Thunderball

Thunderball is a record that moves on U.D.O.’s short, sharp riffs, unshaking beat and distinctive rough vocals. Rather than relying on complex structures, it advances straight ahead on the push of heavy guitar and practical choruses — a record that sounds the frame of German heavy metal with a current-day force. From the drive of the title track “Thunderball” and the weight of “The Arbiter” to the aggression of “Pull the Trigger” and the speed of “Hell Bites Back,” every song carries a hard-edged hook, while a song taking up the Russian railway like “Trainride in Russia” adds color with its unique subject. Both fast numbers and mid-tempos hold the band’s iron stability. A stance of holding its own style without hesitation, rather than chasing flashy trends, feels good. Showing the appeal of classic German heavy metal with a present-day strength, it is a reliable, fulfilling record — and the force of Udo’s voice is intact.