Manowar - Kings of Metal

Manowar began at the dawn of the 80s, and a new subgenre was instantly born. They emerged into the forefront, leaving behind the other notable bands that were helping to pioneer this new niche of metal, fondly referred to as 'power' metal, floundered in obscurity such as the delightfully brutal Omen and the classier Virgin Steele while Manowar struck a name for themselves by creating memorable on-stage personas that were larger than life. Musically their earliest incarnations carefully mixed a darker shade of music with imagery that tampered with the occult. Then the labels came a-courting, eager to pick up the band that was causing quite a stir throughout the US and seemed destined to be 'the next big thing' as the red hot poppish glam music seemed ready to phase out into obscurity just any day. How long could poofy hair, outrageously feminine 'costumes' and power ballads last anyway? (The answer is: a long damn time) The satanic overtones were quickly shed as they signed onto a major label (although as they began to feel more secure, were slowly but surely eased back in) and they ended up injecting their brand of this newer breed of metal with a heavy dose of cheese later in their lifespan that would ultimately spawn their greatest commercial success.

1986's "Fighting the World" was a runaway hit, the anthem that echoed the pro-metal mentality, "Blow Your Speakers" achieved massive radio airplay and soon Manowar was riding their Harleys across television screens around the world as MTV put the video in heavy rotation. Basking in the light of success, the self styled "Kings of Metal" bounced back a year later with a disc that not only flaunted their self made title but was also poised to wow the metal faithful and woo the remaining that had thus far resisted the onslaught.

Whether you can appreciate the antics of the leatherclad band or even the cheddary aftertaste that lingers from roughly a little under half of their material, across the board there's no denying that "KOM" is a killer collection of tunes that not only are well thought out but deliver with a punch to the stomach and a blade at the throat. Their knack for effectively recreating the triumphant feeling of cutting down foe after foe in battle with the result being the overwhelmingly giddy satisfaction of massive bloodshed and wading through a battlefield littered with the fallen corpses of the freshly slewn enemy is mindblowing. Rarely has music been created in the modern day that stirred such primal insticts anew and make the whole business of war in the age of steel seem so heroic and in an odd sense, euphoric. These energetic tunes of war are not just loud and chaotic nonsense, but are in fact finely structured compositions, brimming with explosive drumwork, dazzling displays of axeslinging and of course Eric Adams. Without Adams, there very well might not be a Manowar, for even though he's not the band leader, there's still no denying that his pipes are what make the violent imagery work in a context that allows the most dispicable act seem gleefully delightful. Yet its not all about the blood spill, acts of rape and the occasional pillage of a village (or two). The band also strives to instill the listener with many virtues that have gone the way of the dodo in the present day, mainly truth, honor, and justice.

01.] "Wheels of Fire" -
Galloping straight up speed metal, amazing in its execution, check out the insane break neck pacing of the drums, each hit individual and ringing out with clarity with very little - if any at all - blurring. Axe weaves in and out as well as Eric's various vocal inflection bits. The lyrics? A loving tribute to hog riding. It seems modern warriors (of the metal kind) have traded in the high upkeep of hay munching horses and the stables to house them for the versatile gas eating motorcycle and garage.

02.] "Kings of Metal" -
"Other bands play, Manowar kills!" Yep this is "Blow Your Speakers" part two, instead of being simply pro-metal, Manowar takes it to the next level by glorifying themselves and their music, taking shots at the poseurs and giving birth to the term 'true metal' which many years later would go on to describe a million wannabe bands that popped up well after metal was a viable form of music in the US market. A bouncy melody with plenty of balls and those gang vocals agreeing with every statement made, this is a piece of fan service all the way and those into the music and the band itself will be in seventh heaven. Pompous, yes it is, but still a cool track.

03.] "Heart of Steel" -
From what some would dismiss as drivel to an emotionally breathtaking ballad of epic porportions and lyrics that are simply inspirational, Manowar proves that you might be able to pigeon hole them but they are far from predictable. The sentiments of "HOS" are truly beautiful, these are words to live by. Beginning musically sparse, creating a lonely and wistful atmosphere, the song changes midway through, gaining a glimmer of hope and picking up steam and instruments until its positively gigantic finale. "Stand and fight, live by your heart, always one more try, I'm not afraid to die."

04.] "Flight of the Bumblebee" -
...done in bass. Technically its cool but as for entertainment value, well I simply don't get it.

05.] "The Crown and the Ring" -
The ultimate sing-along tavern song comes to life with a perfect bard-like touch. You can just see the warriors crowding around tables in a dimly fire lit medieval-era tavern, hoisting their drinks in the air and lifting their voices in song. A legion of voices alone carry the chorus with a bell sounding in the background. Uplifting and inspiring? Hell yea! Truly a one of a kind atmosphere and overall feeling that has not been accurately duplicated to this extent in the genre since, making it a unique and very powerful ballad indeed. "Oden I await thee, your true son am I, I hail you now as I die. I pledge you my sword, and to no man I kneel, ours is the kingdom of steel!"

06.] "Kingdom Come" -
Oh yes! No one screams like Eric! He uses his voice like a weapon here, taking the spotlight with screams that continue solid as a rock seemingly into forever and amazing vocal acrobatics. A hat is tipped toward commercialism with the infectious melodies, slippery guitar solos and inspiring chorus. A well-rounded effort that takes some time to grow but its swift, to-the-point nature and lean towards vocal prowess and all the tricks and trappings involved has made it one of my favorites.

07.] "Pleasure Slave" -
The sounds of women moaning in the midst of performing their slave duties is pierced by a wicked laugh and then the moans are accompanied by some heavy duty guitar riffs and later is silenced by Adams. Don't worry, this controversial and corrupt ridden musical theme will make a return later on for the guitar solo. Song-wise its vastly inferior to most of the exquisite gems to be found on this disc, yet the prolonged ending scream and camp value end up saving it from worthlessness and provides a nice contrast to the wartime lyrics that infest the majority of the disc as well as a look into what the warriors do in their spare time (ah as if we even needed to guess). "Woman, come here, remove your garments, kneel before me!"

08.] "Hail and Kill" -
The impending battle is hinted at within guitar riffs that embody the breath of death and will later be the pillars the song will rest upon. Beginning deceptively soft, there's the lurking feeling that something cataclysmic is about to take place, as Eric outlines the situation, pleads with the brothers (of metal of course) and concludes the dawning of the day with a fanciful description of the weapons to be brandished during battle. A miniscule period of silence is ripped open by a dramatic entrance into the main meat of the song, which turns out to be an absolute slayer. Adrenaline pumping stuff made from the molds of mass slaughter and complete destruction. The background mob chanting "hail hail hail and kill!" is as mesmerizing as Adams' assaulting vocals describing atrocious acts and making them seem breathtakingly glorious simultaneously. "Rape their women as they cry, kill their servants, burn their homes til there's no blood left to spill." If you aren't convinced to take up arms and charge into the heat of battle before the conclusion, then there's simply no hope left for you at all. "Power and dominion are taken by the will, by divine right..." Fantastically pieced together for the ultimate impact and a tad of shock value, you can bet the Christian fanatics were loving this one.

09.] "The Warriors Prayer" -
A narrative about the battle beyond the enchanted forest between the armies of the world and the great four with their armies of death and immortals complete with sound effects for additional visualization. Who wins? Well let's just say... the ones who are victorious top off their freshly claimed victory with a reciting of 'The Warriors Prayer'. This could have come off being extremely cheese ridden, especially since current day narrations inserted into songs or even as individual stand alone tracks, fail miserably more often than not (just look at Rhapsody for a glowing example), the Grandfather is portrayed perfectly, with a booming voice and genuine sounding accent. The young lad piping loudly for a story not in a storybook but a 'real' story, is suitable enough. "And grandfather... who were those four men?" "Who were they? They were..."

10.] "The Metal Kings" -
So much for subtlety. The exploits of "The Metal Kings" are further illustrated in this track that tackles most of the recurring themes from the disc and packs them all into one spot. Strangely this lacks the passionate approach that makes pills like "Hail and Kill" easy to swallow, thus letting that underlying cheese factor show through more clearly. A good song, but lacking the special touches that would have made it memorable.