U.D.O. (2) – Touchdown

UDO continues to deliver the goods, this time with Peter Baltes in the fold

Released in 2023, TOUCHDOWN is the nineteenth full-length studio album by Germany’s U.D.O (if you count 2020’s WE ARE ONE, and why wouldn’t you?). I wasn’t crazy about UDO’s third opus, FACELESS WORLD (1990), as it featured a little too much commercialism for my tastes (although it was certainly catchy enough), but Dirkschneider eventually found his niche and has become even more prolific than his former band, Accept.

STEELFACTORY (2018) and STEELHAMMER (2013) are my favorite albums by UDO. The former is easily the best Accept album ever released, just by a different name. TOUCHDOWN sticks to the basic German metal style established by Accept, but adds the new blood that UDO is known for, this time featuring former Accept bassist Peter Baltes.

As usual, the more you listen, the more certain songs catch your attention and pull you back for repeat listens. Some good examples are opener “Isolation Man” with its interesting theme and moving mid-section; the unique “The Double Dealer’s Club”; the catchy “Punchline”; and the speedy closer “Touchdown” with its dynamic mid-break. Other highlights include “Forever Free” with its memorable stanza melody and “The Betrayer” with its aggressive main riff contrasted by the mellow verses. "Heroes of Freedom" is yet another favorite.

While I wouldn’t but this on the level of STEELFACTORY or STEELHAMMER, it’s not far off and is superior to their previous album GAME OVER (2021).

The thirteen songs clock-in at just under 54 minutes.

GRADE: B+/A-

Vinyl sounds great and music is more than great !!!