Since the '80s,
Doro
has undoubtedly been one of
heavy metal
's top female vocalists; she has consistently issued solo albums since the breakup of
Warlock
. And with quite a few
metal
acts going the
orchestral
route during the late '90s/early 21st century,
took the plunge as well -- teaming up with the
Classic Night Orchestra
and issuing 2005's
Classic Diamonds
. While some of these
symphonic metal
releases come off half-baked,
is one of the few that succeeds, primarily because there is no attempt to force-merge
riffing with a symphony. This approach is evidenced by one of the album's top standouts -- a track sung in
's native language (German),
"Fuer Immer."
Elsewhere, you'll find a cover of
Judas Priest
's
"Breaking the Law"
which is slowed down and stripped down to its basics, as well as a track that sounds surprisingly very
Kate Bush
-esque,
"Metal Tango."
This successful departure is highly recommended to
fans worldwide -- just don't expect
thrash
tempos. ~ Greg Prato