Manowar Week: Poseurs Keep the **** Out!

Trollheart · 07-09-2015, 02:26 PM

The Triumph of Steel (1992)

There are a few things that get me about this album right from the off. Firstly, I look and see again only eight tracks, and I think, nice one Trollheart! Good pick! Then I look closer and I see that oen of them, the opener in fact, is twenty-eight minutes long! That's a shock, but then I see it's about the epic face-off between Achilles and Hector during the Trojan War, and I'm already looking forward to it. Secondly, I see there is no Ross the Boss! NOOOOOO!!! The founder and lead axeman --- well, only axeman! --- of this band has flown the coop? How can they survive? How indeed. He's replaced/succeeded by David Shankle. Huh? Who he? Well according to Wiki's brief entry on him he didn't do anything before joining Manowar. Let's see what Metal Archives have on him.

Oh man! Nothing really, and just LOOK at the guy! He looks like that long hair has been attached as extensions! Nor does he look too happy. Well, who would, trying to step into those iron shoes left behind by the former lead guitarist and creator of the band?

Still, I guess it's more about how he sounds and how well he fills the gaping hole left by the departure of Ross that we're more interested in than if his hair is real. Let's just take a quick looksee at the Manowar website though, see what they have to say about him. Okay. Not even mentioned, as he's been replaced since, well, right after this album. Ah man that sucks! They don't even have a bio, or even a word for Ross on their site! Shame on you guys! What happened to honour and brotherhood?

Anyway, before I get too deeply into that and forget why I came here, let's kick this beast off and see how it compares to the last Manowar album I listened to, which was, to be fair, pretty average and something of a disappointment. Well, there's a strong, triumphant, marching beat to get us underway then we're off on a rolling guitar line with elements of Lizzy's “Emerald” thrown in as Achilles: Agony and Ectascy in Eight Parts” kicks the album off. After a few minutes it slows down to a dramatic, stately dirge driven on low almost muted organ, and just Adams's vocal. Pealing bells then take in the next part (it's divided into, as the title says, eight sections, but it's hard to know how it's subdivided) with harmony guitar taking the tune on its own, before percussion joins in slowly, hammering out the beat with single strokes as the guitars continue, and I'm assuming this is “Funeral march”, which is the third part of the suite.

We're now eight minutes in as cymbals, hi-hats and other lightweight drums take over for what may be “Armour of the gods”, this developing then into a full-blown drum solo from Kenny Earl “Rhino” Edwards, also making his only appearance with Manowar on this one album, and while it certainly has a metal, militaristic feel, hell I just hate drum solos and this one goes on too long. Finally Shankle rides to the rescue, cutting through the overdone solo with his guitar like a knife through something very soft, and I would hazard that we're into part V, “Hector's final hour”. The vocal here begins quite low, but soon enough Adams raises his voice in his death throes as he assumes the persona of the Trojan hero, the warrior chorus swelling behind him. It sounds like there are keys here too; I know Manowar used them when Ross was with them, but I see no credits for them on this album. I'd imagine they're there though.

Hector's life blood ebbs away and the track fades out as he dies, then pounds into the next part as “Death Hector's Award” goes heads-down for it, hammering along at lightspeed, Shankle's guitar like a gatling gun, Adams rattling off the lines in a grim, determined voice and at some speed. Well now, he's singing about desecration and the next part is called “The desecration of Hector's body”, so maybe I have missed a part out. Hard to say when there's no clear running time but even so, whichever it is, this is a good hard rocker with a lot of menace in it. It's also broken into two parts, so buggered if (assuming this is it, which I think it is) I can tell which is which. Where are we now? Twenty minutes in.

Now we get a nice classical guitar solo from Shankle, bit of a “look-at-me!” sort of thing but not bad. Heading towards the ending part now, with the “Glory of Achilles” comes in with a big bombastic guitar and rolling drums, as Achilles revels in his triumph, Troy burning and the long war at its end at last. There's some good shredding, but it doesn't end as I would have expected, in fact it FADES OUT! Weird.

After that epic we're back to basics with “Metal warriors”; having explored the classics the boys are back giving the finger to poseurs and declaring “If you don't like Heavy Metal/ You are not my friend!” It's something of a comedown after the epic, but then there's a deep growly animalistic roar that would not be out of place on a Slayer album to kick off “Ride the dragon”, though the vocal seems to go off on one of the speakers; it's like it's coming out of a speaker that's not working, and I know mine are. Bit unbalancing. Good fast hard rocker though, and it leads into “Spirit horse of the Cherokee”, opening on a sort of whistling, flutey sound with wind effects and a wolf howling. Or maybe it's coyotes. Something canine anyway. A mix of voices then speak, sort of reminds me of the spoken part in “Angel of Death” off Renegade.

Horse whinneys now of course, then the sound of hooves galloping before Shankle's guitar slices through with a pounding beat from Edwards, indeed a kind of tribal rhythm being set up here. Adams's voice takes flight as if riding on the back of one of these untameable animals, hollering into the wind, his hair streaming back like a flag. “Burning”, however, just bores me. It's kind of like the “Hatred” of this album. Manowar fans will know what I mean. Both of us. “The power of thy sword” sounds like it includes the actual sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard, which if it is the case makes this cool before it even begins. The warrior chorus is back and Shankle's guitar is doing what it does best, machinegunning down all before it. Speeding along like an arrow, the track features a really great hook and some of Adams's best screams. Yeah, that's a sword being drawn all right; they just did it again.

Seemed like it was over, and I was about to say that was a quick eight minutes, but no, it's fading down to nothing before rising slowly on what appears to be a dark keyboard line and a very very low vocal from Eric. Very grand, very dramatic, and still at this point very quiet ... oh here it comes. Power slowly building, swelling and there's the organ with the hammering guitar smashing its way through. Warrior chorus returning, everything kicking up as we head towards the conclusion ... and it's another one that fades. Hmm. Damn good song though. Another almost eight minute track in “The Demon's whip”, which begins with more roars, flames, the sound (obviously) of whips, and takes nearly ninety seconds before any music comes in. When it does, the song reminds me of Rainbow and Sabbath with hints of Zep too. Quite a blues sort of song, not the sort of thing I expect from Manowar to be honest. It does get heavier as it goes, but it starts a little seventies hard rock.

Big powerful fast-as-hell ending through, and then we ease into the closer, as “Master of the wind” comes in on a soft acoustic guitar with a lonely vocal from Adams; I reckon there are keys in there too. Rolling drums bring in pealing bells, and I wonder if this could possibly be a ballad? Don't think I've actually ever heard a Manowar ballad, if such a thing exists. Well there's no explosion of frenzied guitar yet, and is that a flute I hear? I believe Joey plays the piccolo, so maybe. I'd be really surprised if this was going to kick into life at this point. Orchestral style keys with a dark, doomy kind of dramatic sound. Really good closer, very impressed.

TRACKLISTING

1. Achilles: Agony and the Ecstasy in Eight Parts
Prelude
(i) Hector storms the walls
(ii) The death of Patroclus
(iii) Funeral march
(iv) Armour of the gods
(v) Hector's final hour
(vi) Death Hector's reward
(vii) The desecration of Hector's body
(viii) The glory of Achilles
2. Metal warriors
3. Ride the dragon
4. Spirit horse of the Cherokee
5. Burning
6. The power of thy sword
7. The demon's whip
8. Master of the wind

Yeah, this is far more like it! This is the Manowar I remember. Sure, there's the odd duff track (“Metal warriors”, the awful “Burning”), but the power of the opener and indeed the closer make this album, and it's treading on Virgin Steele territory at times. Of course, again they're mixing mythologies, what with Thor being Norse (though that was on the other album) and Achilles obviously Greek, but then, what band doesn't do that? The power and passion in this album is evident for all to see, and even the absence of the mighty Ross doesn't diminish it as I had believed it would.

So I have no problem rating this at a very solid

Unknown Soldier · 07-09-2015, 02:31 PM

I thought you were doing Sign of the Hammer or are you doing two albums?

Trollheart · 07-09-2015, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

I thought you were doing Sign of the Hammer or are you doing two albums?

Already done that one. I'm a reviewing machine!

The Batlord · 07-09-2015, 03:48 PM

I've only ever been able to listen to "Achilles" in full maybe twice. That song is just ass. Manowar were never exactly brilliant songwriters, and trying to do that song just exposes their limitations for all the world to see. It just feels like a bunch of solos haphazardly slapped together without any kind of logic.

And "Metal Warriors" is awesome.

Trollheart · 07-09-2015, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I've only ever been able to listen to "Achilles" in full maybe twice. That song is just ass. Manowar were never exactly brilliant songwriters, and trying to do that song just exposes their limitations for all the world to see. It just feels like a bunch of solos haphazardly slapped together without any kind of logic.

And "Metal Warriors" is awesome.

It was a bit tiresome. I love "Gates of Valhalla", but they're no Virgin Steele, let's be honest here.

William_the_Bloody · 07-09-2015, 05:21 PM

Believe it or not, I actually know a guy with a huge Manowar tattoo across his back.

The band is supposed to be cheesy right? Like a Spinal Tap parody? Or are they the real deal ???!!!

The Batlord · 07-09-2015, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by William_the_Bloody

Believe it or not, I actually know a guy with a huge Manowar tattoo across his back.

I'll bet he gets all the pussy.

William_the_Bloody · 07-09-2015, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I'll bet he gets all the pussy.

Lol, ya I've heard that Manowar is the ultimate chic magnet. Got to get hooked up.

**Frownland** · 07-10-2015, 12:10 AM

You'll certainly see quite a few people with large boobs and long hair at their concerts, but I'm not sure about finding any females.

Thelonious Monkey · 07-11-2015, 03:43 PM

Sorry for being last minute, but I can't be arsed to review Battle Hymns. Somebody can take my album I guess.

07-09-2015, 02:26 PM	#21 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	The Triumph of Steel (1992) There are a few things that get me about this album right from the off. Firstly, I look and see again only eight tracks, and I think, nice one Trollheart! Good pick! Then I look closer and I see that oen of them, the opener in fact, is twenty-eight minutes long! That's a shock, but then I see it's about the epic face-off between Achilles and Hector during the Trojan War, and I'm already looking forward to it. Secondly, I see there is no Ross the Boss! NOOOOOO!!! The founder and lead axeman --- well, only axeman! --- of this band has flown the coop? How can they survive? How indeed. He's replaced/succeeded by David Shankle. Huh? Who he? Well according to Wiki's brief entry on him he didn't do anything before joining Manowar. Let's see what Metal Archives have on him. Oh man! Nothing really, and just LOOK at the guy! He looks like that long hair has been attached as extensions! Nor does he look too happy. Well, who would, trying to step into those iron shoes left behind by the former lead guitarist and creator of the band? Still, I guess it's more about how he sounds and how well he fills the gaping hole left by the departure of Ross that we're more interested in than if his hair is real. Let's just take a quick looksee at the Manowar website though, see what they have to say about him. Okay. Not even mentioned, as he's been replaced since, well, right after this album. Ah man that sucks! They don't even have a bio, or even a word for Ross on their site! Shame on you guys! What happened to honour and brotherhood? Anyway, before I get too deeply into that and forget why I came here, let's kick this beast off and see how it compares to the last Manowar album I listened to, which was, to be fair, pretty average and something of a disappointment. Well, there's a strong, triumphant, marching beat to get us underway then we're off on a rolling guitar line with elements of Lizzy's “Emerald” thrown in as Achilles: Agony and Ectascy in Eight Parts” kicks the album off. After a few minutes it slows down to a dramatic, stately dirge driven on low almost muted organ, and just Adams's vocal. Pealing bells then take in the next part (it's divided into, as the title says, eight sections, but it's hard to know how it's subdivided) with harmony guitar taking the tune on its own, before percussion joins in slowly, hammering out the beat with single strokes as the guitars continue, and I'm assuming this is “Funeral march”, which is the third part of the suite. We're now eight minutes in as cymbals, hi-hats and other lightweight drums take over for what may be “Armour of the gods”, this developing then into a full-blown drum solo from Kenny Earl “Rhino” Edwards, also making his only appearance with Manowar on this one album, and while it certainly has a metal, militaristic feel, hell I just hate drum solos and this one goes on too long. Finally Shankle rides to the rescue, cutting through the overdone solo with his guitar like a knife through something very soft, and I would hazard that we're into part V, “Hector's final hour”. The vocal here begins quite low, but soon enough Adams raises his voice in his death throes as he assumes the persona of the Trojan hero, the warrior chorus swelling behind him. It sounds like there are keys here too; I know Manowar used them when Ross was with them, but I see no credits for them on this album. I'd imagine they're there though. Hector's life blood ebbs away and the track fades out as he dies, then pounds into the next part as “Death Hector's Award” goes heads-down for it, hammering along at lightspeed, Shankle's guitar like a gatling gun, Adams rattling off the lines in a grim, determined voice and at some speed. Well now, he's singing about desecration and the next part is called “The desecration of Hector's body”, so maybe I have missed a part out. Hard to say when there's no clear running time but even so, whichever it is, this is a good hard rocker with a lot of menace in it. It's also broken into two parts, so buggered if (assuming this is it, which I think it is) I can tell which is which. Where are we now? Twenty minutes in. Now we get a nice classical guitar solo from Shankle, bit of a “look-at-me!” sort of thing but not bad. Heading towards the ending part now, with the “Glory of Achilles” comes in with a big bombastic guitar and rolling drums, as Achilles revels in his triumph, Troy burning and the long war at its end at last. There's some good shredding, but it doesn't end as I would have expected, in fact it FADES OUT! Weird. After that epic we're back to basics with “Metal warriors”; having explored the classics the boys are back giving the finger to poseurs and declaring “If you don't like Heavy Metal/ You are not my friend!” It's something of a comedown after the epic, but then there's a deep growly animalistic roar that would not be out of place on a Slayer album to kick off “Ride the dragon”, though the vocal seems to go off on one of the speakers; it's like it's coming out of a speaker that's not working, and I know mine are. Bit unbalancing. Good fast hard rocker though, and it leads into “Spirit horse of the Cherokee”, opening on a sort of whistling, flutey sound with wind effects and a wolf howling. Or maybe it's coyotes. Something canine anyway. A mix of voices then speak, sort of reminds me of the spoken part in “Angel of Death” off Renegade. Horse whinneys now of course, then the sound of hooves galloping before Shankle's guitar slices through with a pounding beat from Edwards, indeed a kind of tribal rhythm being set up here. Adams's voice takes flight as if riding on the back of one of these untameable animals, hollering into the wind, his hair streaming back like a flag. “Burning”, however, just bores me. It's kind of like the “Hatred” of this album. Manowar fans will know what I mean. Both of us. “The power of thy sword” sounds like it includes the actual sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard, which if it is the case makes this cool before it even begins. The warrior chorus is back and Shankle's guitar is doing what it does best, machinegunning down all before it. Speeding along like an arrow, the track features a really great hook and some of Adams's best screams. Yeah, that's a sword being drawn all right; they just did it again. Seemed like it was over, and I was about to say that was a quick eight minutes, but no, it's fading down to nothing before rising slowly on what appears to be a dark keyboard line and a very very low vocal from Eric. Very grand, very dramatic, and still at this point very quiet ... oh here it comes. Power slowly building, swelling and there's the organ with the hammering guitar smashing its way through. Warrior chorus returning, everything kicking up as we head towards the conclusion ... and it's another one that fades. Hmm. Damn good song though. Another almost eight minute track in “The Demon's whip”, which begins with more roars, flames, the sound (obviously) of whips, and takes nearly ninety seconds before any music comes in. When it does, the song reminds me of Rainbow and Sabbath with hints of Zep too. Quite a blues sort of song, not the sort of thing I expect from Manowar to be honest. It does get heavier as it goes, but it starts a little seventies hard rock. Big powerful fast-as-hell ending through, and then we ease into the closer, as “Master of the wind” comes in on a soft acoustic guitar with a lonely vocal from Adams; I reckon there are keys in there too. Rolling drums bring in pealing bells, and I wonder if this could possibly be a ballad? Don't think I've actually ever heard a Manowar ballad, if such a thing exists. Well there's no explosion of frenzied guitar yet, and is that a flute I hear? I believe Joey plays the piccolo, so maybe. I'd be really surprised if this was going to kick into life at this point. Orchestral style keys with a dark, doomy kind of dramatic sound. Really good closer, very impressed. TRACKLISTING 1. Achilles: Agony and the Ecstasy in Eight Parts Prelude (i) Hector storms the walls (ii) The death of Patroclus (iii) Funeral march (iv) Armour of the gods (v) Hector's final hour (vi) Death Hector's reward (vii) The desecration of Hector's body (viii) The glory of Achilles 2. Metal warriors 3. Ride the dragon 4. Spirit horse of the Cherokee 5. Burning 6. The power of thy sword 7. The demon's whip 8. Master of the wind Yeah, this is far more like it! This is the Manowar I remember. Sure, there's the odd duff track (“Metal warriors”, the awful “Burning”), but the power of the opener and indeed the closer make this album, and it's treading on Virgin Steele territory at times. Of course, again they're mixing mythologies, what with Thor being Norse (though that was on the other album) and Achilles obviously Greek, but then, what band doesn't do that? The power and passion in this album is evident for all to see, and even the absence of the mighty Ross doesn't diminish it as I had believed it would. So I have no problem rating this at a very solid __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-10-2015, 12:10 AM	#29 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	You'll certainly see quite a few people with large boobs and long hair at their concerts, but I'm not sure about finding any females. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

07-09-2015, 05:21 PM	#26 (permalink)
William_the_Bloody Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Sunnydale Cemetary Posts: 2,093	Believe it or not, I actually know a guy with a huge Manowar tattoo across his back. The band is supposed to be cheesy right? Like a Spinal Tap parody? Or are they the real deal ???!!!

07-11-2015, 03:43 PM	#30 (permalink)
Thelonious Monkey Caesar is home. Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 876	Sorry for being last minute, but I can't be arsed to review Battle Hymns. Somebody can take my album I guess.