Holy

Holy is a record on which U.D.O. puts heavy riffs, a regularly driving beat and a distinctive, powerful voice to the front. Rather than adding decoration, a stance of winning on the weight of the songs and the force of the choruses is thoroughly maintained throughout — a record that holds a straight-ahead German heavy metal in the late 1990s. From the stately drive of the title track “Holy” and the speed of “Raiders of Beyond” to the sing-along of “Shout It Out” and the drama of “Thunder in the Tower” and “Ride the Storm,” the songs fully display a hard-edged appeal. The chop of the hard guitar and the melancholy that remains in the melodies form a good contrast, creating dynamics that keep it from turning monotonous. A clean-handed choice to win on the force of riff and shout alone, without relying on complex tricks, supports the record’s strength. It lets you savor the sturdiness of German traditional metal straight up. Joining Udo Dirkschneider’s unwavering voice with an iron-wall band sound, it is a powerful, fulfilling heavy-metal record.