Rock, Metal

Manowar - Battle Hymns MMXI (2010)

2011-01-01T19:49:54Z

Manowar - Battle Hymns MMXI (2010)


01. Death Tone   (05:08)
02. Metal Daze   (04:33)
03. Fast Taker   (04:06)
04. Shell Shock   (04:14)
05. Manowar   (04:01)               play
06. Dark Avenger   (06:25)
07. William's Tale   (01:53)
08. Battle Hymn   (09:30)
09. Fast Taker (live)   (03:57)     play
10. Death Tone (live)   (05:00)

Personnel
* Eric Adams - vocals
* Ross the Boss - guitar
* Joey DeMaio - bass guitar
* Donnie Hamzik - drums

Manowar weren't always Manowar. Their first album, 1982's Battle Hymns, hinted at the epic warriors-of-metal style they'd pursue on every subsequent record, but it also had strong hints of Kiss and other '70s hard rock acts; a few numbers even pointed to a rudimentary social consciousness with lyrics like "You were sittin' home and I got sent to Nam/I went to the big house, you just worked a job" from "Death Tone," and further references to Vietnam, albeit more cartoonish ones, in "Shell Shock." Guitarist Ross the Boss seemed inspired by Ted Nugent as much as by Judas Priest, and he injected a lot of blues into their sound; bassist Joey DeMaio and drummer Donnie Hamzik were a thunderous rhythm section; and vocalist Eric Adams was a post-Robert Plant shrieker with an extremely broad range and terrific control. With Hamzik's 2010 return to the band, three-quarters of the original lineup is back on this re-recorded version of Battle Hymns, but it's a different album. Some changes are subtle, others not so much. The track listing is the same, and the lyrics haven't changed, but the band's style is a little more ponderous; many of their recent songs have been death marches rather than groove-based rockers. The mix is different, too; Joey DeMaio's bass and Karl Logan's guitar are more or less equally loud, which actually works well. Orson Welles (who did the narration on "Dark Avenger") is long since dead, so the band hired Christopher Lee to re-record his part. Some production flourishes (a brief stereo panning of the guitar on "Death Tone," a reverb effect on the chorus of "Manowar") have been omitted from the new versions. And, most notably, the studio album's final song, "Battle Hymn," has been extended from seven minutes to nine-and-a-half. The new version also comes with two bonus live tracks, recorded in Texas in 1982, which are a fierce reminder of the time when Manowar toured the U.S. It's easy to wonder why this record was made at all -- perhaps it's a stealth strategy to earn royalties on the songs, like what Gang of Four did with 2005's Return the Gift -- but fans will enjoy it. ---Phil Freeman,

Manowar – amerykański zespół muzyczny grający heavy/power metal, założony w roku 1980 przez Joeya DeMaio i Rossa The Bossa. Historia Manowar rozpoczyna się w roku 1980 z chwilą spotkania Joeya DeMaio oraz Rossa Friedmana w Newcastle City Hall na trasie Black Sabbath Heaven And Hell. DeMaio pracował wtedy jako technik basowy oraz pirotechnik, a Ross grał na gitarze w zespole Shakin' Street supportującym Black Sabbath. Muzycy kilka miesięcy później spotykali się ponownie, tym razem w celu podjęcia współpracy. Powstaje Manowar, niedługo potem do zespołu dołączają wokalista Eric Adams oraz perkusista Donnie Hamzik. W 1982 roku zarejestrowany zostaje debiutancki album pt. Battle Hymns. Muzycy prezentują tutaj zarówno szybkie, heavymetalowe utwory, których tematem są głównie sami muzycy, wojna w imię metalu (utwory: Manowar, Metal Daze), jak i podniosłe i utwory pełne patosu (Battle Hymn). Gościnnie na albumie wystąpił Orson Welles, który użyczył swego głosu jako narrator w utworze pt. Dark Avenger.

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Manowar - Kings of Metal MMXIV (2014)

2015-03-12T16:42:13Z

Manowar - Kings of Metal MMXIV (2014)

Disc 1
1. 	Hail and Kill MMXIV 	06:13 	  
2. 	Kings of Metal MMXIV 	03:42 	  
3. 	The Heart of Steel MMXIV (acoustic intro version) 	05:09 
4. 	A Warrior's Prayer MMXIV 	05:44 	  
5. 	The Blood of the Kings MMXIV 	08:01 	  
6. 	Thy Kingdom Come MMXIV 	04:06 	  
7. 	The Sting of the Bumblebee MMXIV 	01:16 	  instrumental
8. 	Thy Crown and Thy Ring MMXIV (orchestral version) 	04:57 	  
9. 	On Wheels of Fire MMXIV 	04:14 	  
10. 	Thy Crown and Thy Ring MMXIV (metal version) 	04:57 	  
11. 	The Heart of Steel MMXIV (guitar instrumental) 	04:50 	  

Disc 2
1. 	Hail and Kill MMXIV 	06:13 	  instrumental
2. 	Kings of Metal MMXIV 	03:42 	  instrumental
3. 	The Heart of Steel MMXIV (orchestral intro version) 	04:50 	  
4. 	The Blood of the Kings MMXIV 	08:01 	  instrumental
5. 	Thy Kingdom Come MMXIV 	04:07 	  instrumental
6. 	Thy Crown and Thy Ring MMXIV (orchestral version) 	04:57 	  
7. 	On Wheels of Fire MMXIV 	04:14 	

Joey DeMaio – bass, keyboard 
Eric Adams – vocals 
Donnie Hamzik – drums 
Karl Logan – lead guitar, keyboard 

Kings of Metal MMXIV is a re-recording of Manowar's 1988 album, Kings of Metal. 
Lyrics are slightly changed as well as song titles.

So Manowar has returned with their re-recorded version of their 1988 album Kings of Metal. Manowar have always been a strange bunch to me with their over the top "true metal" image. Most of their classic albums have had some truly killer tracks with a bunch of filler. In all honesty, the band has not done anything even remotely interesting since 2002 with Warriors of the World and even then only 60% of the album was even metal. Kings of Metal is actually one of my favorites by them and I bought the original when it came out so I was interested in hearing this. Well folks, if you thought that Lord of Steel was the death of the band, this release is the nail in the coffin.

The track list is a bit different on this album than on the original. They changed some of the song titles as you'll see (with all of the song titles having MMXIV in them). The album start's off with one of Manowar's greatest songs ever, "Hail and Kill." This song originally had the biggest balls of any Manowar song ever done. It defined metal. From the first note of the re-recording it's apparent that it's tuned down and slower. Eric Adams sounds okay but far from his glory days and it's apparent that it's tuned down for one reason...he can't hit the notes anymore. His screams are not as ballsy or as clear as in his prime and they sound forced. The production stands out as extremely slick with absolutely no balls at all. We can't blame that on the new millennium with all digital production since this album was originally was recorded in an all digital format. It actually sounds like Manowar does "Dad rock." It's like it was recorded on a cheap pro-tools rig on a shitty budget.

The disappointments keep coming as the remainder of the album is more of the same. "Kings of Metal", "THE Heart of Steel", "ON (wtf?) Wheels of Fire", and " THE Blood of the Kings", the other ballsy songs on the album, have been brutally castrated by the production and the stale recording. And what the fuck is up with putting "The" in front of the titles of the songs? What would they do if any other band would have butchered these songs like this? Joey DeMaio would have called them out! Why would they do this to their own songs? And don't get me started on " THE Sting of the Bumblebee." There's actually a metronome beeping on it! It's Joey being even more pompous than ever with him actually advertising his bass solo being 300bpm. So what!! It's sad and embarrassing. Even songs like "A Warriors Prayer" and "THY (lol) Crown and THY Ring" are worse and more cheesy than the originals.

Manowar have been going down this road for a while now. Each time they announce a release, I get my hopes up that they may at least try and recapture a little of their former glory. They've never been the most consistent band in metal but recently they have not done anything worth listening to. Now it seems that it is time for them to hang up their instruments and call it a day. They should have gone out on somewhat of a high note with "Warriors of the World". Their over the top true metal image used to be their "schtick" but now it's just embarrassing. Maybe they should just be like Kiss and do "Farewell Tours" every few years and only play their "classics." Anything is better than this. --- mjollnir, metal-archives.com

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Manowar - The Lord Of Steel (2012)

2014-03-04T17:01:17Z

Manowar - The Lord Of Steel (2012)


01. The Lord Of Steel 04:07
02. Manowarriors 04:46
03. Born In A Grave 05:47
04. Righteous Glory 06:10
05. Touch The Sky 03:49
06. Black List 06:58
07. Expendable 03:10
08. El Gringo 04:57
09. Annihilation 04:00
10. Hail, Kill And Die 03:56
11. The Kingdom Of Steel  07:20

Eric Adams - vocals 
Karl Logan - guitar, keyboards
Joey DeMaio - bass, keyboards 
Donnie Hamzik – drums, percussion

Boy oh boy did Manowar ever shoot themselves in the foot with this one. They had some of the best songs they had written in 20 years and they ruined what could have amounted to a decent comeback album with appalling production.

I am quite conflicted about this album. On the strength of the songwriting alone The Lord Of Steel is easily the most successful effort Manowar has made since 1992's The Triumph Of Steel. While the second half slows down a tad, with "El Gringo" and "Expendable" sounding a bit too by-the-numbers heavy metal for my tastes, the first half is quite strong. "Manowarriors" and "Touch The Sky" are the energetic and powerful anthems that they would have written in the early days. That approach went stale over the last few albums but it makes a triumphant return here, and who are we to deny Manowar their self-indulgent chest-thumping?

The major problem with this album (and it is a major problem) is the production. Manowar has never had the greatest production but here it sounds like a disgruntled employee fiddled with the recording equipment and they somehow never found out. The guitar tone is blocky and tame. There is no edge, no bite; it doesn't cut through as well as it should and it dampens the power of the songs. If only it could dampen the power of the bass. Joey DeMaio has taken a lot of creative liberties with his bass over the years but this takes the cake without a doubt. That bass forces itself into each song and hangs over everything like a thick, heavy cloud made of static; it is easily the most standout characteristic of the album. It is the sound of a blown-out speaker slowly being smothered with a cat. I do hope that whoever replaced Joey's bass with all of Sunn O))) is happy, because they sure did a number on this album.

The Lord Of Steel will not be converting any unbelievers any time soon. If anything it seems to be scaring away old fans. It is certainly worth braving the slipshod production for the few strongest tracks and I can see myself returning to "Manowarriors" and "Righteous Glory." If you survive the most insalubrious bass known to man The Lord Of Steel is worth purchasing; after multiple listens I have gotten accustomed to it, though I still have the feeling that I am listening to demos and not the final album. Ultimately it is a tough call of sound vs. substance. --- metalstorm.net

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