Label : Nuclear Blast Records
Review by Tony Cannella
With her new album “Raise Your Fist”, Doro Pesch continues to release good to great albums that never betrays her loyal fan base or her love for metal music. The new album is a perfect example of this. You want anthems? They’re here. You want ballads? They’re here. You want straight forward metal songs? They’re here. You want… well, you get the point. “Raise Your Fist” has all the ingredients that Doro fans have come to expect and love. The songs on “Raise Your Fist” have a raw, live and energetic feel to them – beginning with the anthemic opener “Raise Your Fist in the Air”, I’m sure this one will go down great at her live shows for years to come. The next song “Coldhearted Lover” is a mid tempo song that is more rock than metal, but it definitely gets the job done. “Rock Till Death” has a rumbling guitar riff and is another powerhouse anthem. “It Still Hurts” is the first of the ballads on this disc and once again sees Doro collaborating with Lemmy Kilmister from Motorhead. “Take No Prisoners” opens with – what sounds like – an air raid siren and definitely has an early Warlock (“Burning the Witches” / “Hellbound” era) feel to it. “Grab the Bull (Last Man Standing)” has another rock vibe and features a guest solo by Ozzy Osbourne / Firewind guitarist Gus G. It’s easy to see why Ozzy chose him to replace Zakk Wylde – the guy is an immense talent. “Revenge” is a classic metal sounding song with a hint of speed metal at certain points in the song. “Free My Heart” is the best of the ballads. The album is concluded with Doro’s tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio with “Hero”. This is a heart-felt tribute to a legendary singer and Doro’s good friend. The song does have a sort of Dio vibe and I can’t think of a better way to end “Raise Your Fist”. Doro Pesch is kind of an icon in the female metal scene, yet she doesn’t seem ready to rest on her laurels. “Raise Your Fist” may well be the best album that Doro has released in a number of years and that’s saying something when you consider the enormity of her catalog. It is obvious that Doro still puts her heart and soul into every song. You’ve got to respect that.
Rating – 90/100
Tracklist
- Raise Your Fist in the Air
- Coldhearted Lover
- Rock Till Death
- It Still Hurts (Featuring Lemmy)
- Take No Prisoners
- Grab the Bull (Last Man Standing) (Featuring Gus G.)
- Engle
- Freiheit (Human Rights)
- Little Headbanger (Nackenbrecher)
- Revenge
- Free My Heart
- Victory
- Hero
Line Up
- Doro Pesch – Vocals
- Bas Maas – Guitar
- Luca Princiotta – Guitar & Keyboards
- Nick Douglas – Bass
- Johnny Dee – Drums
Links
MySpace * Facebook * Twitter * Site