Doro
Webster Theatre
Hartford, Connecticut
September 23, 2009
Tony Pijar
The incomparable Doro is back and on tour in support of her latest excellent release, “Fear no Evil.” Not only is Doro Pesch one of the unqualified gems in metal music, but she continues to astound with vocals that soar. And the band she has assembled is exemplary too. New guitarist Oliver Paloai did justice to the old material and flourished on the “Fear no Evil” songs as well. Thankfully, he’s not flashy, just incredibly powerful.
The diminutive Doro hit the stage like a ball of fire. I found it funny, but cool how she commanded the stage with absolute conviction while surrounded by these hirsute men. With a flurry of leather, devil horns and smiles, Doro moved about the stage greeting her devout fans while belting out numbers like the set opener, “I Rule the Ruins” and the heartfelt ode to her fans, “You’re my Family.” Things kicked into high gear when the band crushed with “Burning the Witches” and “True as Steel.” “Celebrate” and “Night of the Warlock” were lifted from the new album, and old favorites such as “Metal Racer”, “Earthshaker Rock” and the incomparably heavy “Hellbound” all rocked the Webster! They even threw in a cover of Priest’s “Breaking the Law”, but in a ballad format! Interesting, but ineffective.
The bottom line is this – Doro the band is a powerhouse of very capable metal musicians, and Doro the person remains passionate, sincere and an ongoing inspiration to her fans.
