Since the release of 2002's Fight, headbangers waited four long years for a follow-up from one of metal's top female vocalists,
Doro. But the wait was over by 2006, as the singer follows the same path she's always chosen on Warrior Soul, a mixture of metal and power ballads. One of
Doro's more bombastic tracks, "You're My Family," kicks things off, before leading to such metallic rockers as "Thunderspell" and the title track. More serene material has always found its way onto
Doro's solo releases, and "Above the Ashes" and "In Liebe und Fruendschaft" are the tearjerkers here. And as evidenced by the epic album closer "Shine On," there are even tracks that manage to combine both styles together as one. For fans of melodic yet tough '80s-era metal (à la
Judas Priest and
Iron Maiden), Warrior Soul is loaded with metallic goodies. ~ Greg Prato