U.D.O. With Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr – We Are One Review
On July 17, U.D.O. will release one of their most influential albums. With We Are One, U.D.O. teamed up with the Concert Band of the German Armed Forces (Musikkorps der Bundeswehr) to spread the genuine message of change and improving our world for the future.
U.D.O. and Christoph Scheibling joined forces to create this revolutionary collaboration. We Are One also features songwriting contributions from former Accept members Peter Baltes and Stefan Kaufmann as well as the German Armed Forces’ contributors Alexander Reuber and Guido Rennert.
This album deserves praise for many reasons. First, the message that We Are One conveys will inspire anyone. The lyrical themes touch on important topics such as climate change. The orchestrations further expand this message; they used a 60-piece orchestra and the arrangements were composed well so the whole album sounds natural and none of the orchestrations are forced.
The single “We Are One” was released recently. This is the perfect single; the orchestrations offer a fresh take on the classic U.D.O. sound without overpowering the metal influences. This song offers a little bit of everything — horns, flutes, choir vocals, and more. The track offers plenty of hard-hitting parts but is catchy; even the guitars sound very melodic, keeping you hooked the entire time.
My personal favorite song is “Love and Sin.” The song starts off with an Eastern feel; a beautiful flute melody soon fuses with U.D.O.’s signature metal sound, resulting in one of the most unique tracks on the album.
After Udo Dirkschneider’s famous voice rings in, a choir takes over. The choir plus the orchestrations in the background make the song sound even more monumental. I really appreciate the choir vocals because so many orchestra-meets-metal-band albums leave out the choir. The choir adds a major oomph to this song and the whole album.
There are many great solos on this album, but I definitely need to give a shout out to guitarists Andrey Smirnov and Fabian Dee Dammers. They definitely contributed their technical shredding skills without sounding too flashy. The guitars perfectly blend into the orchestrations, resulting in a refined sound.
The next song is “Future Is the Reason Why.” While this is the most militant sounding song of them all, U.D.O. and the German Armed Forces make their stand clear on the significance of climate change. It’s a mammoth of a song, with loud horns, chanting vocals, and even a xylophone that’s heard in the chorus. But maybe we need a compelling song like this to finally enforce sustainability and make the future a better one.
Skipping down a couple of songs, “Blindfold (The Last Defender)” needs an honorable mention. First, this song features a single female singer. Her voice is very soulful and the song is a lovely ballad — which is a nice break from the crushing metal and catchy songs that dominated the first half of the album. I especially love the singer; she sings with a lot of passion, with is perfect for the lyrical themes. The first few lyrics immediately set the tone for the song: “Our world is changing/nothing seems the same/sad, empty faces/and all have no name.” But the song takes a more positive turn during the chorus, asking for the “last defender to save us from the night” and “guide us to the light.” Overall, this song is very different from the rest but in a good way. It’s a beautiful song and the singer is very talented.
Things get a little more intense with the song “Blackout.” A marching drum intro opens up to atmospheric orchestrations. Suddenly, horns and more intense drumming leads to guitars and background vocals.
This is technically a filler track; there’s nothing more than the military-themed atmospheric elements. I have no problem with filler tracks. But with this one, you think something more is going to happen.
But fans will be pleased with the next song, “Mother Earth.” This is the epitome of a classic U.D.O. song: it kicks right to the chase, it’s heavy yet catchy, and Udo’s voice rings loud and clear. The orchestrations are also minimal, accentuating the song rather than overpowering it. This is definitely one of the songs that feature amazing guitar solos. The solos are also met with orchestrations, making this part much more powerful. The lyrics are also in-your-face. Here are some lyrics from the chorus: “Mother Earth will take revenge/nothing we can do.” Overall, longtime U.D.O. will probably like this song the most.
The next song, “Rebel Town,” celebrates 30 years of Germany being reunited. This another classic U.D.O. metal anthem song. The guitars open up to a powerful intro, and the horns make the song even louder. As the song progresses, it gets catchier. The chorus is especially catchy — the chorus features back-and-forth vocals with Udo and the choir. While the solo isn’t as dexterous as the other solos, it’s definitely not boring. The solo is more melodic, which actually blends in with the powerful yet catchy track.
The next single that was just released is “Neon Diamond.” This song is striking because it’s jazzy and softer, featuring a saxophone player. This is one of the best ballads on the album; the song features singer Manuela Markewitz and she and Udo sing a lovely duet together. The skillful solo is also very melodic, capturing the atmosphere of the track. Also, the saxophone solo is amazing! This is the best song to release as the second single; it’s a powerful song but captures the more melodic side of U.D.O.
The track “Here We Go Again” is a weird song; the beginning almost has a big band vibe to it with catchy guitars and loud trumpets. Then Udo comes in with rap-like vocals. The song sounds like an awkward Udo-meets-big-band song until a pretty awesome neoclassical-style solo comes in.
Classic U.D.O. style comes back with the next song, “We Strike Back.” This is one of the fastest songs on the albums. Trumpets, horns, and even a flute in the background make this song even cooler. While I usually like the choir vocals, the “woah-wah-ah-oh” vocals on this track are a little awkward and don’t add much. But the solo makes up for it; Smirnov and Dammers attack you with intoxicating guitar melodies mixed with fast shredding, making this one of the most distinct solos on the album.
Overall, fans will really appreciate U.D.O.’s We Are One. This shows U.D.O.’s classic sound in a new light. The orchestrations are prevalent but don’t overtake their distinguished sound. While not all songs are amazing, there are plenty of gems here that may become new U.D.O. classics.
Overall rating: 7.5/10
