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DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG Babylon By George Dionne, Podcaster Sunday, September 28, 2025 @ 6:03 AM
Dirkschneider formed the band U.D.O. In 1987 after his first departure from ACCEPT. Under the U.D.O.banner he went on to release eighteen studio albums and five live albums (bear with me on the proper totals, his career output is a little hard to nail down).
With such an impressive pedigree of work, that stayed tried and true to the sound fans expected from Udo Dirkschneider, it only makes sense that the Heavy Metal titan would want to branch out and take some chances a bit here and there. I think we can all agree, he's earned it. So, what do I mean by branch out?
In 2020 U.D.O. released We Are One with Das Musikkorps Der Bundeswehr. Sure, Rock and Metal bands have teamed up with an orchestra before, but not with all original material. It was different, it was a gamble, and at least for me, it worked.
In 2022 Udo Dirkschneider released what was considered his first official solo album, My Way. While the album was made up of covers by Dirkschneider's contemporaries in the Hard Rock and Metal scene, one song that stood out was his cover of Frank Sinatra's My Way. It was certainly a different side of Udo, hearing him croon (for the most part).
In 2025 under the banner DIRKSCHNEIDER, Udo paired up with his fellow brothers and sisters in metal to re-record b<>Balls To The Wall and took some liberties with the original arrangements.
Which brings us to Udo Dirkschneider's latest project DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG. The first recordings by DATOG were released as a one-off charity project in 2020 and 2021. It also reunited Udo with his former bandmate in ACCEPT, bassist Peter Baltes.
Essentially the ACCEPT alumni melded with U.D.O. alumni Stefan Kaufmann, Mathias Dieth, and Sven Dirkschneider. Vocalist Manuela Bibert rounds out the group. She first appeared with Udo on the We Are One album, and the work done with DATOG led to Baltes joining U.D.O.
October 3, 2025 will see the release of Babylon, the first full-length album by DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG. I've given this album quite a few spins in recent weeks, and I still can't figure out what Udo Dirkscheider is trying to accomplish here. The music of ACCEPT & U.D.O. is pretty straightforward in what's being presented; anthemic, in-your-face, Heavy Metal.
I had not listened to the prior DATOG singles, and just assumed it was another Udo Dirkschneider Metal record with female vocals. It's a bit of that, mixed with some experimentation, so to speak.
"It Takes Two To Tango" starts things off with a bang, like you are getting another U.D.O. album. Dirkschneider delivers his trademark vocals with grit and confidence, while a wall of riffs and pounding drums back him up. Manuela Bibert comes in towards the song's conclusion with equally as powerful vocal tones, but this is where the album begins its shift from an Udo affair to something different.
"Time to Listen" is reminiscent of German female/male led Cinematic Metal bands, with the keyboards stripped away. "Strangers In Paradise" is, for lack of a better term, a Broadway play style ballad. Don't get me wrong, Manuela has a great angelic voice, but paired with Udo Dirkschider, it just doesn't click for me.
"Dead Man's Hand" employs some interesting programming effects that I wouldn't have expected on an Udo Dirkschneider album. The guitars aren't as heavy, but still hang around Rock territory. It's sort of a Modern Rock meets Pop Rock mash-up. The three vocalists come together for some enjoyable vocal melodies during the chorus section of "The Law Of A Madman".
Udo Dirkschneider and Peter Baltes trade vocals on the anthemic "Metal Sons". Baltes has a great vocal tone for Heavy Metal. He doesn't get up to the higher registers that Dirkschneider does, but he's good enough to hang in there. Guitarists Stefan Kaufman & Mathias Dieth shred back and forth during the solo break.
"Blindfold" starts off like a sultry ballad led by Bibert, but picks up a bit when Udo and the gang jump in. "Batter The Power" is a classic Udo Dirkschneider banger. "Beyond The End Of Time" closes out the album, giving each vocalist a chance to take the spotlight, as the music shifts from slow to mid tempo.
My thoughts on Babylon are this: Either make a straight up U.D.O. album or make a straight up Manuela Bibert album. Mixing the two together is a bit disjointed. Switching from Heavy Metal anthems, to Broadway ballads, to Electronica programming, while splitting vocals across three vocalists makes for an undefinable album.
Maybe that's what DIRKSCHNEIDER & THE OLD GANG is going for, but it doesn't work for me. Still, Udo has earned the right to take as many chances as he wants, and I know next year, we'll get another killer U.D.O. record
3.0 Out Of 5.0
Related content:
2025 - DIRKSCHNEIDER - Balls To The Wall RELOADED review HERE
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The album's title track "Babylon" has a Middle Eastern flair to it with exotic guitars and Bibert's hypnotic vocals. Dirkschneider makes a vocal appearance here and there, as well as Peter Baltes I believe. "Hellbreaker" brings the focus back to crunchy guitars, as Bibert subtly accents Udo's performance.