Customer Reviews

Mastercutor Alive

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've just finished watching this dvd for the umpteenth time and felt I had to sing it's praises for all the other fans of classic German melodic metal out there. Udo and Stefan of course have been together since the days of the mighty Accept and it was amazing to here so many songs from those days played live, so well, on this disc. Accept were and UDO still are two of the best Teutonic metal bands ever, so many great songs in their inimitable hard'n'heavy but so melodic style. The sound quality and camera work are excellent as is the track selection although so many superb songs had to be omitted for time reasons. In conclusion the fantastic reaction from the fans at the gig with so much singing along creates a tremendous atmosphere which is sadly missing in some live shows you see.
Overall a great addition to any metal fans library and a perfect Christmas present.
Do yourself a favour...buy it.

Udo's voice is shot. Only a die-hard fan would not acknowledge this. Anyway, considering his age and his singing style, it's still good.

The songs, of course, are good. But editing could be much, much better. It seems the venue was so small that the producers did not know where to put the cameras adequately.

Sound is good, and both guitar players are right on the spot. Stefan Kauffman tends to play his few leads close to how they are done in the albums, whereas Ior Gaudi prefers to change them a little bit.

I think the cover art is simply stupid. I understand it follows the concept of their most recent album, but it's ugly and cheap anyway.

Udo Dirkschneider is usually a polarizing guy. Most heavy metal fans either appreciate his singing voice, or think it unlistenable. Truthfully, there are far worse singers in the genre. Both with the German metal band Accept in the 1980's, and later with his own band U.D.O., formed in 1987, Dirkschneider has been associated with a bruising, sledgehammerlike, brand of metal. Mastercutor Alive (2008) is a celebration of twenty years of U.D.O. The two disc release features a full length, 140 minute, performance recorded in Tuttlingen, Germany, on May 3, 2008, on the main disc. The second disc, contains about 30 minutes of content, and includes three songs from a live performance in Minsk, along with miscellaneous video footage shot on tour in Russia , and South America.

The performance in Germany, was recorded at the end of a world tour to support the album Mastercutor, released in 2007. Dressed in his traditional camo garb, Udo is joined onstage by Stephan Kaufmann, and Igor Gianola on guitar, Fitty Wienhold on bass, and Francesco Jovino on drums. This night, the band is simply overwhelming, blasting through songs that crunch forward with the power of an army tank. Udo stands and delivers, growling, screeching, and shouting, while guitarists Kaufmann and Gianola, share the lead guitar work. The songs span the long history of U.D.O., balanced with an almost equal amount of classic Accept material. Almost everything, even the older songs, sounds fresh, and full of energy.

Among the best from the Accept days, are Living For Tonight, Fast As a Shark, Princess of the Dawn, Metal Heart, Balls to the Ball, and concert staple Midnight Mover. The album Mastercutor is well represented by The Wrong Side of Midnight, One Lone Voice, Vendetta, and Mastercutor. The Mastercutor (master executor) character, featured on the album, and DVD cover art, also appears in the show. U.D.O. goes back to the beginning with stirring performances of They Want War, and Animal House. With much of the show featuring Accept material, the band draws only a song or two from most of their other albums. The title tracks from Holy, and Man and Machine, are the only contributions from those albums. Thunderball, and The Bullet and the Bomb, come from Thunderball, and Mission X and 24/7 from the album Mission X.

As a celebration of U.D.O., it might have been nice if a bit more of their music was featured, rather than so much Accept material, but this is still undeniably a killer show. The stage is huge, and although there are some low angle shots with the crowd visible, the majority of the views are unobstructed. The quality of the video is excellent, except when some dirt is introduced for effect. Rarely moving from centerstage, Udo is a showman in his own way. The rest of the band adds more dynamism, particularly Igor Gianola, and Francesco Jovino, who absolutely rocks on the drums. The audio mix seems to slightly favor Kaufmann's guitar over Gianola's. Udo is usually up front in the mix, with the drums punching through with impact. The high production values of Mastercutor Alive make it a much more polished package than Nailed to Metal (2005), making it very highly recommended to all U.D.O., and Accept fans. The only slow moments in this A+ performance, are the periods waiting for the band to return for encores, that are not edited out. Rounding out an excellent package, also included is a 24 page booklet, with lots of great photos, production credits, and notes.

I purchase a number of ROCK MUSIC dvd's.....and this has to be one of the best. Ive been on a Metal/Accept kick lately. Purchased this few days ago. The band is TIGHT!! Great live show in its entirety...the way concert dvd's should be filmed. I loved the set list...LOT of old Accept tracks dug out like BREAKER, Midnight Highway and more.
Lead guitarist looks like a young Vivian Campbell. LOL. He can wail on his Les Pauls. What I really enjoyed watching was Stefan Kaufmann. Here, formerly the drummer of Accept...now sharing guitar duties with UDO. In a jumpsuit, short hair, weilding a white Gibson Explorer. You can tell...he is having a Blast! He does some nice leads also. Ive been reading the Accept/UDO problems. I think Kaufmann would been great guitarist when they reformed few years back, but Wolf didnt want him...since he wasnt an original Accept "guitarist".
Watching the dvd...I couldnt help wonder....this is what Accept would sound like in 2008. Stefan kind of takes Wolfs place. Has the same short hair(Wolf shaved)...the same jumpsuit..the same white Gibson(WOlf Flying V or Strat)..and he the way he plays/gestures...kinda reminds one of Wolf. Just my thoughts.
I loved the bonus material. The band backstage in Russia and South America is cool. They like to HAVE A DRINK! LOL. Well deserved too. Some Jack Daniels and Vodka. They like to have fun. You can tell..They get along great. Comadarie. I can see why UDO doesnt want to break it up and join Accept. LIke he said..he did it before and didnt work out. THis is a great dvd. 5 Stars.

Excelente show com as melhores musicas de sua carreira solo e com o accept,
imperdivel!!!