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)
Born To Run
U.D.O. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To start again
Searching for the power
That you've had before
The tables turned
Mistakes you've made
Stop telling lies - no angeleyes
Don't be afraid to roll the dice
Open up your eyes
So hit the road and memorize
You're not for sale
You're born to run
So take it from the start
You know you're born to run
Don't lose your heart
Now you're calling the shots
So you'd better watch out
Don't you understand you can't deny
What you have done before
But don't you know
Your time will come
Forget the past - just head out
Head out for your aims
And in the end you'll see the light
Tearing up the night
So let it shine and realize
You're not for sale
You're born to run
So take it from the start
You know you're born to run
Don't waste your time and realize that you're
You're born to run
Tomorrow's here today
'cause you're the number one
You're leading the way
So just believe me
You'd better watch out
Your time will come
Mark my words
Think about it
I wanna tell ya
You're born to run
So take it from the start
You know you're born to run
Don't waste your time and realize that you're
You're born to run
Tomorrow's here today
'cause you're the number one
Fight the fight - light the light - realize you're
Born to run
The lyrics of U.D.O.'s song "Born to Run" celebrate the idea of starting over and striving towards greatness. The opening verse establishes that the singer has hit a low point and is searching for the power they once possessed. The verses also remind the listener of the mistakes that have been made and the importance of looking forward instead of dwelling on the past. The chorus serves as a declaration of the singer's abilities and purpose, reminding them that they were "born to run" and encouraging them to embrace their potential.
The song's message is one of determination and self-belief, urging the listener to pursue their goals and not be afraid to take risks. Along with the theme of the lyrics, the music of "Born to Run" further reinforces this message with its energetic guitar riffs and driving rhythm. The song serves as an anthem for anyone seeking to overcome obstacles and make a new start.
Overall, "Born to Run" is an inspiring song that celebrates the power of self-belief and the importance of taking action towards achieving one's goals. The lyrics remind the listener that they have within them the strength and ability to succeed, and encourages them to pursue their dreams with confidence.
Line by Line Meaning
You're back to win
You have returned to achieve victory.
To start again
You are beginning anew.
Searching for the power
You are looking for the strength and ability you once had.
That you've had before
You had this power in the past.
The tables turned
The situation has changed.
Mistakes you've made
You have made errors in the past.
Stop telling lies - no angeleyes
Do not deceive others or yourself. Do not be overly optimistic.
Just look straight ahead
Focus on what is ahead of you.
Don't be afraid to roll the dice
Take chances, do not be afraid to take risks.
Open up your eyes
Be aware and alert.
So hit the road and memorize
Begin the journey and keep in mind your goal.
You're not for sale
You are not to be bought.
You're born to run
You were born to chase your dreams.
So take it from the start
Begin anew.
Don't lose your heart
Do not be disheartened by failures.
Now you're calling the shots
You are in control of the situation.
So you'd better watch out
Be cautious.
Don't you understand you can't deny
Do not deny what has happened in the past.
What you have done before
The actions you have taken previously.
But don't you know
Do you not realize.
Your time will come
Your moment of triumph will arrive.
Forget the past - just head out
Do not dwell on past failures. Begin anew.
Head out for your aims
Pursue your goals.
And in the end you'll see the light
The outcome will be positive.
Tearing up the night
Overcoming obstacles and challenges.
So let it shine and realize
Allow your glory to be seen, and understand.
You're not for sale
You are not to be bought.
Tomorrow's here today
The future is here and now.
'cause you're the number one
You are the best.
You're leading the way
You lead the path to victory.
So just believe me
Have faith in me.
Your time will come
The moment will arrive.
Mark my words
Remember what I say.
Think about it
Consider what you have heard.
Fight the fight - light the light - realize you're
Keep fighting and illuminating your path to success, and understand that you are
Born to run
You were born to chase your dreams.
Contributed by Adeline V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.