Heavy metal quintet U.D.O. - fronted by legendary singer Udo Dirkschneider and officially completed by former Accept bassist Peter Baltes in April - recently announced their new studio album, Touchdown, due out on August 25 via Atomic Fire Records. It features 13 tracks which cement the fact that the group surely belongs to the all-star team of the scene.

Currently, U.D.O., who are also performing as Dirkschneider, are entering the stages of the biggest European festivals (Graspop Metal Meeting (BE), Leyendas del Rock (ES), Summer Breeze Open Air (DE) etc.) to perform in front of their loyal worldwide fan base, making the band feel that each and every of their concerts is a home game and today, the new musical season has also kicked off: With the digital single, "Forever Free", from their upcoming offering, U.D.O. sound the first attack, supported by a lyric video which can be viewed below.

Drummer Sven Dirkschneider explains the meaning behind the song: "'Forever Free' is supposed to make people not simply believe facts they hear or get shown, for example by media, but to think individually. Of course, we don't mean that one should question everything. The song shall just express that it's better to create own opinions about conflicts and other topics one stands for, even when they're wrong sometimes, than to follow the mass blindly. It's a musical tribute to our privilege of living in a free world as we luckily can."

Pre-order Touchdown in the physical format of your choice, pre-save it on your favourite DSP or pre-order it digitally to receive "Forever Free" instantly now, here.

Tracklisting:

"Isolation Man"
"The Flood"
"The Double Dealer's Club"
"Fight For The Right"
"Forever Free"
"Punchline"
"Sad Man's Show"
"The Betrayer"
"Heroes Of Freedom"
"Better Start To Run"
"The Battle Understood"
"Living Hell"
"Touchdown"

"Forever Free" lyric video:

U.D.O. / Dirkschneider live:

July
14 - Balingen, Germany - Bang Your Head!!!*
21 - Pförring, Germany - Open Air Pförring

August
12 - Villena, Spain - Leyendas del Rock*
17 - Moravský Krumlov, Czech Republic - Rock Castle Open Air
20 - Vallamand (VD), Switzerland - Rock The Lakes

September
16 - Tuttlingen, Germany - Beast of Rocks @ Stadthalle

October
7 - Würzburg, Germany - Keep It True Rising III @ Posthalle*
22 - Linz, Austria - Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Tabakfabrik
29 - Salzburg, Austria - Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Messezentrum

* as Dirkschneider

Get tickets here.

U.D.O. / Dirkschneider are:

Udo Dirkschneider - vocals
Andrey Smirnov - guitar
Sven Dirkschneider - drums
Fabian Dee Dammers - guitar
Peter Baltes - bass

(Photo - Martin Häusler)