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)
Unbroken
U.D.O. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I couldn't begin to describe how it goes
But it makes me cry and laugh right out loud
It's the song I sing when there's no one around
This is the man that nobody sees
He wears my old clothes and he looks just like me
And if he learned how to fly he'd never touch down
It's four in the morning, I'm lying in bed
With a tape of my failures playing inside my head
The hardknocks and heartaches, things I don't know
I listen and wonder, where will it go?
This is aglimpse of the child within
He's so immature but he's still my best friend
He's just one of the boys who gets lost in a crowd
It's the kid I am when there's no one around
This is the dance I do everyday
I let my soul lead and it takes me away
And it leads my steps to higher ground
It's the dance I do when there's no one around
Will the circle be unbroken
I was standing by my window
On a cold and cloudy day
When I saw that undertaker
For to carry my mother away
Well I told that undertaker
Undertaker please rive slow
For the lady you are hauling
Lord I hate to see that woman go
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by lord by and by
There's a better home awaiting
By and by lord by and by
Well I followed close behind them
I tried to stand up and be brave
But I could not hold back my sorrow
When they laid her in the grave
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by lord by and by
Please tell me there's a better home awaiting
In the sky lord in the sky
I went back home but my home was lonesome
Since my mother, she was gone
All my brothers and sisters crying
Lord what a home so sad and lonesome
The song "Unbroken" by U.D.O features lyrics that delve into the inner turmoil and struggles of a person when they are completely alone with their thoughts. The artist talks about a song that nobody knows, yet it is their go-to when they are alone. This song has the ability to make them cry and laugh out loud, which hints that it is quite an emotional tune. The artist also talks about a man that nobody sees - this person is essentially their alter-ego or the person they become when no one else is around. The lyrics highlight the fact that there is a deeper, more complex person within everyone that is often hidden from the world.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the song that nobody knows
The song that I hold close to my heart and never share with anyone.
I couldn't begin to describe how it goes
The song is indescribable, it brings out mixed emotions in me.
But it makes me cry and laugh right out loud
The song affects me emotionally, sometimes it makes me happy sometimes it makes me sad.
It's the song I sing when there's no one around
I sing the song when I am alone and free to emote.
This is the man that nobody sees
There is a side of me that I keep hidden from others.
He wears my old clothes and he looks just like me
This side of me resembles the person I was in the past.
And if he learned how to fly he'd never touch down
This side of me is free and unrestrained.
It's the man I am when there's no one around
This is the side of me that comes out when I am alone and free to be myself.
It's four in the morning, I'm lying in bed
At this moment in time, I am lying in bed and feeling a certain way.
With a tape of my failures playing inside my head
I am replaying all of my past mistakes and regrets in my mind.
The hardknocks and heartaches, things I don't know
These are the things that I struggle with and find difficult to comprehend.
I listen and wonder, where will it go?
I am unsure of what the future holds, and where my life is headed.
This is aglimpse of the child within
This is a side of me that is playful and innocent.
He's so immature but he's still my best friend
This part of me sometimes behaves childishly but it is still dear to me.
He's just one of the boys who gets lost in a crowd
This part of me is one of many and tends to blend in with others.
It's the kid I am when there's no one around
This is the side of me that comes out when I am alone and free to let loose.
This is the dance I do everyday
This is a metaphor for how I live my life.
I let my soul lead and it takes me away
I try to live my life passionately and follow my inner voice.
And it leads my steps to higher ground
This attitude helps me to grow and improve as a person.
It's the dance I do when there's no one around
This is how I live my life when I am free to be myself.
Will the circle be unbroken
This is a question about the continuity of life and relationships.
I was standing by my window
This is a flashback to a moment in time.
On a cold and cloudy day
The weather on this day was bleak.
When I saw that undertaker
I came across someone who reminded me of death.
For to carry my mother away
This individual was handling the funeral arrangements for someone I loved.
Well I told that undertaker
I spoke to the person who was organizing the funeral.
Undertaker please rive slow
I requested that my loved one be treated with gentleness.
For the lady you are hauling
The person they were moving was deserving of respect and care.
Lord I hate to see that woman go
I felt tremendous grief and sadness as I parted ways with my loved one.
Please tell me there's a better home awaiting
I ask the question of whether there is an afterlife.
In the sky lord in the sky
I wonder if there is a better place that we all may go to one day.
Well I followed close behind them
I walked behind my loved one's funeral procession.
I tried to stand up and be brave
I attempted to stay strong in the face of my grief.
But I could not hold back my sorrow
Ultimately, I broke down in tears.
When they laid her in the grave
When my loved one was buried, I experienced a final sense of closure.
I went back home but my home was lonesome
After the funeral, I returned home and felt the weight of my loneliness.
Since my mother, she was gone
It was especially hard as I had lost someone very dear to me.
All my brothers and sisters crying
Those who were also grieving felt the weight of the loss.
Lord what a home so sad and lonesome
This home that was once full of life and laughter was now riddled with sadness and loneliness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, ME GUSTA MUSIC
Written by: DARRELL SCOTT, TIMOTHY PAGE O'BRIEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind