Yet, despite its elongated running time, it never becomes staid and that’s because each part is a song in itself yet the whole piece flows seamlessly. Opening with an ambitious interpretation of Homer’s Iliad, ‘Achilles, Agony And Ecstasy In Eight Parts’ is a track that’s as lofty as its lengthy (28 minutes!).
However, the shifting line up seems to have revitalised Manowar and, like grunge never happened, they unleashed a career defining, full-on metal masterpiece in the shape of The Triumph Of Steel. It took four long years for Manowar to follow up Kings Of Metal and in that period they lost long term guitarist Ross The Boss and drummer Scott Columbus. ‘The Warrior’s Prayer’ is a tale spoken in a soft Welsh brogue and is garnished with some cool sound effects and sets things up nicely for dramatic closer ‘Blood Of The Kings’.Īfter the slight commercial leanings of its predecessor Kings Of Metal is an album that set Manowar back on course and if anybody ever asked you to define the term ‘heavy metal’ I suggest you play them this album. Similarly the totally politically incorrect ‘Pleasure Slave’ bludgeons the listener with a monolithic riff while the rebel rousing ‘Hail And Kill’ scorches the earth between your speakers. A theatrical piece that’s cloaked in classical music its lyrics speak of Vikings drinking mead on a misty morn…which is exactly what you want from a Manowar album. Kings Of Metal is a vast improvement on its predecessor precisely because it distils the classic Manowar sound and that’s most evident on ‘The Crown And The Ring (The Lament Of The Kings)’. ‘Heart Of Steel’ is the obligatory power ballad but the lyrics attach extra weight which juxtaposes the following bass solo which is wrapped in a reworking of Rimsky-Korsakov’s ‘Sting Of The Bumblebee’. The title track carries over some of the groove from Fighting The World only it’s infinitely heavier and packs a serious punch. Eric Adams in particular seems on top form and ‘Wheels Of Fire’ is the perfect vehicle to display his vocal talents as he alternates between guttural growls and glass shattering shrieks and all this over a beat that tears along like a runaway locomotive. The nitro injected intro that heralds the arrival of ‘Wheels Of Fire’ sets the song on a collision course and it races off leaving tracks of burning rubber. Released in November of ‘88 Kings Of Metal found Manowar on more familiar ground. The first four tracks seem tailor made to tempt new fans whilst the remainder will definitely sate the old timers.
Regular listeners will be aware of Joey DeMaio’s bass skills and he lets fly on closer ‘Black Winds, Fire And Steel’.ĭefinitely an album of two halves Fighting The World found Manowar transitioning from indie to major label with a slight wobble. With a spoken word intro from Orson Welles, ‘Defender’ finds Manowar on more familiar ground for a truly grandiose song whilst ‘Holy War’ pins down the hammer for a frantic thrash fest. Likewise, the excellently titled ‘Violence And Bloodshed’ drops the loincloths and axes in favour of a submachine gun for a tale of urban warfare which works perfectly but, those who prefer the bands early, grittier aesthetic might find this a bridge too far. However, there’s plenty to recommend Fighting The World and in many ways it’s an embryonic power metal album with ‘Carry On’, cheesy and slightly camp, foreshadowing DragonForce and Rhapsody of Fire. Lyrically too it falls short as a band who once sang about Faustian pacts and Valkyries flying to Asgard now name check MTV and their ilk. It set the bar high which the following ‘Blow Your Speakers’ failed to reach and, like ‘80s Kiss, it’s a plodding song that doesn’t ignite. An anthem in its purest definition it’s a defiant track with a huge sing-along chorus that takes the bands dramatic, epic nature and wraps it up in a four minute song. Taking their core sound and refining it for mass consumption alienated many fans but in terms of ballsy heavy metal things don’t get much better than opening (and title) track ‘Fighting The World’. Housed in a sleeve that recalls Kiss’ Destroyer Manowar’s fifth album Fighting The World was something of a mixed bag.
Collecting three mid-career records Black Wind, Fire And Steel: The Atlantic Albums 1987 – 1992 finds the band breaking their shackles and raising their profile in the international metal scene. After releasing four albums that proudly proclaimed “death to false metal” things initially took a decidedly commercial turn when Manowar signed with Atlantic Records.
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