Feb. 6 — Audiences got a new preview of Dirkschneider’s forthcoming re-issue of Accept’s Balls to the Wall this week.
The band debuted the album’s second single, ‘Winter Dreams‘ and the song’s companion video Thursday. It follows the recent debut of the re-issue’s lead single, the album’s title track, which features guest vocals from Sabaton front man Joakim Broden.
The updated take of ‘Winter Dreams’ features guest vocals from another well-known metal vocalist, none other than Doro Pesch. As with the song’s predecessor, this update stays largely true to its source material. The video features the pair performing the new single in the walls of a Castle Reifenstein in Freienfeld, Italy as the song plays over the visualization.
Dirkschneider spoke highly of his fellow performer as he discussed working with her on the new song.
“It was a very special experience for me to re-record ‘Winter Dreams’ with Doro Pesch,” DIrkschneider said. “Doro and I have spent so many years together in the scene and there is a deep, almost familial connection between us. Her voice gives this song an incredible magic and emotionality that takes it to a whole new level. It was like a reunion with an old friend for me and together we made ‘Winter Dreams’ even more intense and personal. It just feels right to share this moment together!”
Pesch spoke just as positively of her experience working with Dirkschneider on the song in her own comments.
“Balls To The Wall has always been one of my absolute favourite albums,” said Pesch. “I was really happy to sing the wonderful ‘Winter Dreams’ as a duet with Udo Dirkschneider and to shoot a great video for it. We have a long friendship and it is always special to work with him.”
In related news, Dirkshneider and his band mates in his namesake band are scheduled to tour in support of the re-issue (which is scheduled for release Feb. 28 through Reigning Phoenix MUsic) beginning Feb. 25 in Zagreb, Croatia. The European tour is scheduled to run through April 12 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Crownshift and All For Metal will serve as support for the tour.
Tickets are available here. The tour’s schedule is noted below:
DIRKSCHNEIDER live:
“Balls To The Wall” – 40th Anniversary Tour
w/ CROWNSHIFT, ALL FOR METAL
Presented by Contra Promotion & Metal Hammer
25.02.2025 HR Zagreb – Boogaloo * *NEW*
26.02.2025 AT Vienna – SiMM City
27.02.2025 DE Munich – Backstage *LOW TICKETS*
28.02.2025 DE Leipzig – Haus Auensee *LOW TICKETS*
01.03.2025 CZ Prague – SaSaZu
02.03.2025 HU Budapest – Barba Negra
04.03.2025 RO Bucharest – Quantic Club
06.03.2025 PL Kraków – Klub Studio
07.03.2025 PL Warsaw – Progresja
08.03.2025 LT Vilnius – Kablys
09.03.2025 EE Tallinn – Helitehas *NEW*
10.03.2025 FI Helsinki – Kulttuuritalo
11.03.2025 FI Tampere – Tavara-asema
13.03.2025 NO Oslo – Rockefeller
14.03.2025 SE Gothenburg – Trädgår’n
16.03.2025 DE Berlin – Huxleys Neue Welt
17.03.2025 DE Frankfurt – Batschkapp
18.03.2025 BE Antwerp – Trix
19.03.2025 FR Paris – Le Trabendo
21.03.2025 ES Pamplona – Sala Totem
22.03.2025 ES Madrid – Mon *MOVED*
23.03.2025 ES Barcelona – Razzmatazz 2
25.03.2025 CH Pratteln – Konzertfabrik Z7
26.03.2025 DE Stuttgart – LKA Longhorn *SOLD OUT*
27.03.2025 DE Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle
28.03.2025 DE Hamburg – Große Freiheit 36
29.03.2025 DE Geiselwind – Eventhalle *LOW TICKETS*
30.03.2025 DE Geiselwind – Eventhalle *NEW*
08.04.2025 GR Athens – Fuzz Live Music Club * *NEW*
09.04.2025 GR Thessaloniki – Principal Club Theater * *NEW*
11.04.2025 TR Istanbul – IF Performance Hall Beşiktaş * *NEW*
12.04.2025 BG Sofia – Hristo Botev Hall * *NEW*
* DIRKSCHNEIDER only
30.07. – 02.08.2025 DE Wacken – Wacken Open Air *SOLD OUT* *NEW*
Following its headlining run this spring, the band will join Saxon this fall for the latest leg of its “Hell, Fire and Steel Tour.” The tour’s schedule is noted below:
“Hell, Fire And Steel” Tour
w/ SAXON
04.11.2025 UK Belfast – Ulster Hall *NEW*
05.11.2025 IE Dublin – 3Olympia Theatre *NEW*
07.11.2025 UK Manchester – O2 Apollo *NEW*
08.11.2025 UK Sheffield – The Octagon Centre *NEW*
09.11.2025 UK Glasgow – O2 Academy *NEW*
11.11.2025 UK Newcastle – O2 City Hall *NEW*
13.11.2025 UK Bristol – Beacon *NEW*
14.11.2025 UK Wolverhampton – Civic Hall *NEW*
15.11.2025 UK London – Eventim Apollo Hammersmith *NEW*
16.11.2025 UK Cardiff – The Great Hall *NEW*
More information on Dirkschneider’s forthcoming re-issue of Accept’s Balls to the Wall is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://www.udo-online.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/udoonline
Twitter: https://twitter.com/udoonline
