DORO
“FOREVER WARRIORS”
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 first half of the new double album by Doro, ‘Forever Warriors’, gets off to an anthemic start, with the almighty, special guest laden ‘All For Metal’. One of Doro’s all time great anthems is ‘All We Are’, and ‘All For Metal’ easily stands tall alongside that. Catchy and infectious with the chant style chorus “all for metal”, Doro is back, and doing what she does best. The album changes up a few gears with the fierce and furious ‘Bastardos’. Fast paced heavy metal takes front and centre as ‘Bastardos’ flies along at high velocity. Time to get those heads nodding hard as ‘Bastardos’ provides the best opportunity on the album for furious head banging.

Featuring a guest vocal performance by Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth) ‘If I Can’t Have You – No One Will’ is a duet of scary proportions. Johan’s rough and gruff vocal delivery is a million miles away from the emotion fuelled vocal style of Doro. A ballad of sorts, ‘If I Can’t Have You – No One Will’ changes pace and heaviness as it marches on. Talking of ballads, ‘Soldier Of Metal’ is a top class power ballad, with a subtle and passionate vocal performance. Doro is easily able to adapt her voice from the powerful throaty rasp style to the eloquent and angel like she displays here. ‘Soldier Of Metal’ is mid tempo, melodic and classic sounding Doro. ‘Turn It Up’ injects a massive amount of energy and is a heavy hitting foot stomper of melodic power metal. Doro has remained at the forefront of power metal for over thirty years, and with songs like ‘Turn It Up’, it is easy to see why, and understandable why she is hailed as the “Queen Of Metal”.

‘Blood, Sweat And Rock ‘N’ Roll’ is a staggering romp of anthemic and melodic heavy metal. Sing a long ability is through the roof, catchiness is off the scale and masterful is an understatement. Doro excels with ‘Blood, Sweat And Rock ‘N’ Roll’, an energetic and lively song that is memorable for all the right reasons. Throughout her career, Doro has been known for recording cover songs, and with ‘Forever Warriors’, you get one helluva surprise. ‘Don’t Break My Heart Again’ by Whitesnake (from their 1981 album ‘Come An’ Get It) gets the Doro treatment, more thunder and a much harder hitting feel, Doro’s version is a corker. Time to raise those lighters high in the air and sway from side to side as ‘Love’s Gone To Hell’ rolls in, displaying all the trademarks of the melodic  and emotional side to Doro…

…and talking of emotional, remember ‘Fur Immer’ from the 1987 Warlock album ‘Triumph And Agony’, Doro reprises that exact moment of emotion here with ‘Freunde Furs Leben’ (translates to ‘friends for life’). Entirely sung in German, Doro maintains a lengthy string of songs throughout her career she sings in her native language. Adaptability and flexibility at its highest level. Bringing ‘Forever Warriors’ to a close is a melodic monster… ‘Backstage To Heaven’ brings hard rock and a party anthem feel to proceedings and is so infectious that after just one listen you will be hooked forever, becoming one of Doro’s warriors forever!

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

TRACKLIST

All For Metal
Bastardos
If I Can’t Have You – No One Will
Soldier Of Metal
Turn It Up
Blood Sweat And Rock ‘N’ Roll
Don’t Break My Heart Again
Love’s Gone To Hell
Freunde Furs Leben
Backstage To Heaven

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

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