DORO: The Metal Queen Talks About A New Album And Many More Years Of Rocking To Come!!

At the tail end of September I had another opportunity to sit and chat with DORO, THE METAL QUEEN. I don’t care if I just spoke with her two months, two weeks, or two days ago, anytime that chance comes up I’m always gonna reply with a resounding “YIS!!”


Knowing I would be at the Fish Head Cantina show on October 1 made this conversation all the more fun. DORO was, as usual, full of life and laughter as we talked about whatever happened to pop into our heads at that moment. No rules, no guidelines, just two metalheads talking. Check it:


Amps: When we talked over the summer I didn’t have the DVD yet (Strong and Proud – 30 Years of Rock and Metal). I spoke to you on a Monday and it was in my mailbox that Friday.

DORO: Oh, cool! Do you like it?

Amps: Did I like it? I spent the entire weekend watching all three discs back-to-back-to-back, you tell me!

DORO: (Laughing) Oh, that’s good! The documentary is like a mini-movie, I love how it turned out.

Amps: Everyone in it had such nice things to say about you, too. All of them true, of course. Anyone who’s gotten to know you can attest to that. It was really nice to see everything wrapped up in such a beautiful package and the concert footage is fantastic. You put out something truly amazing.

DORO: Oh, cool. Nice, nice, thank you. You know, it took so long, it always takes more time than you hope it will. But it was one and a half years of work, and when I saw it finally done I thought, “That’s really good!”

Amps: Why rush? Maybe it wouldn’t have turned out as good if you tried to meet some silly deadline, you know?

DORO: Yeah, yeah, you’re right. At times we thought we had to get it out by the 30th anniversary, but these things take time. The deadline passed three times (laughs), but it needed to be just right. And we said, “It’s finished when it’s finished.”

Amps: You’re doing this mini-tour and I’m seeing you in Baltimore. I can’t wait! After the Rock Carnival what happens the rest of the year?

DORO: We’re gonna go back into the studio and actually finish the record. We’ve already recorded some killer tracks. Now we need to do solos and vocals. We’re working real hard. Then we go back on tour in Europe for November and December. We wanna do all the cities we haven’t played in a while. In the U.S. I want to go back to Texas and California and do some festivals, of course. Then I fall into a coma after everything is done (laughs)!

Amps: I’ve never asked you this but, when a tour ends, do you just go home, turn off your phone, and sleep for days on end?

DORO: I would love to do that, but usually when a tour is finished I have so much stuff to do, and other stuff is lined up from the promotions people, whether it’s TV stuff or something. It’s usually an ongoing thing during those couple of weeks off. Especially when things go well. Then more people want to do stuff with us.

In the 80’s and 90’s I could take a couple of weeks off after a tour and sleep, but that hasn’t happened for a long time. I’m just happy that everything goes well and we have something to do instead of nothing!

Amps: It’s now five years since Irene, four years since Sandy. Have you found a place to call home yet?


DORO: I’m in the middle of looking for another place. I didn’t decide yet. I figured we’d finish this tour then sometime in October I’d make a decision. I even thought of going to Florida for part of the year. But I definitely still want to have my base in New York. I’m not sure yet. How is your son Corey doing? Is “Earthshaker Rock” still his favorite?

Amps: He’s 14, bigger than me and wearing a size 13 shoe!! And yep, he still goes NUTS when he hears that song!

DORO: Ohhhh, yeah!! WOW!! That’s a big boy. I can’t wait to meet him. I hope you can bring him to a show one day.

Amps: You did the guest star thing on AMON AMARTH’S record (Jomsviking) earlier this year. Are there any plans to do something like that on anyone else’s albums or have some guests of your own?

DORO: I just found out I’m in the new AMON AMARTH video for “Raise Your Horns”! I haven’t sen it yet, but I can’t wait. It’s probably just a second of me raising a beer (laughs). On our record I wanna get some great guests, you know, musicians and singers, but I haven’t approached anyone just yet. I don’t know who it will be, but it will be something great.

Amps: Being DORO is a 24/7/365 thing. You never stop, do you?

DORO: Oh Damian, no, not really. What you see is what you get with me. There is nothing else in my life. No other private life. I’m always either on tour, or in the studios, or doing nice interviews and talking to great people like you about the metal music.

What else do I need? I have everything I could wish for. We will do many, many, many more records, and play many, many, many more shows. On this new one we have a song for Lemmy called “Living life to the Fullest”, and some more great stuff.

Amps: You released “Love’s Gone to Hell” in April. But that’s not enough. We need more, more, more!

DORO: (Laughing) Yes, I know! But to get the magic, the real magical songs…that magic only comes when it wants to. Then you sit down and try to write a great, magical song. We tour so much that it’s not like the old days where we could spend a year in the studio. Now it’s trying to find the time between tours, you know?

Amps: Please say something to Mini-Amps so I can play it for him later.

DORO: Hey Corey, this is DORO. I hope you’re doing good and I would love to see you live and in-person one day at our concert. We will definitely play your favorite song and I wish you all the best. Keep on rockin’ and stay metal. Big hugs, and see you very soon!

Amps: Now, what would you like to say to the legions of DORO fans all over the world?

DORO: My dear Metalheads, I love you more than anything else in this world. Thank you so much for all these great years and the great support. I will always give it my best and we’ll always try to put out kickass records and put on kickass shows. I love you with all my heart, keep on rockin’ and stay metal. I hope to see all of you soon! I wish you all the absolute best!

Amps: Once again DORO, thank you so much for sitting down with me AGAIN, and not getting sick of talking to me yet!


DORO: Damian, it’s always so fantastic talking to you. I loved it when we sat down and talked back in Texas, but even on the phone it’s awesome! Give Corey hugs and kisses from me!



Between this interview and then being up front at the hellacious show DORO and the boys put on in Baltimore just a week later, I’d say I have to be the luckiest guy on the planet to get to do what I do. Our Queen of Metal, DORO, is truly one-of-a kind, a very special performer, and a beautiful soul. I can’t wait for this next record and then the tour for it, so I can be up front and screaming all over again!

LIVE IMAGES: ARDENT OWL MEDIA