fades away
Like a backstreet loner
In johnny nofinger's bar
I travelled so far
I've been to all those places
Just a shot on the bar
A cheap cigar
And all the dead-eyed faces
Hold down the fever
Don't you cross the line
Hold down the fever
Stop yourself in time
Never step on the ride
Just take my advice
I've suffered all the seasons
Feel it coming again
I paid the price
There's no rhyme - no reason
Hold down the fever, ...
When masquerades are over
The show will fade away
You'll be a backstreet loner
You better be afraid
Hold down the fever, ...
The lyrics to U.D.O.'s song "Backstreet Loner" describe a life on the edge, where character is shaped by suffering and loneliness. It is a world where dollar bills are the measure of worth, and no one is a true friend. The singer takes solace in the anonymity of the backstreets, but is always aware of the dangers lurking around him. The mask of pretense falls away, and he is left to face the harsh reality of his existence. The lyrics convey a sense of resignation mixed with defiance, as the singer refuses to be broken by his circumstances.
The chorus of the song, with its repeated refrain of "hold down the fever," adds to the overall sense of desperation and struggle. The fever is a metaphor for the burning desire to break free from the constraints of poverty and isolation, but the singer knows that giving in to it will only lead to destruction. The final lines of the song suggest a grudging acceptance of one's fate - being a backstreet loner - and a warning to others not to follow in his footsteps.
Line by Line Meaning
I lit another cigarette
I am trying to cope with my problems by smoking a cigarette.
She did a little pirouette
She is happy and carefree despite the harsh reality of the world.
No friend of mine - a dollar's fine
I do not have any real friends, so I am willing to pay a stranger for their company.
A cruel world - when you cross this line
The world is unforgiving and dangerous, especially when you make a wrong move.
The masquerade is over
The act is finished, and the true identities are revealed.
The mask - it fades away
The disguise is disappearing, and the real faces are showing.
Like a backstreet loner
I am alone and unnoticed, like someone who walks the backstreets.
No need to be afraid
There is nothing to fear when you are already invisible and insignificant.
In johnny nofinger's bar
I am in a shady and rundown bar called Johnny Nofinger's.
I travelled so far
I have gone through so much to get where I am now.
I've been to all those places
I have been to many dark and dangerous places in the past.
Just a shot on the bar
All I need is a shot of alcohol on the bar, nothing else.
A cheap cigar
I do not need anything fancy or expensive, just a cheap cigar will suffice.
And all the dead-eyed faces
Everyone in this bar looks like they have given up and lost all hope in life.
Hold down the fever
I need to control my impulses and stay calm.
Don't you cross the line
I must be careful and not do anything reckless that could have dangerous consequences.
Never step on the ride
I should never take risks or engage in dangerous activities.
Just take my advice
Listen to what I am saying and trust me, I know what I am talking about.
I've suffered all the seasons
I have gone through many hardships and struggles in life.
Feel it coming again
I sense that something dangerous or bad is about to happen again.
I paid the price
I have suffered the consequences of my mistakes in the past.
There's no rhyme - no reason
Sometimes bad things happen for no apparent reason or explanation.
When masquerades are over
When the act is finished and the truth is revealed.
The show will fade away
All performances must come to an end, and the actors must return to reality.
You'll be a backstreet loner
You will end up alone and unnoticed, like someone walking the backstreets.
You better be afraid
You should be cautious and fearful of what could happen if you make a wrong move.
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.