Retrospectively 'Man and Machine' wasn't one of '.U.D.O.'s' best albums, the more experimental tracks didn't really come off as well I would have hoped, and overall wasn't as consistent as previous releases. 'Thunderball' sees them returning to their finest, as they take a more straight forward approach, which has previously produced the best material from 'Accept' and now '.U.D.O.'. With the exception of 'Trainride to Russia' there are few surprises here, thankfully the album is chock-full of quality, uncompromising rockers you associate with 'Udo' and co.

First off is the title track 'Thunderball' a typical '.U.D.O.' sounding number, fast, relentless, heavy hitting and complete with the unmistakable vocals from the man himself, lyrically it's not very impressive, especially the first verse which is awful, but all told still a very solid opener. 'The Arbiter' follows and although it commences a little slowly, it soon picks up into a strong plodder upheld with a typical powerful gang chanted chorus and some sharp guitar work, especial on the solo. Less impressive is 'Pull the Trigger', a fairly standard affair graced with crude, unimaginative lyrics, saved only by the sharp fret work. Continuing in a similar vein is 'Fistful of Anger', better than the previous track thanks to a lively pulsating rhythm and shredding solo, but still not one of the best tracks present. The tempo drops for the better penned 'The Land of the Midnight Sun', this mid tempo effort is braced by a fine chorus with good use of backing vocals to add depth, with instrumentation that while more subtle than usual, is still excellent. It's back to basics again with the Power Metal ripper 'Hell Bites Back', a simplistic number yet fuelled with rhythm and riffs that are hard and fast, while the vocals are cutting with guitaring that's rigorous and brisk. Surprisingly my favourite track present is the experimental 'Trainride to Russia', a track which accounts the escapades of an '.U.D.O.' tour to Russia. Influenced heavily by Russian Folk music, the song flows superbly and highlights some humorous yet enjoyable lyrics, a chorus sung in Russian and some very well executed backing vocals- Exceptional. 'The Bullet and the Bomb' is an '.U.D.O.' stalwart, with typical aggressive lyrics and big chorus, not one of the finest present but a fair number featuring a decent pulsating rhythm and some unusual yet interesting guitar work. More refined is the mid tempo groover 'The Magic Mirror', reminiscent of better work from 'Man and Machine', lyrically it's fairly strong and supported by some sweet fret work on the instrumental break. The tempo is lifted with 'Tough Luck II' a strong plodder with an anthemic feel, a little repetitive but a solid affair. Last up is the balladsy 'Blind Eyes' a decent slower effort, but in all honesty I don't buy an '.U.D.O.' album for the slow material, although this is far from a poor track.

The bonus disc comes complete with a different rendition of 'Blind Eyes' featuring string arrangements, it works quite well and could have replaced the version on the album proper. The second track is 'Hardcore Lover' a pulsating rocker which should have made album status, as it's a lively number well within the 'Accept' mould, featuring screaming guitars, catchy rhythm and some of 'Udo's' best vocals.

As with most '.U.D.O.' albums there's a couple of questionably tracks, but the good always outweighs the weak and this is another instalment of quality 'Udo' led old school Metal.