DORO
“FOREVER UNITED”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Doro (born Dorothee Pesch) is a heavy metal artist from Germany, beginning her career fronting the power metal band Warlock. During the early to mid eighties, Warlock released four studio albums, quintessential listening for fans of the burgeoning German power metal scene. The band split in 1987. with Doro pursuing a career as a solo artist and to date has released 12 studio albums, 2 live albums, numerous singles and E.P.’S and 7 official compilation albums. Hailed as the “Queen of Heavy Metal”, Doro celebrated thirty years as a solo artist in 2016, releasing the ‘Thirty Years Doro – Strong & Proud’ DVD.

Doro, a legend, a pioneer and an inspiration, will release her new album in the summer of 2018. ‘Forever Warriors Forever United’ is a double album, featuring guest musicians such as Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio, The Dead Daisies) and former Warlock guitarist Tommy Bolan. Although a double album release, ‘Forever Warriors’ and ‘Forever United’ are available in single album format…

The second half of the new double album by Doro ‘Forever United’ gets under way with the heavy hitting and pure heavy “fucking” metal swagger of ‘Resistance’. One of the heaviest songs on offer across the entire double album, ‘Resistance’ is heavy power metal at its best. An instant and head bangingly addictive opener, moves swiftly into power ballad territory with the emotion fuelled ‘Lift Me Up’. One of the heaviest ballads you’re ever likely to hear, Doro is delivering perfection as the album progresses. Now, did I just say ‘Lift Me Up’ is one of the heaviest ballads you’re ever likely to hear? Retraction please…that accolade now goes to ‘Heartbroken’. Heavier hitting, and with so much emotion you’re gonna be well drained by its end, ‘Heartbroken’ is a sparkling song.

It would appear that ‘Forever United’ is stacked to the rafters with more ballads than any other album Doro has released… apart from the 1998 compilation album ‘The Ballads’. ‘It Cuts So Deep’ launches forth with a hint of AOR and soft rock, yet still has Doro giving it her all, emotion and passion filled vocals overlaying a swaying rhythm. Simply stunning stuff from a stunning singer. Hard rocking and heavy hitting, ‘Love Is A Sin’ moves the album firmly back into the melodic heavy metal genre. Catchy and infectious, ‘Love Is A Sin’ is melodic metal at its best.

The tragic loss of icon and legend Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead) in 2015 hit a lot of people hard, myself included, and for Doro, who had been friends with Lemmy for a long time. ‘Living Life To The Fullest’ is a song Doro penned at the time of Lemmy’s funeral and here she delivers a hugely emotional performance, with lyrics such as “i’m so grateful to have known you” and “you know i’ve been missing you, in my heart, deep in my heart”. Excuse me a moment while I wipe the tears from my eyes . . .

‘1,000 Years’ keeps the lighters burning brightly as it effortlessly glides along, building the heaviness as it relentlessly rolls on. Standing astride the border between the ballad and rock genres, ‘1,000 Years’ tugs the emotional strings hard. ‘Fight Through The Fire’ ups the tempo and injects energy and bombast into the album. Ballsy and punchy, ‘Fight Through The Fire’ is classic sounding European style heavy metal, a catchy and sing a long style chorus adding excitement to the songs galloping rhythm. Bringing ‘Forever United’ to a close is a cover song, a cover of ‘Lost In The Ozone’ (by Motorhead, from their 1993 album ‘Bastards’). Doro keeps the pace of her version the same as the original, with an added amount of punch, just enough to give it a harder edge. This double album release has plenty of variety, hooks and melodies to keep fans of Doro united forever!

Overall, a bombastic and energetic romp of heavy metal and hard rock, ‘Forever United’ is a superb offering from the “Queen Of Metal”.

TRACKLIST

Resistance
Lift Me Up
Heartbroken
It Cuts So Deep
Love Is A Sin
Living Life To The Fullest
1,000 Years
Fight Through The Fire
Lost In The Ozone

http://www.doro.de/
https://www.facebook.com/DoroPeschOfficial/

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