Raise your fist to the Metal Queen - Doro speaks out!!

The Metal Queen Doro Pesch returns with her new album 'Raise Your Fists' which is released through Nuclear Blast in October 2012, and what a  great album it is too. This is Doro's 12th Doro album today with her debut 'Force Majeure' released back in 89 since the departure of 'Warlock' back in 87. Like most bands Doro has had her fair share of line up changes but with a steady rhythm section of Johnny Dee (ex Waysted) on drums and Nick Douglas (ex Deadly Blessing) on bass staying with Doro since the bands 3rd/ 4th album things couldn't be looking more brighter for the band right now. I managed to have a chat with Doro about the new album, the tour and the success so far in her career. Here si what she had to say, in the meantime check out the new album 'Raise Your Fist' out on Nuclear Blast.

It's always a pleasure speaking to the Metal Queen, how are you Doro? I thought I would let you know they were playing your video for 'Raise your Fit' at Bloodstock a lot of times.

"It's always great speaking to you Jason, I hope you will make the London show (Ed: I will be there) great!! Wow did they really play the video at Bloodstock? That is awesome!! Did you like it Jason? (Ed: yeah its cool but funny because the band look so uncomfortable why was that?) Well we filmed it on the streets of New York and we were in some trouble spots and gangs would be watching us, they would come up to us and ask what we were doing, it was kind of frightening as we weren't sure they they would pull put guns. In the end we told them what we were doing and some of them loved it and wanted to join in so we said yes!!! You can't film in New York you have to have a permit so we went to all these fucked up places which always look better on film. We played the song live at Wacken last year in 2011 as a demo version and the crowd loved it!!

Last time we did an interview you had just changed your guitarist with Oliver and Joe leaving the band, so where did you find Luca and Bas?

Well Luca has been with us for a long time and he is like Oliver in a way as a musician doing the keyboards and guitar so we asked Luca if he wanted to fill in for the band when Oliver left to join Kamelot so he agreed and things are going so well. As for Bas he was in a band called 'After Forever' which we were friends with and we went on tour together in South America. Bas asked me to sing on one of the albums with his band in which I did and later on After Forever broke up and Bas was heart broken that the band had broken up but we still kept in contact. Joe needed a break from touring all the time so he left and we contacted Bas and asked him to join the band which he did and he is full of energy and he is wild on stage and he even played live with a broken hand at the summer festivals.

I was recently interviewing Lita Ford and I asked her about both you and her doing a tour together do you think this would ever come off?

Well we have thought about it and Johnny went to a Lita gig and he was talking with the band and they asked about us doing together in October but we are here doing press and the record is about to come out so we would of almost done it in America.

Moving on let's talk about the new album, where was it recorded and who recorded the album?

Well it was recorded all over the world, it was done in New York, L.A., Hamburg, Denmark and it was produced by Andreas Poll and myself and it was mixed by Andreas and Jacob Hansen finished the album off in Denmark (Ed: he is a good friend of mine from his old band Invocator back in the 80's) I didn't even know he was in a band. Andreas told me about Jacob and how good he does albums so he drove to Jacobs studio with myself and I liked him right away so he mixed a lot of the album with Andreas doing some of the last songs too. We have some guests on the album with one song called 'It still Hurts' with Lemmy from Motorhead which we do a duet and I love it as it is one of my favorites and it maybe sounds like 'Love me Forever' from the 'Calling the Wild' album we did 2 songs in which Lemmy wrote 'Love me Forever' and 'Alone Again' and when Lemmy song really soulful it is like been in heaven and it is a power ballad. Lemmy's vocals where recorded in L.A. and I was sitting there with the engineer and I was amazed by the way Lemmy handled the vocals. It's a big honour to have Lemmy singing on the record and we have been friends for such a long time. We toured together 2 yrs ago and I had a vision of Lemmy singing the song even before we recorded the song I knew he was the person to sing with me on this song. I have another guest on the song called 'Grab the Bull, last man Standing' which features Alex Krull from Atrocity/ Leaves Eyes and he mixed that song as well and he called me and said he was standing next to Gus G , would you like him to play a guest guitar solo on the CD? I was like yes if you can get him too, so he agreed to do it. We have a song called 'Rock till Death', and that will always be in our set list and I want to play it live on the next tour and most of the album is pretty fast and have old school songs with songs like 'Revenge' , 'Take no Prisoners', 'Little Head Banger' and the whole albums rocks!! Another song is 'Cold hearted Lover', which I also love because of the great melodies and hooks and the song called 'Hero', which is a tribute to Ronny James Dio who was a good friend of mine, I miss him so much. It is very emotional."

What other bands has Andreas worked with beside Doro?

"Well he was the ex guitarist for 'Sisters of Mercy', he did the 'Calling the Wild' album and the 'Love me in Black' album. He did the song for the last album 'Herzblut', 'Running with the Devil', and he is a fantastic guy and a great guitar player."

So why so many places to record the new album? Also how long did it take to record this album with all the moving about?

"Well I need the full package and I need to move about and have the right people about me who totally understand the songs and in this day and age you can record and mix it and send the files by email. It also has to be the right atmosphere for me with my vocals and it also depends on the song to where I should record it. I have never stayed in one place at any time, I feel the album becomes better when you move about. It took 2 and half years to record & mix the album. I needed it to be right and sound perfect especially the heavy songs"

So Doro how do you see this album as a progression from the last album?

"Well I love every album and it is so hard to have a favourite album, I think with the last album the heavier songs could of sound a lot heavier with the sound and for this album I wanted more power and that is the reason why I went to Jacob as he mixed the songs so great!! I have a feeling this album will be a killer release. For me the album 'Triumph & Agony' was always a milestone and I think the new one is another 'Triumph & Agony' album."

Could you please tell me about the artwork for the album please? Who did it? Were there any other covers in mind?

"The new album has me with skulls and the Terminator and some chains around me, the cover was done yet again by Geoff Gillespie since the 'Triumph & Agony' album and he is actually English who is now living in France and I met him in 87 and I was so blown away by his style and I asked him to do a full illustration for this album cover and I am so happy with the way it turned out. There are many different versions of the album with a leather box, but I guess the die hard fans will go for the ltd edition of the album. There are also 2 more songs on the ltd edition."

How does Geoff to the artwork, does he talk to you and do you give him ideas or do you just have faith and trust in his work?

"Well I send him pictures and he goes my instinct and I never know what he has done and he will call me and tell me something is on it's way to me and I am usually on the road so my mum gets it. It is always a nice surprise when I see the final product, he is very talented. I sometimes tell him about the songs and give him ideas."

I have noticed that when you do a DVD you always give your fans value for money with amazing artwork and good booklets, I respect you for that, you are not ripping your fans off. Are you doing another live DVD soon?

"Oh thank you Jason, I do try to give my fans the best value for money. Next year is out 30th anniversary and I really want to celebrate it big and it will be at Wacken and then 2 times in my home city and to do something really great for my fans. I would love to have a symphony orchestra and some great guests like Rob Halford, and I don't know how I am going to top the 25th anniversary as that was so great!! Right now I just want to concentrate on the album and the new tour."

Are you doing a new promo video again soon, if so which song?

"Not right now, the last one I paid for out of my own money, and I blow all my money on productions & tours and videos but I want to do something nice."

As your about to tour, who will be your support act?

"Well we will take on tour with us Sister Sin in America and in Europe it will be a band called 'Seven', I am looking forward to the tour."

Moving on Doro, are you totally happy with Nuclear Blast for what they have done so far for the band?

"Yes I am so happy and it's a shame I am not working with Mike anymore I miss him so much and we were such a great team. Everything at the label is going so well and I had already made a DVD with the label as you know and the same guy who was the product manager at AFM is now with me at Nuclear Blast."

Well Doro it's a pleasure speaking to you as always, I am looking forward to meeting you and see in you in London next month. Take care and say a big hello to Johnny and Nick from me. Best of luck with the album, do you have anything to say before we finish the interview? Lots of love Doro.

"Yes thank you so much for the interview Jason, love as always & see you in London. Love & regards to Mike. To my fans I hope you like the new album and if you get a chance to see me live please do so. Love always to my fans xx".