After being bamboozled out of the rights to her own band's name by previous manager, Peter Zimmerman, Doro Pesch opted to carry on under her own name. Why not? She'd just broken the door wide open in the USA, finding success on MTV with videos to the band's 1986 album, True As Steel, and finally peaking on the Billboard 200 with 1987's Triumph And Agony. To stop now would be non-sensical.
However, how does one stay relevant with a sudden name change that may leave fans confused? Simple. When the album Force Majeure was released in 1989, original pressing included a sticker on the shrink wrap which read, "+ Warlock" next to her name. The end result was her highest charting album in Germany (peaking at number 5) and Switzerland (12). While it would still peak on the Billboard 200, it was far lower than the prior Warlock album, reaching 154.
At this point, while Doro was the only remaining German in the band, Force Majeure would also feature previous Warlock album bassist, Tommy Henriksen, though he would depart prior to the end of the year. The two would be joined by new guitarist Jon Levin, and drummer Bobby Rondinelli.
As I noted yesterday, Warlock was an up and down roller coaster ride, one album good, the next forgettable. With the previous being the latter, it's shocking, but not surprising that with this one, Doro comes back out of nowhere delivering another solid album. This inconsistency is what bums me out about the band as a whole, but at the same time, I'll take the good where I can.
With that said, the first half was the better of the album, with standout tracks being Save My Soul, World Gone Wild, Mission Of Mercy, and Angels With Dirty Faces. The second half, on the other hand, fell to quickly forgettable territory. Still a descent album, but not perfect by any means.
Doro would go on to release fourteen more albums to date between 1990 and 2023. Though throughout that, lineup changes would occur rather frequently, typically from album to album. This would stem from Pesch's own desire to never repeat herself, often seeking out new musicians to achieve the sound she was going for with projects.
At sixty-one years old, Doro continues to tour, showing no signs of slowing down, or retiring. As of May 2026, she's kicked off an extensive tour of Europe and the UK, which will consist of twenty-two shows, ending on December 17. She's also busy scheduling festivals and additional shows for 2027, with her first occurring May 7 and 8 at Braunschweig, Germany's Rock in Rautheim Open Air.
As for me, tomorrow I dive into another all-new territory band. One which was credited for, or as lead singer Michael Monroe would say, blamed for the look that became 80's hair metal. A band that at the height of their popularity, and on the brink of a breakthrough, was derailed by an avoidable tragedy which took the life of their drummer. I'm talking about the Finnish band, Hanoi Rocks.
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