U.D.O. - Solid - Ltd. Gatefold SILVER LP

Silber Vinyl mit 11 Albumtracks im Gatefold (limitert auf 1.000 Stk.)

Genre: Heavy Metal
For Fans Of: Accept, Judas Priest

Im Jahr 1997 läutete "Solid" ein neues Kapitel in der Geschichte von U.D.O. ein. In den darauf folgenden Jahren sollte eine Vielzahl weiterer Heavy Metal-Meilensteine folgen. Nach nun über 25 Jahren werden diese Klassiker endlich neu aufgelegt. Am 24.11.2023 erscheinen die ersten vier Alben der Reihe - teilweise zum ersten Mal - auf Vinyl. "Solid" wird dabei als limitierte Silber-Vinyl erhältlich sein.

Tracklisting:
Side A:
01 Independence Day 06:02
02 Two Faced Woman 03:38
03 Desperate Balls 03:55
04 The Punisher 04:46
05 Devil's Dice 04:32
06 Bad Luck 04:56

Side B:
07 Preachers Of The Night 04:45
08 Hate Stinger 04:59
09 Braindead Hero 05:13
10 Pray For The Hunted 04:01
11 The Healer 06:09

Sometimes pure coincidence or seemingly inconspicuous little details can turn a very good album into an outstanding release. In the case of ‘Firestar’, the latest studio recording by Hamburg power metal act Iron Savior, it has come as a real surprise even for singer/guitarist Piet Sielck that the new songs surpass the material of the impressive predecessor album ‘Skycrest’. In fact, the cornerstones of the current offering were already set and pointed to a successful production within the tried and tested framework, when all of a sudden everything turned out rather differently: “Just before the recordings were finalised, I was inspired by the muse, totally of the blue. I wrote two more songs out of nowhere and changed a third one on the spur of the moment. And suddenly, ‘Firestar’ turned into an even better record,” says Sielck happily, admitting that this unexpected creative surge “triggered great emotions” in him. ‘Firestar’ will be out on AFM/Soulfood on 6 October 2023, with a number of singles scheduled to be released on 1 July 2023 to whet Iron Savior’s fans’ appetite for the upcoming masterpiece.
The three tracks that Sielck is referring to are the anthem ‘In The Realm Of Heavy Metal’, the title track ‘Firestar’ and the final ‘Together As One’, where the basic structure had already been finalised when he changed the chorus, and the number “immediately turned into real highlight”. Mind you, doesn’t this superlative apply to every one of the eleven songs? After all, the title track is irresistible and with its incredible 176 bpm definitely one of the fastest songs in Iron Savior’s history to date. On the other hand, ‘Firestar’ features a wide range of influences from hard rock to pop, all calibrated to heavy metal standards thanks to those typical Iron Savior virtues. Such as ‘Through The Fires Of Hell’ with its emotionally charged lyrics dedicated to the Iron Savior boss’s wife. Sielck: “In our blended family with three wonderful daughters, we’ve gone through any number of ups and downs together. I’d go to hell and back for her every day if I had to.”
Speaking of which: To Piet Sielck and his three comrades-in-arms Joachim ‘Piesel’ Küstner (guitar), Jan S. Eckert (bass) and Patrick Klose (drums), the content of their material is much more than a mere accessory. “We have to be able to identify with our lyrics, they have to be relevant, otherwise they don’t work for us,” comments Sielck on the parameters of the words of his material, which, despite certain fantasy/sci-fi leanings, is always about the basic rules of coexistence, about respect and tolerance, about good and evil, and evidence – as Sielck puts it – “a Hanseatic view of things”. The same can be said of the four songs featuring Iron Savior’s typical Atlantis theme and to ‘Across The Wasteland’ with its reference to Steven King’s ‘Dark Tower’ series.
Iron Savior have again come up with an exceptional studio album in ‘Firestar’, enhanced by Felipe Machado Franco’s impressive cover artwork presenting the Iron Savior spaceship that has been around since 2011. The cherry on the cake is the powerful production courtesy of Hamburg’s Powerhouse Studio, including intelligently positioned keyboard parts and the anthemic background choirs, supported by Sielck’s 17-year-old daughter Frida and her boyfriend. There can be no doubt about it: ‘Firestar’ is a bonfire in many respects!

Tracklisting:
Side A
1. The Titan
2. Curse of the Machinery
3. In the Realm of Heavy Metal
4. Demise of the Tyrant
5. Firestar
6. Through the Fires of Hell

Side B
7. Mask, Cloak and Sword
8. Across the Wastelands
9. Rising from Ashes
10. Nothing Is Forever
11. Together As One