The Toy Box: Warlock

Showing posts with label Warlock. Show all posts

Retro Spins: Doro - Force Majeure

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.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Retro Spins: Warlock - Triumph And Agony

Your name is Doro Pesch. You've clawed your way into the annals of heavy metal, becoming one of the few female vocalists to carve out a niche for yourself amongst the boys. You're respected, you've broken borders, reaching US shores with your music, and you've just played some of the biggest shows of your life at Monsters Of Rock, while also opening for W.A.S.P. and Judas Priest. You are the face of Warlock, one of the greatest heavy metal bands of the 80's. But it's all about to be taken away from you.

In 1986, Doro took her band to the United States, where she immediately fell in love with the country, and the great experiences it brought with it. By 1987, the band fired long time manager, Peter Zimmerman, and instead signed with Alex Grob. This led to the release of their 1987 album, Triumph And Agony. It would be their first to chart in multiple countries, including Germany (23), Switzerland (30), UK (54), and USA (80). It would also become their first, and only album to reach a sales certification of gold (in Germany).

They supported the album by touring with Dio in Europe and opening for Megadeth alongside Sanctuary in the USA. Warlock would also headline several of their own shows. Though this would result in further lineup changes when Michael Eurich and Niko Arvanitis quit after the tour and were replaced by Bobby Rondinelli and Jon Levin. With their departure, Doro would be the only remaining original member, and the only German in the band.

Tommy Bolan would also leave the band, but not of his own volition. Instead, as they were growing more and more in the USA, the label would demand lineup changes, which would see him as the first to be dismissed.

But I am getting a bit too far ahead at this point. Before going any further, let me pop in the album itself, and make my way through it.

The album kicks off with the thunderous drumming anthem, All We Are, and immediately grabs your attention. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold it. At least it didn't hold mine.

By the end of it, I had all but given up, only to be greeted by the final two tracks, Cold, Cold World, and Für Immer ('Forever'). I won't say they salvaged an otherwise lackluster listening session, but at least they were decent tracks to end on.

Overall, Warlock has been pretty hit or miss. While I came out of the gate really impressed with their 1984 debut, Burning The Witches, their 1985 follow-up, Hellbound, pretty much faltered completely. Things turned around with 1986's True As Steel, but then here we are again with another "meh" album in 1987's Triumph And Agony. Though I'll take the pros over the cons, as a whole, the band is deemed relatively inconsistent in my mind. That alone may serve to render them forgettable to me.

While Doro was enjoying her new life in the United States, behind the scenes, Zimmermann was playing a sinister game. He filed suit against Warlock in 1988, winning both their name, and rights to merchandise. In 2011, after 23 years of legal battles, she finally won the rights back to the name of her band.

In the interim of that Doro would pivot releasing albums under her own name. This would begin with 1989's Force Majeure, and continue through her latest, 2023's Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud.

Since winning her suit, Doro has continued performing under her own name but did reunite with members of Warlock to perform at a festival under the banner, Warlock 1986. In retrospect, it makes me wonder why she would fight so hard for the name of her band back, but then ultimately not use it. Doesn't make sense to me, but I suppose it also doesn't have to.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Warlock - True As Steel

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.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Warlock - Hellbound

I'm fully stoked to dive into today's Retro Spin. Before yesterday, I'd never heard of Warlock and only got their albums after coming across them on a list of heavy metal bands from the 80's. Admittedly, it was the incredibly reasonable pricing that got me to take the plunge on their four studio albums. After playing through yesterday's Burning The Witches, their 1984 debut, I considered myself an immediate fan. Will it stay that way? I hope so, but let's find out as I continue with their sophomore released, Hellbound (1985).

A disastrous distribution and poor financing, which not only hindered the band's commercial momentum, but derailed their support tour, led to Warlock switching labels from Mausoleum Records to Phonogram. With distribution handled by Vertigo Records, the band entered the studio to record and release their second album.

With its release, the band garnered attention around the UK and Germany, granting them the opportunity for a full European tour. This would eventually bring them to Camden Palace Theater in London, where they recorded the concert film, Metal Racer, released that same year. The UK embraced Warlock, naming them Best New Band that year in Kerrang! magazine. Doro Pesch would also be voted Best Female Singer by readers of Metal Forces.

After performing at Metal Hammer Festival, alongside Metallica, Venom, Running Wild, Pretty Maids, Nazareth, and Wishbone Ash, things seemed to be on a trajectory of onward and upward. Warlock had carved their name in the wall in the annals of heavy metal.

Had the newness worn off already? Or was I just being picky at this point? Hellbound, while good, didn't deliver as well as Burning The Witches. It was a solid listening experience, in particular the guitar solos of Rudy Graf, and Peter Szigeti.

Disappointingly, as a whole, things weren't as catchy. What I noticed in reviewing the track listing was that whereas in their debut Graf and Pesch were the main songwriting, for this album, not only are all the band members credited, but so too are several outside sources. Could this simply be a problem of too many hands in the pot? Possibly. When you have five or more people each trying to put their own stamp on a tune, things can get muddy really quickly.

Again, it's a good album. It just doesn't have that oomph that the previous did. What it also doesn't have is many standout tracks, of the nine, I picked two, Shout It Out, and Catch My Heart. However, unlike Burning The Witches, which left me wanting to play it again, Hellbound is a relatively one and done for me.

The Hellbound tour would also serve as the last for Rudy Graf, who would leave after it ended. Though it's not been confirmed, it's speculated that tensions internally with other members, and the intense, demanding nature of the band's rapid rise led to his exit. Niko Arvanitis would replace him.

Unlike a lot of other bands, there's not much history being provided between Warlock albums, so tomorrow, I'll just jump right into 1986's True As Steel and keep the music flowing.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Retro Spins: Warlock - Burning The Witches

In the sausage party known as heavy metal, it's refreshing to come across a female rocker who can hold her own. Vocalist Doro Pesch emerged on the West Germany scene in 1980 with Michael Bastian on guitar, Frank Rittel on bass and Thomas Franke on drums, forming Snakebite. Franke was replaced by Michael Eurich and, second guitarist Peter Szigeti also joined. However, the band would soon thereafter disband.

Pesch, Szigeti and Eurich formed a new band in October 1982 with Thomas Studier on bass and guitarist Rudy Graf. It would be Graf who would come up with the name Warlock, as well as several songs. They'd bring in manager, Peter Zimmermann, who was instrumental in contributing to their early success and recognition, mainly by getting them supporting gigs with the band, Trance.

The band secured a recording deal with Mausoleum Records, after submitting a four-track demo. However, just before recording their first album, Studier would leave, being replaced by Frank Rittel. Their 1984 debut, Burning the Witches, would be recorded in just six days, and after a quick remix by Rainer Assmann and Henry Staroste, was released.

That's a relatively short but sweet introduction and history of the band.

Truthfully, I didn't even know about Warlock until just recently. I stumbled across them by reading a list of "heavy metal artists of the 80's". When I first saw they only had four albums, my initial thought was, "Yeah, but they're going to be stupid expensive." This turned out to actually not be the case. I was able to get each album for around ten dollars, with this one actually being brand new / sealed.

I didn't know what to expect from Burning The Witches. I knew none of the songs. I'd never heard the vocals of Doro, or if I did, had no idea who she was, or what she sounded like. All I can say after doing so is, "Wow!" This is an amazing album! I'm an immediate fan.

Doro's voice is like Ann Wilson times ten. She has the range, but also the uniqueness that makes her stand out in a sea of female vocalists. She certainly holds her own in the heavy metal world. Graf and Szigeti create a guitar sound so familiar to that of Randy Rhodes earlier work with Ozzy Osborune that one might even think Rhodes himself was in the band. Their solos have a way of grabbing your soul, evoking an emotional feeling as the guitars howl.

This would be a wall album for me if I had it on vinyl. It's absolutely perfect from start to finish. Still, I have my favorites from it, which were Sign Of Satan, After The Bomb, Dark Fade, Without You, Metal Racer, and Holding Me. I actually want to listen to this whole album again. I may have to throw it on for my girl to get a taste, and as an excuse to play it again.

While the album was well received, bad distribution and poor financing from their label not only crippled their commercial success but severely hindered their support tour. Profoundly dissatisfied with Mausoleum, Warlock left the label, and signed with Phonogram, releasing their future albums through Vertigo Records. With little to no history in between that, I'll dive into their 1985 sophomore album, Hellbound, tomorrow.

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.