I tend not to acknowledge symphonic metal’s existence. It’s one of those styles/scenes I could never get in to. Part of it’s because it’s so distinctly European and I’m just a damn yankee (not to be confused with Ted Nugent and company). Another reason is because I’ve always viewed it as cheesy, overblown, and overdramatic. Now for me, someone who voluntarily listens to 80s AOR, to call any band or style cheesy, it must be cheesy! So when the voice of one of the greatest metal bands of all time decided to team up with his native country’s military band for a 75 minute symphonic metal meltdown, I was weary…open minded…yet weary.
We Are One is the 17th album from ex-Accept singer Udo Dirkschneider and his namesake band, U.D.O. Despite exiting Accept over 30 years ago (occasionally rejoining for sporadic reunion albums/tours), Udo had kept that teutonic flame burning with albums that capture the same spirit and sound as his former band. He has yet to release an album that I wouldn’t listen to more than once…until now. Even if this was a rock solid release, 15 songs clocking in at 75 minutes is a lot. When only a little over half of those songs meet the mark, those 75 minutes feel even longer.
My biggest issue with this album is the four instrumentals which make up roughly 15 of the 75 minutes. I’m sure these were done with the intention of being interludes, or to show off the orchestra’s talents. Instead, they lessen the power of the great songs throughout and serve as a derailment. “Blindfold (The Last Defender)” is another pointless inclusion. Sounding like a random Nightwish song, “Blindfold” features the vocal talents of Manuela Markewitz. Udo is nowhere in sight. Sorry, but if I’m listening to an U.D.O. album, I want to hear Udo.
Markewitz appears again to join Udo on the 80s AOR influenced “Neon Diamond”. Old school headbangers may hurl at the thought of their beloved hero putting out a song that’d fit on a Foreigner album, though if you read the first paragraph, this is fine by me. Besides, I’ll take that over the pseudo-rap rock of “Here We Go Again”. Yes, you read that correctly.
Thankfully, other than the instrumentals, “Blindfold”, and and the dreadful “Here We Go Again”, the remaining songs on We Are One are classic Udo with a distinct Accept bite. This is no coincidence. Fellow ex-Accept bandmates Peter Baltes and Stefan Kaufmann reunited with Udo to write all of the songs on this album. The end result is tracks like the Metal Heart/Russian Roulette flavored “Mother Earth”, the fist pumping fury of “Future is the Reason Why”, and the obligatory speedster “We Strike Back”, which follows in the same tradition of Accept classics such as “Fast as a Shark” and “Wrong is Right”. All these and more boast those classic Accept trademarks: vicious riffs, victorious lyrics, and Udo’s signature shriek delivery. The addition of the orchestra and choir make these songs even more bombastic than they’d be on their own.
If We Are One was cut in half, it’d be another great U.D.O. album. Instead, it suffers from inconsistency and monotony. Chances are I’ll just make a Spotify playlist of the best songs on here to create “my own” We Are One. You can’t go wrong with revisionism…right? Anyone?
6 out of 10
Label: AFM Records
Genre: Symphonic Metal
For fans of: Accept, Grave Digger, Nightwish