D’OR – Antiheroes

The antiheroes never die, at least in the mind of Swiss hard rock band D’OR. Founded by lead vocalist and guitarist Andy Dormann, the band generated a good amount of buzz for their debut studio album, Veni Vidi Ignis (2022), and now, they’re back with their sophomore album, Antiheroes (2025). If the album cover is any indication of what the album is like, it’s wild, loud, and one heck of a good time. There’s nothing old school about Antiheroes. Musically, the album is very current and present.

The Antiheroes Know How to Rock and Let the Good Times Roll

The first single, “The Howling,” is such a banger with a catchy beat, a chilling bass line, a scorching guitar riff, and well-done backing vocals during the chorus. Dormann is no Paul Rodgers, in fact, his voice is the complete opposite. His vocals are raspy, scratchy, messy, and far from perfect, but they add to the band’s charm. They’re an acquired taste, but no one said rock music was perfect. “Her Name Was Alice” takes a darker turn on the children’s novel, Alice in Wonderland (1865). The lyrics are pretty clever, referencing characters like the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat. “Antihero” is a really fun, headbanging song with blistering guitar work. That one has a cool melodic and tasteful intro.

As mentioned earlier, Dormann’s vocals are very raspy, so raspy that it affects his sense of melody, which conflicts with the more melodic, “Cold Drink in Hell.” Nonetheless, it’s a good, midtempo rocker that would work well for cruising down a highway. Lyrically, “Float” isn’t groundbreaking, but there’s wah-wah guitar in the song, making it enjoyable and fun to headbang to. “Kiss My Ass” is a straight forward, punk rock tune with lots of attitude, enough said. Antiheroes is a modern sounding album and “Disarming Elegance,” the closing track, justifies that description the most with its spoken-like vocals and atmospheric instrumentation. The groovy bass line also helps.

Going back to the album’s sound, technological advancements allowed the band to beef up the guitars to the fullest, but really, everyone has their moment to shine. Also, props to them for not burying the bass lines in the mix, like some bands do. However, not all of the songs are hits; “Nice to Eat You” is just weird and the concept does not work at all. For the songs that do work, however, they work well. There’s this great line in “Antihero” that is very tongue-in-cheek and shows off the band’s sense of humor, “it looks like pirates, it tastes like gold.”

Final Assessment

Antiheroes is a fun album, not a life-changing album. But, maybe that was the band’s purpose all along. Maybe, they weren’t hoping to change the world. Maybe, they just wanted to create an album filled with songs meant for headbanging and partying all night. If that’s the case, they delivered on that. Plus, it’s only the band’s second album, they have plenty of time to grow and develop their craft. If curious, give Antiheroes by D’OR a chance.

Album Tracklist

1. Shapeshifter
2. The Howling
3. Scandal
4. Her Name Was Alice
5. Antihero
6. Veleno – Bittersweet
7. Cold Drink in Hell
8. Float
9. Kiss My Ass
10. Nice to Eat You
11. Disarming Elegance

Band Lineup

Andy Dormann – lead vocals and guitars
René Mayer – guitars
Dave Ross Launchbury – bass guitar
Marcel Spiga – drums