I was already quite a Manowar fan when I bought this release

Release Date: 1996	Label: Geffen
Musicians: Eric Adams; vocals, Scott Columbus; drums and percussion, Karl Logan; guitars, Joey DeMaio; Bass Guitar...keyboards.	Recorded and mixed at Haus Winfriend N.Y. Engineered by Rich Breen for BAD Studios. Illustration by Ken Kelly

I was already quite a Manowar fan when I bought this release. I had heard the cd, Kings of Metal, and had become enchanted with the huge, bombastic sound, and songs that remind me of heavy metal Conan influenced broadway numbers, just because each song follows along a basic story, and some songs do tell a story. That had ensured in my mind that these Metal Kings were truly capable of fantastic songwriting. Although knowing that most bands that used to say "we're not gonna change" DID, and I was scared to see what a 1990's release would be like. I was afraid that they would trade in the screaming lead vocals, gang background vocals, the drums of doom and the screeching guitar riffs for some alternative influenced drudging crap. There was no need to worry, one look at the cover and title, and I knew what this was going to be, it was going to be....Louder Than Hell.

"Now the time has come when all is said and done, we're back together on the road its time to fly
No more time to wait you know it feels so great, wearin leather on a horse of steel I ride."

All hail the Metal Kings!! What else do I have to say? This is classic Manowar, they have not changed, oh no, not one bit. Lead vocalist Eric Adams sounds better than he ever has. What a set of lungs on that guy! He puts the power into the music and helps set the dramatic moods that take you back to other places in time and help continue to paint the story of the Crown and the Ring. The music of Manowar is metal ecstacy in itself. Pure and brilliant, with its heavy sections, inspiring moments, and an all around feeling of energy, power and majesty, there is nothing like this. It could easily be the soundtrack to any Conan movie for the most part.

"Our hearts filled with metal and masters we have none
And we will die for metal, metal heals, my son."

The first song to begin this with, Return of the Warlord, basically says "hello, Manowar is back again, and we're gonna kick your ass, metal rules, hail." Which is the last part is the driving force for the band, and the all around attitude you pick up when you indulge in their music. Its an average track for this band, but still packs enough punch to recieve mention, with its speedy drum section. Next, its Brothers of Metal Pt. 1, a song that starts off with..."Strike while the iron is hot..." its basically a celebration of metal, the basis of the idea that all true metal fanatics will band together and fight for metal. Throughout their career, their albums have been peppered with songs that fights for metal music, and helps promote it. Another reason to love this band.

"The gods made heavy metal and they saw that it was good
They said to play it louder than hell and we promised that we would"

The Gods Made Heavy Metal, has the Manowar "rise and hail, fist in the air" feel to it, with a very headbangable rhythm, other metal bands seem to have fallen away from songs that the listeners can bang their head to, but this one is perfect for such activities. Plus it has that mythology feel to it mixed with the majesty and absolute power and that feeling of awesomeness washes over the listener. Another words, you hear the beginning and scream "YES!! THIS KICKS ASS!" and then crank it up all the watts...just remember to turn it up so the neighbors will enjoy this. Just imagine the line "Cause we believe in the Power and the Might, And the gods who made metal are with us tonight" drowning out someone's reggae music, or better yet rap, or one of the stuffy "I will listen to country and all else is cow paddies, ya'll" types, being pissed off because the drum rhythm is giving him a headache, and the screeching guitars is hurting his eardrums.

"So for now, wave Goodbye, leave your hands held high
Hear this song of courage long into the night
And the wind will bear my cry to all who hope to fly
Lift your wings up high my friend fearless to the end."

The next song is kind of a ballad type, called Courage, (betcha didn't know Manowar did...gasp...ballads...), in that The Crown and the Ring (Lament of the Kings) kind of sound, but different. This song is uplifting, and has a sad kind of note to it, and it reminds me of a Vangelis song in some parts. I love the lyrics to this, and the way Eric Adams voice sounds so pure and crystal clear with only the piano and violin backing it at the very beginning. And Courage builds to a more uptempo feel with drums and high flying guitar riffs, but retains that uplifting feeling.

"Today is the day all the training through we have come for the number 1 not the number 2
Let the contest begin play hard fight to win, Immortality victory and fame."

I really am fond of Number 1, none of this, you came in 4th but did your best so be proud bullshit. You don't go into battle saying "uh, like, I hope to come in last and like die and stuff, but if I did my best and everyone dies, its alright" BULLSHIT. You go into war to WIN to be Number 1! That is what this song is about! Raise your fist in the air and enjoy the hell out of this one, especially the the middle section where the drums just pound your skull and shake the foundations, and the lead singer screams "NUMBER 1!!!!!" twice so loud and high and perfect that you just go "oh yeah that is damn cool".

"In the beginning there was silence and darkness all across the earth
Then came the wind and a hole in the sky, thunder and lightning came crashing down"

Outlaw is a very high paced, very speed metal type song, which Manowar does well, but still misses the power and wonder of their other music. Still a great metal song, and it grows on you, slowly, but it does. However, the next song, King, makes up for anything Outlaw lacks. As soon as I heard the Crown and the Ring mentioned, I knew this would be superb. Another of Manowar's gigantic production sounding cuts, complete with a choir sounding thing and thunder and everything. The lyrics are classic Manowar too, wrapped up in the medieval times with a dash of fantasy and then sprinkled with the Manowar "fighting the world" feel. The middle section is pure medieval majesty (majesty just describes the music perfectly yessss), and it slowly builds...and builds....and builds...and becomes louder and louder until it completely EXPLODES, with huge gang vocals. Check out how the synthesizer is expertly used to help give that soaring feeling behind Adams screaming "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" with that vibrato just shaking the note all over the place. BEAUTIFUL.

"Into the fight of hopes and dreams, the Master of the Wind knows nothing's what it seems
The melting of the soul, the wish of those who scheme, The taking of the will by destroyers of the dream."

The rest of the tracks on here, the long instrumental, Today is a Good Day to Die, the short instrumental piece, My Spirit Lives On, and the final song, The Power, can be summed up more easily. Today Is a Good Day To Die, is quite interesting and keeps your attention centered on Karl Logan's guitar expertise. My Spirit Lives On, proves just how fast he can play, and The Power showcases Scott Columbus's thunderous drums. But you know, one of the most important members of this band, I have not mentioned yet.......all hail....Joey DeMaio, who writes most of the music, sometimes all of it, on Manowar's releases, and he is a wonderful bass player too, as well as an awesome songwriter. And the latest Manowar 90s classic comes to an end.

"Who were brave and not afraid to die, look and you'll see that a new day will bring
The will to go on and fight through endless suffering, for all who believe, wait a crown and a ring."

So after going through each song and giving the best descriptions I can, there is not much left to say, 6/10 songs are worth putting in the all time great sections, with 4 really stand out tracks that will give the replay option a workout often I would bet. Anyone who has NOT heard Manowar, Lord help them, and get them a Manowar cd quick. I promise that anyone that LOVES metal will adore this, because these guys seem to adore metal music as much as we rabid fans do, and that only adds to the enjoyable factor of this cd. Plop it in the stereo, crank it up all the way, bang your head, stand back and experience what TRUE metal music is....DEATH TO FALSE METAL...Forever....Fighting the World...Hail.

BTW, as if anyone cares, this cd carries a parental advisory label for explict lyrics. Nothing too bad, just some profanity and the promotion of violence and killing, and death. Who gives a damn though? Its great music.

Rating= 8 1/2 out of 10......not as good as Kings of Metal but still awesome and almost perfect except for a song or two.