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Warlock

Triumph and Agony

Review by Gary Hill

Warlock only ever released four albums before being rebranded as Doro - or breaking up, depending on who you ask. I tend to think that it's more the former. In any event, this was the final album under the "Warlock" moniker. I would say that this disc is every bit as good as the other three. It is a fine example of their brand of female fronted (as far as I know, Doro Pesch was the first female metal lead singer) power metal band. Okay, so it was just called metal then, but really they were what would be called "power metal" now.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021  Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.

Track by Track Review
All We Are
Doro Pesch's vocals bring this in without accompaniment. The band enter to launch into an anthemic screamer that works very well. The gang vocals on the chorus might be generic power metal trappings, but they are also effective. There are some meaty guitar hooks here, too. I dig the solo, as well.
Three Minute Warning
Powering in with a fast-paced fierce approach, this is literally a screamer. It's has some great guitar fills. The chorus isn't as catchy as the one on the opener, but it works well.
I Rule the Ruins
The riff that leads this out of the gate is even meatier. This has more of a mean, classic metal sound.
Kiss of Death
A wolf howling is heard at the beginning of this. The cut comes in with a balladic approach at first as accompaniment, but then the wolf drops away. After the first vocal movement, the metal fires in with a lot of style and some ferocity, yet also slower than the previous tunes. This thing gets into some screaming hard rocking territory, but it drops back to the mellower angles, too. It's epic in terms of its scope, if not by the length of the track. This is a particularly strong number and one of the highlights here. The song is about lycanthropy, I think.
Make Time for Love
While the last song had balladic tendencies, this is one of two true ballads of the disc. Mind you, it is a power ballad, but what do you expect from Warlock and Pesch? It's effective, but definitely not a standout to me. It doesn't really offer any surprises. That said, the vocals work well, and there are some meaty guitar sounds. I also like the acoustic solo quite a bit.
East Meets West
The guitar riff that leads this track out makes me think of Mötley Crüe just a bit. The cut works out from there to a more typical Warlock sound, but it does keep some of that Crüe edge. The chorus is catchy, and the tune has some killer guitar fills. This is one of the standouts on the disc.
Touch of Evil
There is an ominous opening section to this. The cut comes in from there with vocals and drum. The meaty guitar sound on this brings a great edge. This is another highlight of the set. It has a powerful texture that feels more dangerous than most of the rest of the music on the disc.
Metal Tango
With audience sounds on the opening section, this has an anthemic vibe to it. It's a hard rocking number that works well. I'm not sure I'd consider it a standout, but it's not far from it.
Cold, Cold World
This might be the fiercest piece of the whole disc. It's driving, furious and powerful. It's also one of the highlights of the disc. It's seriously screaming hot.
Für Immer
With most of the  lyrics in German, translating to "forever," this cut is an epic power ballad. It's another highlight of the disc and a very satisfying choice to end the set.

 

 

 
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