U.D.O. drummer Sven Dirkschneider, son of frontman Udo Dirkschneider, gave an update on the German heavy metal band's next album in a new interview with the Drum For The Song podcast, revealing that the record marks the first time the band has written material together with returning bassist Peter Baltes.
Baltes, the former ACCEPT bassist, rejoined U.D.O. after previous bassist Tilen Hudrap departed the band. "This was the first time that we wrote music with him, which is for the upcoming U.D.O. album, which will come out in 2027," Sven said.
According to Sven, the writing process for the new record broke from U.D.O.'s usual routine, in which songwriting ideas typically come from the band's guitarists first. "This time we wrote everything together, which was very important for us as well," he explained.
Sven also shared an emotional moment from the recording sessions, describing Baltes' reaction while cutting demo vocals. "I saw a tear running out of his eye," Sven recalled, "he was, like, 'Fuck, I feel like it's '89 and Udo is standing behind me.'"
The comment nods to Baltes' history with Udo Dirkschneider dating back to the classic ACCEPT lineup of the 1980s, before Udo departed to form U.D.O. in 1987. Udo himself has already spoken publicly about Baltes' return, saying: "And I'm really happy to have him back."
The upcoming album will follow "Touchdown," released in August 2023 and produced by Martin Pfeiffer with mastering by Stefan Kaufmann. With a 2027 release window, U.D.O. still has time to refine the new material, but Sven's account suggests the band already has a strong sense of the record's identity, built around a rare full-band writing session and a bassist whose chemistry with Udo goes back nearly four decades.
For longtime fans of both U.D.O. and ACCEPT, Baltes' return adds a direct link to the era that first established Udo Dirkschneider as one of German metal's defining voices — and, if Sven's studio anecdote is any indication, the reunion carries real weight for the musicians involved, not just for the band's history on paper.