“From the very beginning I was fascinated by Frets On Fire (PC) and Guitar Hero (game console). I always wondered how hard such a game could be, while spending hours in front of the goggle-box. This is why we came up with the idea to create our Frets On Fire – Nothgard Songs. Just because we thought this would be fucking cool. Now we have 2 songs from our latest record to download.
On February 3rd, Decadent, the fifteenth studio album from Germany’s legendary U.D.O. was released, via AFM Records. I’ll readily admit that this is one of the finest U.D.O. albums ever, with what I consider a whole lot more melodic interplay going on between the guitars and rhythm section. My favorite song on Decadent is Mystery and it’s a melodic Heavy Metal classic already, in my Metal world. This entire Decadent album sounds classic to me and makes for a formidable follow-up to 2013’s Steelhammer studio album.
Drummer Franceso Jovino is an awesome presence on Decadent and has since parted ways with the band. Udo Dirkschneider’s son and band drum tech, Sven Dirkschneider, has since been hired on as the new drummer.
As with AC/DC and Motörhead, fans of U.D.O. are gonna know what they’ll get from this band. With that said, there is a more open spaced vibe about Decadent than previous U.D.O. albums; where the songs sound as if they’ve been crafted for a more widespread consumption of Heavy Metal fans. No worries, this new U.D.O. album is no commercial ticket to Hollywood’s good old boys club. The big guitar sounds on this album are equivalent to an endless bottle of psyche-you-out elixir!
Below. check out the fabulous song Pain:
There’s more rhythm than crunch on Decadent and the great Udo Dirkschneider sings with an enthusiasm that I noticed quickly from the start; this is not a Heavy Metal legend that is forcing his vocals for the sake of making the record. Udo sings as if he is prepared for a world-wide arena tour and his band shall take a back seat to no one. Honestly, this Decadent album plays out that fantastic. It only takes a couple of thorough listens to Decadent for me to realize that Udo Dirkschneider is not interested in resting on any Metal laurels. I respect that to the fullest!
Throw in the fact that all twelve songs are worthy of their own music video and I do declare this being an album of SONGS. Decadent is a grand example of how a Heavy Metal band should leave all the artificial flavors and fillers behind and focus on composition and lyrics. The title track, Pain, Secrets In Paradise, Under Your Skin and Untouchable are five other standout songs that really soar for my Metal soul. Very well done, once again, U.D.O.! Metal be thy name – Stone.
U.D.O. is very proud to present our new tour keyboarder Harrison Young. The band is currently rehearsing for the tour. Harrison already became fix part of the U.D.O. family and everybody is highly motivated to kick ass on tour. This is the best U.D.O. ever with a great NEW setlist!!!!
Harrison Young is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and audio producer from just outside of New York City, currently living in the Netherlands. In addition to touring and recording with his own two bands, Earth Minor and The Harrison Young Quartet, he has also appeared on numerous albums including Metal Queen Doro Pesch’s latest release, “Raise Your Fist” and NYC Hip Hop Legend Talib Kweli’s album Gutter Rainbows, for which Harrison provided the iconic piano riff on the #1 iTunes single, Cold Rain.
For the past several years, Harrison has been touring the world with Doro as her keyboardist, appearing at festivals like Wacken, Graspop, and Sweden Rock, in addition to countless headline shows everywhere from Los Angeles to Moscow. In 2013, he sang the official anthem of the inaugural Full Metal Cruise alongside Doro in front of hundreds of thousands of people, at Hamburg Germany’s 824th Harbor Celebration.
He also recently released a new album with his long time rock band, Earth Minor entitled Across The Atlantic In Record Time, which is now available worldwide at his website, www.harrisonyoungmusic.com.
Harrison is thrilled to join the U.D.O. team as of this upcoming European tour and looks forward to rocking with you in your city.
The spectacular new U.D.O. studio album, Decadent, is available now! Decadent was released via AFM Records, back on February 3rd, in North America.
Sacramento, CA’s modern death metal juggernaut, THE KENNEDY VEIL, have released a new play through video with guitarist Kc Childers performing the track entitled “Perfidia.” The track is taken from their crushing debut album, Trinity of Falsehood, which saw a release on Jan 21, 2014 via Unique Leader Records.
Check out the “Perfidia” play through video at this location, and be sure to subscribe to THE KENNEDY VEIL‘s official YouTube channel to see all their upcoming video updates first!
Produced by Nick Botelho at NB Recording in Santa Rosa, California and featuring the debut of vocalist, Taylor Wientjes, Trinity Of Falsehood is the band’s most technically precise, conceptually captivating and indisputably brutal material to date. Trinity of Falsehood can be streamed in its entirety at this location.
Confirmed upcoming Live Dates for THE KENNEDY VEIL:
05/01 – 05/02 – Jub Jub’s – Reno, NV – Spring Meltdown Fest (w/ Conducting from the Grave, Inanimate Existence, Embryonic Devourment, Ænimus, and more)
Critical Praise:
“THE KENNEDY VEIL has thrown down the death metal gauntlet for years to come. Trinity Of Falsehood is a scorcher…” – Dead Rhetoric
“The thing that… separates THE KENNEDY VEIL from the pack is the fact that there are definite hooks among the relentless displays of technical prowess…” – Knac.com
“Combining an undercurrent of evil with the new-school ideal for technicality, THE KENNEDY VEIL really exemplifies what modern death metal is/should be moving towards… This is the type of death metal you happily put on repeat.” — Decoy Music
If you’re a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the “ALBUM REVIEWS ARCHIVES” section below!
Metal Odyssey's Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Hall of Fame! These Are The Rock And METAL Legends Wrongfully Ignored By "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame"
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