Frownland

I'll take it.

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

The Batlord

Well here's a link if you need it.

Zippyshare.com - 2007 - Gods Of War.rar

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Machine

You can add it if you want seeing as it does work in the time frame, and you wouldn't be torturing Ori for like 40 minutes.

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boost my ego

listen to me stroke my delay pedal

ever wanted to hear death grips songs... but they're acoustic? me neither.

The Batlord

Be quiet.

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Machine

Okay then, just a suggestion. I mean it would add to the theme of negitive reviews that have been submitted so far.

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boost my ego

listen to me stroke my delay pedal

ever wanted to hear death grips songs... but they're acoustic? me neither.

The Batlord

He requested the album all by himself. I'm pretty sure he was the mastermind behind Manowar Week to begin with. It's not like he's gonna get a better album than that one anyway.

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Oriphiel

Sorry, guys. I was gonna review the album today, but I ended up being really busy, and didn't have the time. I'll probably do it tomorrow.

Unknown Soldier

The Beast
Manowar’s debut album Battle Hymns was a strong if clichéd metal album, that had a heavy rock ‘n’ roll tinge a la Kiss to it but it also contained the band’s first two epic meandering metal tracks in “Dark Avenger” and the title track “Battle Hymns” two songs that clocked just under 7 minutes each and displayed the type of metal that the band wore closest to their hearts, and that was metal of the loudest and most epic proportions. The former had used the the voice of Orson Welles and showed some strong touches of doom metal, despite containing a number of flaws for a lengthy track and the latter track was the stronger of the two demonstrating the true direction of the band for their next album.

So it was hardly a surprise that their second album Into Glory Ride, would feature six tracks between 5 and 8 minutes of running time and these tracks would also be epic showcases of the band’s sound at this time. The only oddity on the album is the opener “Warlord” which really belongs on the debut and not here, it kind of reminds me of “Invaders” on Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast album, as a song that just didn’t really fit on that album either. It was also around this time that Manowar could be described as a genuine celebration of true heavy metal with established clichés and all, but the band though put their metal credentials on the line from the word go, by posing for the album cover in their warrior loin-clothes and swords. They also managed to sign a new record deal as well with Megaforce Records, by opening up their own veins with ceremonial daggers and using their own blood to sign the deal wow! Resident expert here The Batlord describes Manowar as being like Conan the Barbarian to the more sophisticated Tolkien works, a good analogy indeed. Into Glory Ride is an album mostly penned by bassist Joey DeMaio and it’s steeped in Norse mythology making it a true Viking metal classic, before the sub-genre became a centrepiece of the Nordic metal scene still several years down the line. Despite the album’s somewhat weak production, Eric Adams’ five-and-a-half octave range voice makes the turntable creak as he wades through the six bombastic tracks on the album, but possibly the showstopper here is that of new drummer the big pounding Scott Columbus, who came into replace Donnie Hamzik on the drum stool and this man mountain supposedly hit the drums so hard that conventional drum kits would break beneath his strength, forcing him to use a custom built set. All this kind of reminds me of when Keith Moon first auditioned for the Who all those years ago!

The six album epics start with the “Secret of Steel” which starts with a drum intro and it’s a sluggish ultra-heavy track and Eric Adam’s vocals perfectly match the tempo of the song, and the whole process is spiced up by Joey DeMaio. Its fellow 5 minute track “Gloves of Metal” has a distinctly Iron Maiden feel, as Eric Adam’s seems to be singing about clichéd metal attire in a nod to Rob Halford & Co. and the song’s galloping style makes it one of the most melodic on show here. Now things get truly epic with “Gates of Valhalla” a song designed to show the bombastic side of the band in all their glory. The same can’t be said though for “Hatred” which is an extended effort that really doesn’t go anywhere and sounds similar to an Ozzy sung Black Sabbath track in certain sections. “Revelation (Death’s Angel)” is probably the most complete track on the album, as it seems to pull all the glorious aspects of the band’s sound together and could in many ways be described as the perfect Manowar track. “March for Revenge (By the Soldiers of Death)” isn’t for me as good as the closing “Battle Hymns” on the previous album and despite being the most ambitious track on the album, shows that the band were entering slightly deeper water here.

Overall Into Glory Ride would be the band at their most creative and they were totally dedicated here in what they were doing, before they entered into their best known period that would start on their next album Hail to England. The band also continued being the prime motivators behind not just the power metal genre at this time, but also a number of other metal genres that liked the taste of epic sounding metal as well, making them pretty groundbreaking in what they were doing around this time. Like the Manilla Road album above it of which it shares some kind of spiritual brotherhood, this album is also ranked in Rock Hard magazine's list of ‘The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time’ which certainly shows the taste of those that did that list.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

The Batlord

Yeah, it really has no place on the album, and is possibly one of, if not the most inappropriate songs to start an album of all time, regardless of it being one of their best songs of all time (love that song so much). I see it as basically a cop out. I think the band was nervous about starting the album with a song as inaccessible as most of the rest of the songs on the album, so they chose a more user friendly song that was just completely confusing next to the rest of the album.

It's kind of Manowar in a nutshell. They make fun music, but have no common sense or taste. Any other band would have instinctively realized what a stupid idea putting "Warlord" on the album was, let alone starting off with it would have been, but Manowar are Manowar, and so it is what it is. I love those morons.

Honestly, even if it would mean being deprived of the gloriousness of "Warlord", I think they should have cut that out and started with "Gloves of Metal": it's anthemic enough and accessible enough for an opener, and gives a perfect statement of intent. A six song album might be too short, but it would have made more sense.

Totally agree. Honestly, I think Hail to England was a bit of a cop out as well (though it's still fantabulous). It was possibly their most solid album of all time -- Battle Hymns didn't really have much in the way of duds, but it also wasn't particularly inventive either, barring those two songs you mentioned -- but it also pulled back the reigns on the sound they'd put out with Into Glory Ride.

I understand why. I mean, they couldn't always pull off what they wanted with Into Glory Ride, so it makes sense that they would make a more accessible version of it that didn't require as much effort, but it makes Into Glory Ride the greatest gem in their crown, as they never really went all out like that again. Triumph of Steel was only half experimental, as the second half was a far safer bet, obviously meant to cater to the people who weren't picking up what they were putting down with "Achilles" (like me TBH).

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Unknown Soldier

But on the other hand everybody remembers this I guess as the track that doesn't belong on the album and what better place than to put if first, as most people remember best the opening track on albums they like.

As you've said there was probably record label pressure to put out something accessible rather than self-indulgent and Hail to England and Into Glory Ride are prefect examples of this difference.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History