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)
I'm a Rebel
U.D.O. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't take the fruit of a tree
And everybody says I'm out for the kill
They're all laughing at me
They're all laughing at me
I'm a rebel, rebel - don't you just know it
And they're all laughing at me
They say I'm a danger to the public and all
I only wish they would see
I'm just a product of a screwed-up world, but they're all...
They're all laughing at me
But they're all laughing at me
I'm a rebel, rebel - don't you just know it
I'm a rebel, rebel - don't you just know it
I'm a rebel, rebel
But they're all laughing at me
Never ever wash my old blue jeans
And brush the smile off my face
But still I'm a member of the...
Human race, human race, human race, human race
I'm a rebel, rebel - don't you just know it
I'm a rebel, rebel - don't you just know it
I'm a rebel, rebel - don't you just know it
I'm a rebel, rebel
And they're all laughing at me
I'm a rebel
The lyrics to U.D.O.'s song "I'm a Rebel" center around the identity of the singer as a rebel in the face of societal pressures and expectations. The opening lines reflect the doubts that others have about the singer's ability to succeed and reach the top of the hill. The use of the metaphorical fruit of a tree further emphasizes the lack of faith that others have in the singer's ability to attain success. The following lines reflect the singer's rebellious nature - they want to challenge the status quo and prove everyone wrong. However, despite their efforts, they are met with ridicule and laughter from those who doubt them.
The chorus affirms the singer's identity as a rebel, with repeated declarations of "I'm a rebel, rebel - don't you just know it" emphasizing their non-conformist nature. The second verse further reinforces their outsider identity, as they are "a danger to the public" and the product of a "screwed-up world". Despite this, they wish that others would be able to see beyond their exterior and understand their motivations. The repetition of "they're all laughing at me" highlights the isolation the singer feels in their struggle.
In the final section of the song, the lyrics take a more optimistic tone. The singer refuses to conform to societal expectations - symbolized by their refusal to wash their old blue jeans - but still considers themselves to be part of the larger human race. The repetition of "I'm a rebel" affirms their identity once again, and the last line emphasizes that despite everything, the world may still be laughing at them.
Line by Line Meaning
They say I won't make it to the top of the hill
People doubt my ability to succeed and reach the pinnacle of success.
Won't take the fruit of a tree
I won't settle for easy rewards or success that is handed to me. I will work for it.
And everybody says I'm out for the kill
People believe I am ruthless and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goals.
They're all laughing at me
Others are mocking me for my aspirations and beliefs.
I'm a rebel, rebel - don't you just know it
I am an individualist who goes against the norms and values of society.
They say I'm a danger to the public and all
People view me as a threat to the safety and stability of society.
I only wish they would see
I want others to understand that my intentions are not malicious and that my actions are a product of my environment.
I'm just a product of a screwed-up world, but they're all...
I have been shaped by the flaws and injustices of the world, yet others are still quick to judge me.
But they're all laughing at me
Despite my efforts to defend myself and my beliefs, others continue to mock me and refuse to understand me.
Never ever wash my old blue jeans
I refuse to conform to societal norms and fashion trends, and will stick to my own style.
And brush the smile off my face
I will not let others' negativity and ridicule influence my positive outlook on life.
But still I'm a member of the...
Despite my rebellious mindset, I still belong to the human race and share common traits and experiences with others.
Human race, human race, human race, human race
I am a part of humanity and cannot be defined solely by my rebellious nature.
I'm a rebel, rebel - don't you just know it
I will continue to stand up for my beliefs and go against societal norms.
And they're all laughing at me
Despite their laughter, I will stay true to myself and my values.
I'm a rebel
I am an individualist who refuses to conform to societal norms and values.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: George Alexander
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind