| We
catch up with the great man himself Udo Dirkschneider shortly before the
release of the latest U.D.O. album 'Revraptor' to find out more about
the album and the long awaited UK tour.
UDO - Hi Barry how you
doing?
MM - Hi Udo I’m fine, how are you?
UDO - Busy today
as I have lots of of interviews lined up, but it’s ok because that’s what I’m here for,
to promote the new album.
MM - So we’ll get
right down to it., and I’ll try to ask you some questions you
haven’t been asked today. Congratulations on another superb
Metal album in 'Revraptor'.
UDO
-Thank you very much.
MM - I personally
think this album mixes the best of 'Mastercutor' with the melodic side
of the 'Dominator' album.
UDO
- Yes I think this new album does combine both 'Mastercutor' and
'Dominator' as regards to songs and we changed the arrangement on some
songs and did I little experimental things and I think we did a good
job.
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MM -There are a
few curve balls thrown in on the new album, as always, like ‘I Give As
Good As I Get’, which is a bit more ballady.
UDO -
This a different song for me, it was interesting to see if I could sing
songs like that and do ballads this way. I think ten years ago
that would have been impossible for me to sing a song like this. The song itself music wise was 60% the bass player. I like the song very
much and the lyrics are very private and personal.
MM - Maybe this
the softer side of Udo coming out, now that you're getting older!?!
(laughs)
UDO - (laughs). What I like on the new album is that
we have so many different songs on this album, it shows the whole range
of U.D.O., it shows what we can do, from the heavy stuff to the more
melodic stuff. What can I say, I’m really pleased with the new
album.
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MM - As I said
before this album combines both the 'Mastercuter' and 'Dominator'
albums, do you think this is because the band has remained the same for
the last three albums?
UDO - In a way yes. Of course
when you’ve finished an album you give it couple of months and you
start working on the next one. For us this album is already old
(laughs), but after a while you go back to it and then you start to criticize
it yourself, and then you start to think ... what can I do to
make things better for the next album? That’s what keeps you
going, you just want to get better and better.
MM - Once again
you’ve released an EP prior to the album. Last time we spoke you
weren’t too happy with the 'Infested' EP having two tracks on it that
weren’t on the album, this time they seem to have it right by putting
previously unreleased tracks on the EP.
UDO -Yeh the EP
is always the record companies thing, to make you aware of the upcoming
album, but it's not like the old days when you would just record songs
for the album and that was it. Now when you record an album you
have to do fifteen or sixteen songs, because you need a bonus track for
Japan, a bonus track for this, another for the EP or digi-pack and
sometimes for an artist it’s very hard to choose songs which you give
away for bonus songs ... but that’s just the way it is.
MM -Yes I think
they got it right with 'Leatherhead' by having just two album tracks
plus two previously unreleased tracks.
UDO - What they
had with the last EP was only having 2222 copies available. For me
this was wrong, by giving away two songs, but that’s record companies,
what can I say?
MM - So the EP
has the two songs 'Run' and 'Free or Rebellion', was this your choice
and why those two songs?
UDO - Again it was the record
company. The songs were only available on the DVD and I think a
lot of people don’t know them. It was a good idea of the record
company to do this ... they do have good ideas! (laughs). I’m
very happy with this EP.
MM - The cover of the album and the EP has
the Mastercutor coming back.
UDO - Yes on 'Dominator' he was a robot and
he’s now the 'Revraptor' and we want to continue with this character
now, we can do a lot of things with it.
MM - So did you have any input on the
designs of the covers?
UDO - It was very interesting, we have a
guy in Germany, he was doing a back-drop for us and he said if you're
working on a new album give me the title and I’ll create something, and
he did, he created this character and it was different from any album we
did. There is also the booklet that comes with the album.
MM - So how did the album take to put
together, did you start writing straight after 'Dominator'?
UDO
- Not straight after. We started
writing around June last year so we could have the album out in January, but
we had to take a break because Stefan had a big problem with his back
and he couldn’t move. He had to lie down a lot. We had to stop for
about two and a half months so that is why the album is now coming out on
23rd May.
MM - Now I asked you this last time, are
we going to see U.D.O. on tour in the UK this year?
UDO - I can tell you, we are coming to
England for three shows. They will be announced soon and they will be
around the end of October, beginning of November.
MM - Oh excellent news!
UDO - I’m really looking forward to
playing in England again, it was always good for not just U.D.O. but also
Accept. Yes we're really looking forward to it.
MM - I think the UK fans will be thrilled to
see the band in the UK because it's been far too long.
UDO
- We’ve tried every year but the
promoters haven’t been that interested.
MM - So Udo, I know
you're running a little
late so I’ll wrap things up with one final question. Do you have any
words for the U.D.O. fans?
UDO - What can I say to the
fans? Well the good news is that we are coming back to England and I’m really looking
forward to it. We hope there are a lot of fans at the shows.
MM - Well thanks again, it’s been a
pleasure as always and I hope to see you later in the year.
UDO - You're welcome.
MM - We'd like to
thank Udo for taking the time out to chat with us again today and wish
him and the band every success with the new album and the EP, and look
forward to seeing the band later this year when they hit the UK.
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