Torture Tunes
For decades, this singer and godfather of German metal band Accept, has been making records, screaming at fans, touring the world and not stopping to take names! Udo Dirkschneider and his band of rockers have been busting out albums since 1987 when he left Accept to form U.D.O. Here we have the new studio release, "Decadent". An insane sounding record that punches you in throat!
To kick you square in the (you now) "Speeder" doesn't slow down for anyone. Then chugging its way into your gut, the thick sounds of "Decadent" penetrate your ear holes! "House of Fakes" drops a two ton heavy thing on you and "Mystery" has a slow grinding rhythm that crushes your bones. (The bass line is crushing all by itself).
A little tone and style change (from dark to bright) in the hard rock tune "Pain". Then we get a total tempo turn-a-round for "Secrets in Paradise". The mellowness will sooth you for a little while, but only for a little while because the "Meaning of Life" will rip you a new nostril! Udo's voice gets extra gritty in the verses here in "Breathless" and "Under Your Skin" turns up the tempo to ten thousand and trashes your epidermis!
"Untouchable" gives you that good 'ole metal feeling with big sounds and a slow-ish rhythm, then "Rebels of the Night" beat you down. You try to fight and get up, but Udo shoves you deeper into the asphalt. Ending here with a song that would've worked better next to "Secrets" is a descent ditty, "Words in Flame". It's mellow but heavy. Good song, wrong spot.
Udo has always put forth a never ending barrage of metal, thrash and hard rock. He does not fail to deliver in "Decadent" either. Downside is the ending song "Words in Flame". I have always said a metal record should end with a rocker or thrasher. I stick to that here, too. Upside are the musicians, singer, song-writing, energy, attack, aggression, grittiness, atmosphere and whatever rhymes with eloquent! I give this hard rocking album a solid 9. Check him out online if haven't already.
Tim Duran, HMS
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