The original "femme fatale…"

And as I'm listening to the line to the surprisingly uncompromising Billy Idol cover of "White Wedding," "I've been away for so long" seems as good a place as any to start.

Doro's latest return, "Calling the Wild" emphatically cries out that she's back and ready to rock!

But the successful German singer / songwriter's been doing her thing right along, it's just that she'd decided to stick closer to home for the most part. The former Warlock vocalist who later went on to a successful solo career has with "Calling the Wild" created something wholly diverse and dedicated while recruiting what amounts to an all-star cast of contributors, the likes of Lemmy, Slash and guitarist Al Pitrelli, to name a few.

The first thing we notice as "Terrorvision" hits the speakers is that there's little doubt that Doro's moved onward through time and embedded in her sound a modernity-freshness guaranteed.

Amazingly, with all of the talent and lyrical inspiration that forges the framework on this new release, it could well be perceived more like a ten years in the making… In actuality, it's the follow up to '98s cutting edge "Love me in Black" album, and while the similarities exist now and again, she's proudly left behind the industrious nature for the "calling," that brings her back to her heavy rock roots.

Considerably darker in tone, many of the tunes are downright, dare I say, "buzzworthy," as yesterday's excesses get replaced by a simpler, grittier style, though her voice has endured quite well overall.

With songs like "I Wanna Live" and "Kiss me like a Cobra" ranging within the mid-tempo, hook ready caster, emotionally gripping power ballads like "I Give My Blood," "Love Me Forever" which is a duet with Lemmy which he originally did on Motorhead's "1916" which I don't want to bad mouth, but… well let's just say she's a little better at it-I'm not crazy about the guitar effects on this one though.

Much better however is the beginning of the "2nd half" of sorts with the touching "Give me a Reason" where we're firmly planted back to her glorious past and we again realize why it was she and the then Mrs. Ford who were at the top of the female rockers list-not to mention plastered over every guy's wall!

This could be a Berlin song for that matter. But it's the ballads where her singing really smokes, but when she rocks, she doesn't hold back.

While no one will mistake something like "Pain" or "Fuel" for old Warlock, it's heavy the way we define heavy today-bottom heavy and downright nasty in spots!

"Scarred" is another of the slow down-trodden types, not built around the atypical power ballad structure, but instead a more modern sounding creation fed by ambient melodies and haunting drama… and what a great song-among many where if you didn't know better, might flinch once or twice upon learning it is indeed Doro.

Another with her and Lemmy turn up in the form of "Alone Again" and though it was his originally, she adds the necessary female touch to it-and I mean necessary!

"Calling the Wild" is simply a great comeback in several ways but for her first stateside release in over a decade, it possesses the necessary features to draw upon the interests of a new audience.

Even considering, however, that she sacrifices a lot of that beloved catchiness for a more marketable presence, she should have little trouble placating long waiting followers from the past-case in point, the last track sees the heat turned up with the arena friendly anthem "Burn it Up," which without question will get you pumped long into the night-are you ready for some football?

Did someone say "Triumph & Agony!"

Released by Koch Records

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]