UDO Dirkschneider recorded ten studio albums with Accept. He started the band with them in 1976 and was fired in 1987 because they wanted to go in a more commercial direction. Accept carried on and eventually disbanded. They reformed with Dirkschneider in 1992 and recorded and toured. In 1997 they disbanded again. In 2005 they reformed with Dirkschneider one more time. In 2009 they reformed yet again with Mark Tornillo who continues to sing lead vocals for them to the present day.
Dirkschneider began his solo recording career in 1987 after the first split with Accept and has put out more studio records on his own than with them. Steelfactory is his sixteenth studio album under the U.D.O. name.
The making of the album was very organic. In the liner notes, Dirkschneider explains that the songwriting process consisted of “Spending weeks all together in the rehearsal room swapping ideas, writing new songs, [and] having fun.” There was “No songwriting at home, away from the rest of the band just sending ideas digitally from A to B.” This older way of making an album may be a lot of the reason Steelfactory sounds so sturdy from start to finish. Location and the band’s lineup are also factors that helped created the close knit atmosphere of the album’s making. U.D.O. recorded in a small studio owned by Dirkschneider’s son, Sven, who also plays drums on the album. The studio doubled as a rehearsal room.
There is another reason that album has such a classic sound: Prior to making the album, Dirkschneider started a tour comprised of Accept material. He explains that “if you are on tour for maybe three years doing nearly three hundred shows and play only Accept songs, [then] it’s definitely an influence.” Steelfactory sounds old school with blazing leads and wailing solos but with modern production values where every instrument is clear and separated and there is a full spectrum of sound from top to bottom. While the Accept influence is certainly present, the songs on Steelfactory stand on their own as fresh, original compositions. These are not secondhand knockoffs or thin rewrites.
“Tongue Reaper” begins with a majestic lead before launching into a Dirkschneider scream and heavy riffing. “Make the Move” combines punchy riffs with a Scorpions-esque guitar line. “Keeper of My Soul” puts a thumping groove with Eastern-sounding guitars. “In the Heat of the Night” is a mid-tempo rocker. “Raise the Game” and “Blood on Fire” are both galloping riffers.
“Rising High” is a catchy, mile-a-minute showcase of double bass drums. “Hungry and Angry” lowers things a notch. “One Heart One Soul” marches into a soaring chorus. “A Bite of Evil” is another mid-tempo track with smoking guitar work. “Eraser” speeds through its four minutes and obliterates everything in its path. “Rose in the Desert” eases the pace back down and transitions well into the final track. “The Way” is a melancholy tune with just acoustic guitar and a weary Dirkschneider reflecting on his past. Along the way it picks up drums and an electric guitar before finishing out with a lone acoustic guitar. Dirkschneider’s voice sounds great on every track.
While we will always associate him with Accept and some of their finest work, Steelfactory deepens Dirkschneider’s solo legacy and reminds us that there is a lot more for listeners to explore and enjoy than just his albums with Accept.
TRACKLIST
Tongue Reaper
Make the Move
Keeper of My Soul
In the Heat of the Night
Raise the Game
Blood on Fire
Rising High
Hungry and Angry
One Heart One Soul
A Bite of Evil
Eraser
Rose in the Desert
The Way
