Nailed To Metal: The Missing Tracks
[AFM]

Udo Dirkschneider is one of those singers who you recognize instantly. His distinctly raspy sneer has been a part of the metal world for almost 25 years now, and he shows no sign of stopping. On his latest effort, Nailed To Metal: The Missing Tracks, he and his band turn in a fun and energetic live performance that, while not essential by any means, is a great reminder of how entertaining Udo can be.

The reason behind the title is that many of U.D.O.'s fans were curious as to why many of his most popular songs weren't on his last double live album, Live In Russia. To make them happy, he released this seperate volume, which was recorded on the same tour. I've heard the first volume, and quite honestly, this one's better. While Live In Russia contains a lot Accept tunes that had never been recorded live, Nailed To Metal: The Missing Tracks contains the most popular tunes Udo has ever been associated with, including "Restless And Wild" (my personal favorite), "Fast As A Shark", "Princess Of The Dawn", and the fan favorite "Balls To The Wall". It also contains some very good U.D.O. solo tunes, including "Holy", and "Raiders & Beyond". The band is quite solid, and features former Accept bandmate Stefan Kaufmann on guitar. The one track I could have done without is the drum solo, as it wasn't very interesting, and a full song could have been put in its place. An interesting addition is the tune "X-T-C", an Accept tune that is from the only album Udo wasn't on, Eat The Heat.

Udo himself turns in a solid performance. His voice shows some definite signs of age, but he never tries to hit any notes that are out of his range ("Restless And Wild" is a good example of updating his delivery to suit his range). Too many live albums have been ruined from a singer's inability to accept (no pun intended) their aging voice. For a live album, this is very well recorded. I would almost say that some studio tinkering was done, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. There is very little crowd noise (save for a few singalong moments), and everything is crystal clear and mixed very well.

Fans of Udo and Accept will certainly like this. It is full of great tunes, and while not essential, it is fun and a reminder of how good Udo is. He is a great example of how personality can triumph over talent. He never had the greatest voice, but he always makes the most of it. There is a DVD of these same performances as well, and I look forward to seeing that as well. Check out Nailed To Metal: The Missing Tracks, and be prepared to sing along.