Artist: U.D.O.
Label: AFM Records
Release: 2003
Rating: 3.5/5
Unbelievable! Yet another live U.D.O. album! A slick move that keeps U.D.O.’s devoted followers busy, so they can kill time more easily in the stretch between ‘Man And Machine’ (2002) and the freshly released ‘Thunderball’ (2004). It’s also a tactical move that, together with the release of the self-titled DVD, helped U.D.O. keep the media spotlight between those two studio albums. The first time you come face to face with the miserable booklet design and the cover, you’re convinced it’s yet another low-budget ‘best of’ or even a live bootleg. But the truth is far from that. This is a pure-blooded U.D.O. assault of incinerating classic metal moves whose history stretches back to way back in 1979. The band’s unique sound, inherited from the mighty Accept, re-vampirized and freshly devastating, pulses with full intensity this time around too.
This album collects the ‘other’ Accept songs that the excellent double live album ‘Live From Russia’ (2001) skipped. There are eleven songs in all. Three of them belong to U.D.O., and the rest is pure Accept goods. All three U.D.O. tracks are taken from ‘Holy’ (1999). Makes sense, since that was the band’s current studio album at the time of the tour. The album opens with Holy and Riders From Beyond, just like on ‘Live From Russia’. The difference is in the sound and the atmosphere. The sound isn’t as diffuse. These are obviously recordings from some smaller European venues (the booklet doesn’t specify the venue locations) and so it’s a shade more precise. But the live vibe itself isn’t as notorious and wild as on that double live album. Unlike ‘Live From Russia’, where UDO played an Accept legacy that had never officially been released on any format before, ‘Nailed To Metal’ mostly features hot Accept classics, namely Metal Heart (‘Metal Heart’, 1985) with an adapted arrangement of Beethoven’s Führ Elise thrown into the middle of the song, where the audience also joins in with a seriously loud show of support for the band. U.D.O. then keep firing away with X-T-C (‘Eat The Heat’, 1989), which has a particularly obscure vibe with one of the most appealing guitar solos around. The ‘Restles And Wild’ (1982) trilogy kicks off in a flash with a true interstellar rally of Fast As A Shark, followed by an adventure through an epically dark-tinged wet dream in Princess Of The Dawn (a special extended version), and wraps up with a hymn-like gallop through Restless And Wild.
The real surprise is the inclusion of Hard Attack, taken from the disastrously rated ‘Predator’ (1996). U.D.O. close out this noble live set with an all-metal resurrection via the satanic mid-tempo Balls To The Wall (‘Balls To The Wall’, 1983), with a great stretched-out fade-out full of onstage detonation. Interestingly, U.D.O. managed to create such an atmosphere in the mix that listening to it feels like a recording from a single concert, which is a real little masterpiece, and no easy job when you have to glue together bits from different shows. Which means the consistency that doesn’t exist in the physical, legal-formal sense actually does exist, thanks to that excellent mix. That’s why the atmosphere the average metal fan usually demands from a live album is conjured up in a thoroughly convincing way. The vibes surge thanks to the set list itself, but also thanks to some artful finesses that U.D.O. regularly bring to their stage shows. The first highlight is the aforementioned insert in Metal Heart and the band and crowd making noise together, and the 5 minutes of drum pounding are also worth a mention. Technically it’s nothing special, but the untamed raging and bombardment fits the set perfectly. Especially since this drumming somehow serves as an excellent intro to Fast As A Shark. Pay attention to the exit from this solo spot, which is followed by a horrifyingly high, almost vampiric scream from Mr. Dirkschneider, which immediately spills over into Fast As A Shark, the song that is the peak of metal fury and aggression on the entire record.
The live album mostly focuses on the Accept legacy and playing their classics. Besides the two U.D.O. songs mentioned, a third one is slipped in among the Accept tracks. That’s the very interesting Thunder In The Tower, which U.D.O. will almost certainly never play live again. The reason is simple. The song is built a little more intricately. The riffing and the basic rhythm line are somewhat atypical for the U.D.O. style of fast, simple, short metal pulse-pounders that are seriously invasive to the ear. Because of its structure, the song conjures up a completely new atmosphere and brings an extra measure of dynamics and contrast to the record. Across the whole record the backing vocal arrangements shine. They’re delivered in a truly grand style and, together with the basic high-pitched shrieking of Udo Dirkschneider’s unique singing, create a fantastic sonic contrast. They stand out especially in Thunder In The Tower and Restless And Wild.
Let me wrap it up. ‘Nailed To Metal’ once again confirms the band’s remarkable onstage explosiveness, rawness, indescribable noise, unique magic and tightness, through which they deliver a classic metal lesson full of shamelessly invasive riffing that only the best can pull off. Definitely a live album full of nostalgia, rugged unbending faith, dosed with just the right amount of metal arrogance (and, in the same breath, indifference to trendy imitations). True to themselves. A great metal treat! Serve it hot!
Lineup
Udo Dirkschneider – vocals
Stefan Kaufmann – guitar
Igor Gianola – guitar
Fitty Wienhold – bass guitar
Lorenzo Milani – drums
Production
Stefan Kaufmann
Tracklist
1. Holy
2. Raiders Of Beyond
3. Metal Heart
4. X-T-C
5. Drum Solo
6. Fast As A Shark
7. Princess Of The Dawn
8. Restless & Wild
9. Thunder In The Tower
10. Hard Attack
11. Balls To The Wall
Running time: 60:00
