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Rating:
After 6 years, 6 long years of waiting interrupted only by the excellent live performances "Hell on Wheels", "Hell on Stage", and the first release of the live series "Hell on Earth: Part I", Manowar are back in the spotlight, this time with a fresh studio work. The new album, "Warriors of the World", is released 6 years after the moderate and much-criticized "Louder than Hell", which marked the return of the historic drummer Scott Columbus and the debut of the talented Karl Logan. This work, certainly anticipated, sparked criticism about the band just 5 seconds after the announcement of a new Manowar album. Indeed, few bands can ignite discussions like Manowar. But let's set aside the criticism and see what the 4 musicians of New York's true metal have to offer us. The album opens with "Call to Arms", a solid track supported by a heavy-as-few drums (and from Scott, a simple yet extremely powerful drummer, I expect nothing else), and a bass that backs up a voice laden with anger like Eric Adams'. A track that absolutely charges you up, a perfect opener I would say. After "Call to Arms", it continues with "Fight for Freedom", a semi-ballad in which Adams demonstrates the full range of his voice, angry and gritty at one moment, and sweet and gentle the next. A truly excellent track, also noteworthy is Logan's excellent solo. With "Nessun Dorma", Manowar pay their tribute to the Italian people, and it must be said that this song represents one of the peaks of the band. Eric sings in an absolutely fantastic way, the track gives chills and guaranteed goosebumps, a song so beautiful that it will then be reprised at the Gods of Metal of the same year, and in 2012. After the brief interlude called "Valhalla", begins one of the most beautiful episodes of the album, and probably one of the best ballads of the American quartet, second only to "The Heart of Steel". We are talking about "Swords in the Wind", a ballad in which all the instruments work perfectly, and Adams' voice... Well, I won't even start talking about it. One of the best Manowar tracks, absolutely. "An American Trilogy" doesn't deviate much from the previous ones, a good song, with an Adams still in great shape. After the brief "The March", there is a sudden acceleration in the album, and abruptly. The title track bursts with devastating drums and bass, in an intro of over a minute, and what emerges is a solid song, based on a simple but effective rhythm, and certainly one of the best songs to perform live. The triptych that follows, and takes us to the end of the album, is an anger that makes the ears bleed. "Hand of Doom" is certainly an excellent track, with a central break in which Adams makes his anger felt by the listener, it seems like a rabid dog on a leash just waiting to be unleashed and destroy everything. "House of Death" follows the same line, although after the second refrain it tends to become a bit repetitive. "Fight Until We Die" can be described in a single word: POWER. An Eric Adams at his best, Demaio with his bass, not too excessive, keeps the song at an excellent level, and Logan and Columbus "dialogue" greatly with the instruments. Great screams at the end for Adams, whom I consider one of the best metal singers ever existed.
The only flaw of this work, in my opinion, is perhaps the choice of the order of the songs. Because starting with an opener like "Call to Arms", only to follow it with 4 ballads/semi-ballads is slightly excessive, and tends to bore those who are listening to the album for the first time. Apart from this, the album is well-executed, and all the musicians are in great shape, including Adams. What can I say, criticisms for Manowar don't hold here, a truly excellent album. Not at the splendor of "Into Glory Ride" of course, it would be foolish to think so, but still very enjoyable.
Hail!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 All Men Play on 10 (04:01)
Original lyrics
I made a rock'n'roll sin
When I tried givin in to
Make money had to turn down low.
They said, "why be proud, don't play so loud,
Be like us and get a sound that's real thin.
Wear a polyester suit, act happy look cute,
Get a haircut and buy small gear"
That's when I turned to them and said,
"hold it, right there!"
Well it's more to me than just a job,
And while I'm playin' you won't get robbed.
Nobody tells a man how to play,
It just ain't that way hey, hey, hey,
Can you hear me say...
All men play on ten,
Never gonna turn down again.
All men play on ten,
Never gonna turn down.
I'm jet fuel honey, plug me into 220
Step back and let my fingers fly
While I'm burning up my gear
There's a fire in your ear
That won't stop until the day you die.
I really put it to the floor when I hear the crowd roar
Oh it's music to my ears when they scream
Then I run back to the power rack
And deck all of my gear.
Well it's more to me than just a job,
And while I'm playin' you won't get robbed.
Nobody tells a man how to play,
It just ain't that way hey, hey, hey,
Can you hear me say...
02 Animals (03:33)
Hear The Call Of The Wild In Us All
It Waits For The Night To Fall
I'm Getting Hot, I'm Ready For The Night
No Holdin' Back, Let's Ball
I'm Gonna Give All You Can Take All Night
And Leave You In The Morning Feeling Right
I'm An Animal, There's An Animal In Me
Gonna Set It Free
I'm An Animal, There's An Animal In Me
Gonna Set It Free
I've Been Looking, You've Been Watching From The Side
There's Something You Just Can't Hide
Oh, Your Getting Wet, Your Working Up A Sweat
Your Hairs Standing Up On End
Your Skin Is Screaming, Glad We Met?
Tonight's One Night You Won't Forget
I'm An Animal, There's An Animal In Me
Gonna Set It Free
I'm An Animal, There's An Animal In Me
Gonna Set It Free
03 Thor (The Powerhead) (05:23)
Black Clouds On The Horizon
Great Thunder And Burning Rain
His Chariot Pounding, I Heard The Heavens Scream His Name
I Watched As He Shouted
To The Giants who Died That Day
He Held Up His Hammer High
And Called To Odin For A Sign
Thor The Mighty, Thor The Brave
Crush The Infidels In Your Way
By Your Hammer Let None Be Saved
Live To Die On That Final Day
Gods, Monsters And Men
Will Die Together In The End
God Of Thunder, God Of Rain
Earth Shaker Who Feels No Pain
The Powerhead Of The Universe
Now Send Your Never Ending Curse
I Watched As He Shouted
To The Giants Who Died That Day
He Held Up His Hammer High And Called To Odin For A Sign
Thor The Mighty, Thor The Brave
Crush The Infidels In Your Way
By Your Hammer Let None Be Saved
Live To Die On That Final Day
Gods, Monsters And Men
Will Die Together In The End
Swing Your Hammer To Crack The Sky
Lift Your Cape So That You Might Fly
Back To Odin And The Gods On High
And Leave This Mortal World
Thor The Mighty, Thor The Brave
Crush The Infidels In Your Way
By Your Hammer Let None Be Saved
Live To Die On That Final Day
Gods, Monsters And Men
Will Die Together In The End
04 Mountains (07:39)
So Tall, Silent Against The Sky
Up Through The Clouds Where Eagles Fly
Wind And Rain Beat Down On One So Strong
They Cut But Never Change, What Stood So Long
Tall As A Mountain, I'm Gonna Tear Through The Sky
Life's For The Takin'
Like A Man Is A Mountainside
Greatness Waits For Those Who Try
None Can Teach You, It's All Inside
Just Climb
I Am In The Ground, I Am In The Air, I Am All
I Live In The Hearts Of All Men
I Am The Call To Greatness
Not All Can Hear
I Awaken The Creator, In Those Who Dare
And The Day Will Come, When We All Must Die
And Enter The Mountainside
Tall As A Mountain, I'm Gonna Tear Through The Sky
Life's For The Takin'
Like A Man Is A Mountainside
Greatness Waits For Those Who Try
None Can Teach You, It's All Inside
Just Climb
I Have No Fear
Death And Glory
Both Draw Near
Like A Man Is A Mountainside
Greatness Waits For Those Who Try
None Can Teach You, It's All Inside
Just Climb
05 Sign of the Hammer (04:18)
The Spell Has Been Broken, The Curse Has Been Lifted
Black Is The Wind On The Heels Of The Gifted
Four Sworn To Vengeance, See The Hate In Our Eyes
Called By The Gods And Given A Sign
Onward Pounding Into Glory Ride
Sign Of The Hammer, Be My Guide
Final Warning All Stand Aside
Sign Of The Hammer, It's My Time
Pounding, Pounding, We Are Back From The Dead
Those Who Denied Us Are Delivered Instead
Into The Hands Of Four Sworn To Ride
Now The People Will Triumph And Live By The Sign
Onward Pounding Into Glory Ride
Sign Of The Hammer, Be My Guide
Final Warning All Stand Aside
Sign Of The Hammer, It's My Time
The Spell Has Been Broken, The Curse Has Been Lifted
Black Is The Wind On The Heels Of The Gifted
Four Sworn To Vengeance, See The Hate In Our Eyes
Called By The Gods And Given A Sign
Onward Pounding Into Glory Ride
Sign Of The Hammer, Be My Guide
Final Warning All Stand Aside
Old Men And Young Boys, It's My Time
Sign Of The Hammer, Be My Guide
Sign Of The Hammer, It's My Time
06 The Oath (04:54)
Burning Embers Of The Second Death Will Come In The Night
Priests And Kings, The Alpha And Omega, Poison Bites
False Prophets And Deceivers, Swing From The Trees
Now. Dawn The Age Of Birds
Drunk With Blood, Like Lepers With Disease
Lord Of The Sky, Mercury The Guide
Lord Of The Underworld, I Swear The Sacred Rite
I Will Crucify, Slay Them With Their Tribe
Hear My War Cry
They'll Find No Sanctuary Hidden In Their Ancestral Halls
Let Loose The Knot That Binds
The Spirit And Flesh, Let It Fall
For Only Courage And Heroism Linger After Death
So, Hold Fast Thy Sword, Rejecting Pain, Feel The Dragons
Breath
Lord Of The Sky, Mercury The Guide
Lord Of The Underworld, I Swear The Sacred Rite
I Will Crucify, Slay Them With Their Tribe
Hear My War Cry
I've Sworn The Oath
I've Sworn The Oath
I've Sworn The Oath
Lord Of The Sky, Mercury The Guide
Lord Of The Underworld, I Swear The Sacred Rite
I Will Crucify, Slay Them With Their Tribe
Hear My War Cry
Burning Embers Of The Second Death Will Come In The Night
Priests And Kings, The Alpha And Omega, Poison Bites
False Prophets And Deceivers, Swing From The Trees
Now. Dawn The Age Of Birds
Drunk With Blood, Like Lepers With Disease
Lord Of The Sky, Mercury The Guide
Lord Of The Underworld, I Swear The Sacred Rite
I Will Crucify, Slay Them With Their Tribe
Hear My War Cry
I've Sworn The Oath
I've Sworn The Oath
I've Sworn The Oath
08 Guyana (Cult of the Damned) (07:10)
We thank you for the cool aid, reverend jim
We're glad to leave behind their world of sin
Our lifeless bodies fall on holy ground
Rotting flesh, a sacrificial mound
Were you our God or a man in a play
Who took our applause and forced us to stay
Now all together we lived as we died
On your command by your side
Guyana in the cult of the damned
Give us your word for the grand final stand
Guyana in the cult of the damned
Give us your word for the grand final stand
In the cult of the damned we all worked the land
Too afraid to look up we all feared his hand
Hurry my children there isn't much time
But we'll meet again on the other side
Be good to the children and old people first
Hand them a drink they're dying of thirst
Bigfoot bigfoot thrown in a well
Pulled under water screaming like hell
He told us life was just a hotel
Time to check out when he rang the bell
Mother, mother
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By fritz
"Thor battles the giants in what seems to be the final battle where, according to Norse mythology, the Gods will meet their demise and the world will end."
"'Guyana (Cult Of The Damned)'... perfectly fits the role of an adept about to carry out the last macabre order, sending shivers down your spine."
