Thunderball (U.D.O. album) explained

Thunderball
Type:	Album
Artist:	U.D.O.
Cover:	Udo thunderball.jpg
Released:	29 March 2004
Recorded:	August–December 2003
Studio:	Roxx Studio, Pulheim, Germany
Genre:	Heavy metal
Length:	45:46
Label:	AFM
Producer:	Stefan Kaufmann
Prev Title:	Man and Machine
Prev Year:	2002
Next Title:	Mission No. X
Next Year:	2005

Thunderball is the ninth studio album by German heavy metal band U.D.O. After their previous studio album, U.D.O. had released the DVD Nailed to Metal and an accompanying live CD titled Nailed to Metal: The Missing Tracks in 2003.

The title of this album and Udo Dirkschneider's posture on the cover are allusions to the 1965 film Thunderball.

Releases

• "Trainride in Russia" is devoted to the band's touring in that country. Its alternative version (with the subtitle "Poezd po Rossii") includes chorus lines in Russian:

Поезд по России идёт и идёт.

Поезд по России. 100 грамм и вперёд!

Перестук колёс. Необъятна даль.

Поезд нас унёс к началу всех начал.

• The limited edition release from AFM Records contains a bonus track along with the "Blind Eyes" music video and multimedia extras featuring a screensaver and wallpapers.
• The limited edition release from CD-Maximum contains the original album along with a DVD entitled Thundervision, featuring five video clips, an interview with Andreas Schowe from the German Metal Hammer magazine and four audio soundtracks.

Personnel

U.D.O.

• Udo Dirkschneider – vocals
• Stefan Kaufmann – guitar, accordion on "Trainride in Russia", producer, engineer, mixing
• Igor Gianola – guitar
• Fitty Wienhold – bass
• Lorenzo Milani – drums

Additional musicians

• Frank Knight – backing vocals on "The Bullet and the Bomb"
• Luke Herzog – cello on "Blind Eyes"

Production

• Manfred Melchior – mastering
• Martin Häusler – cover art, design
• Dirk Schelpmeier – photography