Mean Machine

Mean Machine is U.D.O.’s second album, lining up short, strong riffs and crisp rhythm around Udo Dirkschneider’s distinctive voice. The songs avoid needless decoration and move straight ahead on forceful playing and memorable phrases — a record that pushes the debut’s direction further in a tightened form. From the hard drive of the title track “Mean Machine” and the momentum of “Break the Rules” to the catchiness of “Don’t Look Back” and the rock-and-roll feel of “Streets on Fire” and “Dirty Boys,” the songs unite aggression and accessibility. It feels good that, even within sharply chopped riffs, a chorus you can hum is prepared. Aggressive yet keeping a popular accessibility in the choruses, it has an appeal that does not settle into merely hard-edged metal. It seals in the hardness of German metal and the immediacy of rock and roll — a fulfilling heavy-metal record that vividly conveys early U.D.O.’s momentum and Udo’s unwavering character.