After hearing their debut album, I wanted to share the find with my girl. While she dug the music and agreed the guitar work sounded like Randy Rhodes during his work with Ozzy Osbourne, she did not enjoy the vocals of Doro Pesch at all. So much so, that by song three, she turned it off. Bummer! On the bright side, my co-worker who has been hipping me to some 80's metal stopped by my office as I was literally playing through this album, and said he'd been listening to Warlock all weekend, based on my recommendation, and that he dug it. I'll take that win!
With the loss of Rudy Graf, who left Warlock after the tour for their previous album, I found myself pondering a question. Would the band be as good? Graf was a major contributor to the writing of tracks for their first and second albums, and while the second didn't really resonate as much with me as a whole, the guitar work continued to stand out as superb. In particular, the slick solos.
Niko Arvanitis would be brought in to replace him. However, only contribute to two songs, True As Steel, and Fight For Rock. The latter would also be used as the title for what would become their 1986 EP. This would serve to garner the band attention in the USA, primarily due to their first music video for the song, which aired on MTV's Headbanger's Ball. The EP would feature six tracks in total, three of which would transfer over to their third studio album, True As Steel.
Though not as well received, True As Steel would become their highest peaking album, reaching number eighteen in Germany, but still failing to chart anywhere else in the world. Led by Fight Of Rock, the song, they also began seeing considerable airplay on US radios.
August 16, 1986 (great day!) would make Doro Pesch the first female vocalist to lead a band at Donington's Monsters Of Rock. Warlock would play amongst the likes of Def Leppard, Motörhead, Ozzy Osbourne, and Scorpions. They'd then open the festival in Maimarktgelände Eisstadion in Mannheim, West Germany. This would include many of the previous acts noted, as well as the McAuley Schenker Group and Bon Jovi. They'd spend the rest of 1986, as well as part of 1987, supporting shows for W.A.S.P. and Judas Priest.
The album does fare a bit better than yesterdays. While it has lost that sound reminiscent of Rhodes, it does manage to churn out some solid tunes. Some of which stood out to me; Mr. Gold, Love In The Danger Zone, Lady In A Rock 'N' Roll Hell, Love Song, and the instrumental album closer, T.O.L.
Overall, it's just another solid rock experience from Warlock, and once again keeps me excited to continue on. Sadly, I only have one more.
After touring, Pesch would spend time in the USA with new manager, Alex Grob to promote the band, and arrange further tours. Unfortunately, guitarist Peter Szigeti, and bassist Frank Rittel were unwilling to commitment to the changes that would come about transferring to the United States, prompting them to leave the band. They would be replaced by Tommy Bolan, and Tommy Henriksen.
Things seemed to be going great, with Warlock recording their fourth album, 1987's Triumph and Agony. However, behind the scenes, something devious was taking place. Something which would greatly impact the band, cost them their name, and leave Doro Pesch locked in a legal battle for the rights to her own legacy. That all unfolds tomorrow as I go into Warlock's final album.
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