Coming right at you with a refreshed line up, U.D.O. blast into 2015 with a fresh sounding much more improved effort than previous albums released in recent years. History lessons are not required here, if you know metal you should know this band and theirs, but that said, the monkey on this bands back were always looking over their shoulder at another band, gone are those days. U.D.O. have their own identity, they always have, but this time around the music is much more forceful and should bury that baggage herein.
This refreshment comes mainly from the guitar work, I find that the ability to hone in some great melody into the rabid metal fist pumping tunes is a massive plus point. It even sounds a little like slide guitar, a little dreamy, emotive, it’s a cool effect. UDO’s vocals have the same power a snarl, even during the ballad ‘Secrets in Paradise’. ‘Speeder’ is a real way to start a new release, fast, metallic and head banging, which is simply mandatory and I feel that the drum sounds a touch better this time around. It is certainly less clinical, a touch more organic and less mechanized as I have found on a couple of their previous releases.
Delve further into this well rounded metal monster and you come to songs like ‘Pain’ that sound more commercial rockers like those of the mid 80’s, but are more stadium anthem-like rather than a sell-out chart tune or straight recent Euro Power metal anthem, this rocks. When you get to ‘Under Your Skin’ then it becomes clear that there is a heads down approach. The speed is immense, the energy is electrifying and this is some of the best material this band have released in a while.
‘Decadent’ is far from being, well a decadent self-indulgent release, this hits the spot perfectly, it has metal songs, metal anthems, metal ballads and metal heritage. It’s a touch metal you know! If you are going to start somewhere with U.D.O.’s back catalogue then I would start here and work backwards. This is a damn fine release that shows the band upping their game and leading the charge with songs that oose the lifeblood of true metal and delivering a recording that sounds fresh and invigorating.
(8/10 Paul Maddison)
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