21-year-old Sven Dirkschneider has been named drummer for German metal outfit UDO, led by former Accept singer – and his father – Udo Dirkschneider.

UDO put out a public call for drummer auditions in December after Francesco Jovino quit the group weeks ahead of a world tour and the January 23 release of their 15th album, Decadent, via AFM Records.

The band says: “His drumming has simply convinced us most. His style of playing drums is fresh and really grooves heavily. It simply is exactly what we need for UDO.”

“We also know that Sven fits perfectly into the band family. He has been working as a drum tech for us for more than four years and we know from several world tours that everyone likes him and gets along with him perfectly.“

Dirkschneider will debut with UDO when they launch their tour in support of Decadent on March 6 in Wurzburg, Germany.

He says: “It is a very special feeling to be a part of my father’s band. I somehow have always been around with the band since I can remember. But I have never dreamed of being a real band member one day.”

The drummer is just wrapping up a series of 5 rescheduled UK shows with SAXON in place of Nigel Glockler,  who continues to recover following emergency brain surgery after he suffered a brain aneurysm while on tour in December.