HOUSTON — The term “influential” may get tossed around the metal community as often as hair headbanging in a swirl and horns pointed to the sky. And though it applies to Doro Pesch, “Queen of Metal” is how metalheads have come to know the former vocalist of Warlock.
“Dedicated Doro” also works. After all, how many musicians of either gender have purposefully withdrawn their name from any chance at holy matrimony in favor of a full-time life of making heavy metal and rocking out for thousands upon thousands all over the world that the 61-year-old refers to as her family?
That dedication, rock enthusiasm and trip down Warlock’s memory lane came this past Thursday as Pesch and her solo band headlined Day 1 of the three-day Hell’s Heroes VIII outside and downtown at White Oak Music Hall.
Accompanied by former Warlock guitarist Tommy Bolan and two musicians who have played in the Doro band for more than 30 years — bassist Nick Douglas and original Britny Fox drummer Johnny Dee — plus Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Christopher Caffery, the delightful Doro came out scorching with 1985 classic and traditional opener “Earthshaker Rock.”
Pesch’s set was advertised as a Triumph and Agony performance pre-festival by Hell’s Heroes founder Christian Larson, whose efforts and tireless work to bring so many artists to the fest and have it run as smoothly as it does despite cancellations and other assorted curveballs tossed his way since 2018 cannot go unnoticed.
Although Pesch didn’t perform all 10 tunes from Warlock’s most successful and 1987 album, she did do half of them including “I Rule the Ruins,” “East Meets West” and of course the band’s most famous song thanks to MTV: “All We Are” (setlist in 15-photo gallery).
The native German, who lives in New York and had her home there destroyed in 2011 by Hurricane Irene, enthusiastically told the audience on several occasions she would be spotlighting “old school metal,” and that was evidenced by the title tracks to Warlock’s first three albums: Burning the Witches, Hellbound and True As Steel (ATM footage of which can be viewed below).
It would’ve been great to hear one of Warlock’s “Headbanger’s Ball” hits from 1986, “Fight for Rock” or even a semblance of her blood curling scream on Triumph and Agony’s “Touch of Evil” — the latter of which was on the printed setlist. But Pesch omitted that tune as well as “Metal Tango” due to time constraints.
Pesch has also been influential in terms of the metal friends she has made among her peers over the years, with two of her closest ones having passed several years ago in Ronnie James Dio and Lemmy Kilmister. Pesch wrapped up her set with the latter’s “Ace of Spades” as an ode to Kilmister and Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell who passed only five days earlier.
Not to be outdone, Pesch has collaborated with her fellow German and vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, who headlined Hell’s Heroes the following night (coverage forthcoming), Rob Halford and Blaze Bayley while having solo albums produced by Gene Simmons.
Influential? Dedicated? Queen of Metal?
Call her what you want. And call us lucky and fortunate to have her.
