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)
Green Man
U.D.O. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To struggle to be freed from hard ground
The evenings mists thad creep and crawl
Will drench me in dew and so drown
I'm the green man
The green man
Cast shadows of doubt on my face
A midday sun, it's causing hues
Refracting within the still lake
Autumn in her flaming dress
Of orange, brown, gold fallen leaves
My mistress of the frigid night
I worship, pray to on my knees
Winter's breath of filthy snow
Befrosted paths to the unknown
Have my lips turned true purple?
Life is coming to an end
So says me,me wiccan friend
Nature coming full circle
I'm the green man
The green man
The song "Green Man" by U.D.O is a tribute to nature and the changing of the seasons. The lyrics describe the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, as represented by the seasons. The opening verse refers to the struggle to break free from the hard ground in spring, which symbolizes the need for new growth and change. The misty evenings that "creep and crawl" represent the uncertainty and challenges that arise during this time. The chorus, "I'm the Green Man," is a reference to the pagan symbol of the same name, which represents the fertility and regenerative power of nature.
The second verse describes the beauty of summertime, where the sun casts shadows of doubt on the face. The vibrant hues refracting within the still lake highlight the fleeting nature of life. Autumn is depicted as a mistress of the frigid night, and the fallen leaves her flaming dress. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the idea that nature's transformative power is embodied in the Green Man.
The final verse references winter's breath, which blankets paths to the unknown. The singer questions whether their lips have turned true purple, a metaphor for the coldness and isolation of winter. The last two lines, "Life is coming to an end/So says me, me Wiccan friend," are a nod to the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, central to Wiccan beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
Spring won't come, the need of strife
The arrival of spring is delayed due to the struggle to break free from the hard winter ground.
To struggle to be freed from hard ground
The effort required to overcome the hard and frozen ground to welcome spring.
The evenings mists that creep and crawl
The misty evenings that gradually cover the ground and surroundings.
Will drench me in dew and so drown
The dew caused by the misty evenings will soak the artist and drown them.
I'm the green man
The artist refers to themselves as the Green Man, a symbol of nature and fertility that represents the cycle of life and death.
Sol in prime sweet summertime
During the sweet summer time, the sun is at its height.
Cast shadows of doubt on my face
The singer's face is covered in shadows, representing the uncertainty and doubt in their mind.
A midday sun, it's causing hues
The sun's rays are creating colors and refractions within the still water of a lake.
Refracting within the still lake
The light from the sun is bending as it enters the water, creating a beautiful display of colors.
Autumn in her flaming dress
Autumn is described as wearing a dress of vibrant colors, such as orange, brown, and gold leaves.
Of orange, brown, gold fallen leaves
The ground is covered in fallen leaves of different colors, giving the impression that Autumn is dressed in these colors.
My mistress of the frigid night
The artist personifies Autumn as their mistress, who rules the cold and dark nights.
I worship, pray to on my knees
The singer reveres Autumn and kneels before her to show their devotion.
Winter's breath of filthy snow
Winter is described as breathing out dirty and frigid air, represented by the snow-covered ground.
Befrosted paths to the unknown
The snow-covered paths lead to an unknown, possibly dangerous destination.
Have my lips turned true purple?
The artist wonders if their lips have turned purple due to the extreme cold of winter.
Life is coming to an end
The cycle of life is coming to a close as winter approaches.
So says me, me wiccan friend
The singer, who is a Wiccan, believes that the cycle of life is ending.
Nature coming full circle
The end of the cycle of life will be completed when winter is over and the arrival of spring starts a new cycle.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER THOMAS STEELE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joey Lyons
UDO is such a bad ass. Legendary voice. One of the best of all time in metal. Gonna check this one out
Brian Baker
I've been wanting to hear this since watching your interview with the legend. I agree 16 tracks is a bit much - maybe I'll listen to half, then go back later for the rest. I really liked his first few solo albums but kinda lost track of him after. I need to go back and check some of the others, too. Thanks for all the videos today (and always), Pete!
robmlisanti
I love all his UDO solo records!
A.M.
Legendary!!!!
Udo is like an old Mercedes engine: unbreakable!!!!
Greetings from Stuttgart, Germany!
Jeff Bigley
Hey Pete, I’d love to see a ranking the albums for UDO. I’ve always loved Accept, but I’ve only heard the 1st couple of UDO albums. I’d like to start checking these out, but 17 albums is pretty intimidating. Thanks for all the great work that you do!
Fernando Hoppenstedt
Fantastic album, this band’s consistency is unbelievable. I would love to see an album ranking of UDO (not top 10, but like all studio albums) haha I know I’m asking too much, but there’s something to say about all of em. Even We Are One from last year is terrific. Thanks for the videos Mr. Pardo
Lucas Farias
Hi Pete. Another great U.D.O. album. A lot of great songs! Killer riffs, amazing guitar solos and melodies, catchy choruses.
My favorites: Fear Detector, Like A Beast, Prophecy, Marching Tank, Thunder Road, Metal Never Dies.
Luis Contreras
Man, this album really kicks ass. So cool you just did the interview with him and the album follows and it's awesome. Another example of a member of great band who goes on his own and we all win because now there is not one, but two great bands (i.e. Rainbow, Ozzy, Megadeth, Gamma Ray, etc, etc, etc). Good stuff, check it out!!
j hudd
Didn't plan on buying this but after one listen, my mind was changed.
Also, for those that can't wait, the new Tremonti and Lords Of Black are good.
dan holm
Ever thought about doing one about REAL good bands that never really 'made it'? White Witch comes to mind, Bloodrock. The 2 WW albums are classics