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Doro

Warrior Soul

Review by Greg Olma

The Metal Queen is back with another slab of traditional metal. Although she has never made any real "clunkers", her last few albums have been some of the best of her career. Fight and Call of the Wild were solid releases and this one is no different. The great thing about Doro is you kind of know what to expect. AC/DC and Motorhead don't stray too far from what they do best. And Doro has managed to stay on course also. Although you do get a few tunes that step outside the box a bit, the main chunk of the CD is straight ahead metal. The band are all competent players but let's face it, this is Doro Pesch's show and she does not disappoint. Her voice has lost none of its power and she is still able to hit those metal high notes with ease. This offering is a welcome addition to the Doro library.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
You're My Family
The album starts off with this slow building track that pays tribute to the fans. This is a great '80's sounding melodic rocker and a perfect way to start a CD.
Haunted Heart
A haunting (no pun intended) keyboard sound ushers in this cut. It is a fasted paced rocker that would be a great opener for a show. It carries elements of Dokken with a mid section that sounds a bit like the mid section of Queensryche's "Spreading The Disease."
Strangers Yesterday
The beginning might fool you into thinking this is a power ballad but don't hit the skip button. Once the chorus kicks in, this song turns into a heavy plodding rocker. If you give this one a chance, I guarantee, you'll be humming the catchy chorus for hours.
Thunderspell
It seems that Doro can write catchy hooks in her sleep because this album is full of them, including this track. Although it contains those clichéd heavy metal lyrics, Doro is able to pull them off without sounding like a bad Manowar rip-off.
Warrior Soul
This song is the perfect piece to name the album after. It contains the epic feel of a movie score. The cut starts off with a "marching off to war" type of drum beat and continues with a "warrior" feel throughout. It's one of the best tracks on the album.
Heaven I See
If the Scorpions let Doro sing a power ballad, "Heaven I See" would be the finished product. This tune does get heavier towards the end and that helps it stay clear of the hair metal aspects of power balladry.
Creep Into My Brain
This is the most modern sounding cut on the disc. The guitars and pacing give it an up-to-date edge but Doro's voice and sense of melody make sure that the track is not out of place on the album. It's nice to see that Doro is able to break out a bit from the comfort zone and add new elements to her music.
Ashes to Ashes
Doro's voice shines on this heavy ballad. I have been listening to her since the Warlock days and her voice has lost none of its power. This track proves it.
My Majesty
The only problem I have with this album is that this song should have been closer to the beginning. It is too good to be stuck back towards the end. It's a mid paced rocker that has an incredibly catchy groove. The vocals also add to the overall accessibility of the tune. I would have bought this CD based on this track alone.
In Liebe Und Freundschaft:
This is an acoustic ballad sung in German. I don't know what she is singing about but she has to be one of the few artists that can make German lyrics sound sexy.
Ungebrochen
Again, Doro steps out of the comfort zone and throws in a 1 ½ minute punk rock tune. Although the title is in German, there are some English lyrics. It's great that she throws the fans a curve ball so late in the album. It's almost as if she is giving us a treat for making it this far.
Shine On
After the quick punk energy of "Ungebrochen," Doro leaves us with another ballad that builds into a power ballad. If you like "Still Loving You" by the Scorpions and you like Doro Pesch's voice, then you will love this track. I think I would have ended the CD on the previous cut just to finish the proceedings on a more metal note.
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