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Rating:
"Born to Amplify" (Joey DeMaio, "Carry On")
I find the Manowar guys likable for five main reasons:
A) Having legitimized fur underwear as stage attire at a time when Metal was divided between noisy hairstyles and clichéd studded jackets.
B) Having carried on a (very dignified) career based on just seven words in their lyrics, in alphabetical order:
-Fight
-Fire
-Hell
-King
-Metal
-Steel
-Warrior
C) DeMaio is the only living being I have seen gulp down, in one go and live, a 66 can of beer without then saying: "Don't try this at Home" (Gods of Metal '97)
D) "Il Gods of Metal è diventato troppo commerciale perciò non verremo ma assicuriamo i Fans Italiani che abbiamo una sorpresa per loro" (Eric Adams in an interview with AllMusic last Spring)... They are the only ones whose promises sound like threats.
E) The first metal cassette I ever owned was a compilation, recorded for me by a classmate back in '87, where among other things, there were "Kenewall" and "Peace in the World". Not long after, under pressure ("Are you sure it's saying: Peace in the World, Peace in the World and Kenewall, Kenewall?") my friend admitted to making transcription errors, I'll let you imagine the correct titles.
Gaudy, with no sense of (self)irony and often deadly redundant, sometimes I "gift" them to my listeners: thanks to some records collected in my youth, the aforementioned cassette and a compilation I'm about to discuss. This happens both out of nostalgia for a beautiful period of my life and because, among many things of questionable taste, there is always some (not rare) gem in their discography, after all, be it their technical abilities (even if often used annoyingly) or their sense of melody, the fact is that on certain boring days they can even cheer me up.
The album in question is a "Best of,,," ('94) and the first thing to notice, aside from the ugliest cover in History (I challenge you to find a worse one...), is the presence of tracks from only three albums:
- "Fighting the World" '87
- "Kings of Metal" '88
- "The Triumph of Steel" '92
So the three recorded for EastWest (Atlantic) which had resolved the contract the year before and thus prepared one last opportunity to collect some money, exploiting the name.
This note leads one to think that in the choice of songs, the opinions of the four Defenders had little influence, but aside from the absurd exclusion of "Carry On", one must admit that this collection very well represents that part of their career in which (despite the group's obvious official denials) Manowar tried to approach a wider audience beyond the boundaries of the genre they codified (Epic Metal), with tracks, even if not exactly appealing to the radio world, fairly easy-listening (the already mentioned "Carry On" "Blow your Speaker", "Kingdome Come" etc. etc.).
Ironically, the American combo achieved much more success when they returned to their roots (from 2002 onwards), and the fact that despite the terrible flaws, sonic and otherwise, mentioned above, they are still "alive", active, and angry stands to show it.
I don't want to be misunderstood, however, this collection, although more malleable to untrained ears in the sounds of the "Men of War" still presents those characteristics that made them the most hated group globally: Forced Epicness, Raw Sounds, and Self-Reference.
The same characteristics, however, have captured a (large) group of truly devoted fans: one could also say that in terms of intensity, they are also among the most loved in the world.
One absolutely personal consideration, I'll allow myself at the end: the Manowar can never appeal to non-enthusiasts of the genre and I advise against this album for them, to purists, however, I ask for the freedom to express the idea that their creative peak was from '87 to '92 and therefore not to despise the collection too much in question.
Hoping not to have overly annoyed those who love them (their fans) and those who hate them (the rest of the world) I claim the fact that despite not being too fond of them, I, for Manowar, have affection and hope that they too, despite my infidelity as a Maiden fan, feel the same about me...
Long Live both False and True Metal!
Mo.
The Hell of Steel:
- Fighting the World
- Kings of Metal
- Demon's Whip
- Warrior's Prayer
- Defender
- Crown and the Ring
- Blow Your Speakers
- Metal Warriors
- Black Wind, Fire and Steel
- Hail and Kill
- Power of Thy Sword
- Herz Aus Stahl
- Kingdom Come
- Master of the Wind
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Fighting the World (03:50)
Fight Fight Fight
Fighting The World Every Single Day
Fighting The World For The Right To Play
Heavy Metal In My Brain
I'm Fighting For Metal Cause It's Here To Stay
Fighting Fighting Fighting The World
I've Been Fighting The World
Fighting Fighting Fighting The World
I've Been Fighting
Fight For A Living Fighting The World
Fight For A Living Fighting The World
Fight For A Living Fighting The World
Fight
Now People Keep Asking If We're Gonna Change
I Look Em In The Eye Tell Em No Way
Stripes On A Tiger Don't Wash Away
Manowar�s Made Of Steel Not Clay
Fighting Fighting Fighting The World
I've Been Fighting The World
Fighting Fighting Fighting The World
I've Been Fighting
Fight For A Living Fighting The World
Fight For A Living Fighting The World
Fight For A Living Fighting The World
Fight
See My Brother Standing By My Side
Only Got One Thing On Our Minds
Radio Playing This Nation Wide
Turn It Up Louder �Til We All Get Fried
Fighting Fighting Fighting The World
I've Been Fighting The World
Fighting Fighting Fighting The World
I've Been Fighting
Fight Fighting The World
Fight Fighting The World Yeah
Fight Fighting The World
Fight Fighting The World
Fight For A Living Fighting The World
Fight For A Living Fighting The World
Fight For A Living Fighting The World
Fight
02 Kings of Metal (03:43)
Manowar, Manowar Living On The Road
When We're In Town Speakers Explode
We Don't Attract Whimps 'Cause We're Too Loud
Just True Metal People That's Manowar's Crowd
They Wanna Keep Us Down
But They Can't Last
When We Get Up We're Gonna Kick Your Ass
Gonna Keep On Burning
We Always Will
Other Bands Play - Manowar Kill
Other Bands Play - Manowar Kill
We Like It Hard, We Like It Fast
We Got The Biggest Amps, Man They Blast
The True Metal People Wanna Rock Not Pose
Wearin' Jeans And Leather, Not Cracker Jack Clothes
They Wanna Keep Us Down
But They Can't Last
When We Get Up We're Gonna Kick Your Ass
Gonna Keep On Burning
We Always Will
Other Bands Play - Manowar Kill
Other Bands Play - Manowar Kill
We're The Kings Of Metal Comin' To Town
When We Light Up, Have The Roof Nailed Down
Don't Try To Tell Us That We're Too Loud
'Cause There Ain't No Way That We'll Ever Turn Down
They Wanna Keep Us Down
But They Can't Last
When We Get Up We're Gonna Kick Your Ass
Gonna Keep On Burning
We Always Will
Other Bands Play - Manowar Kill
Other Bands Play - Manowar Kill
03 The Demon's Whip (07:45)
Black candles slowly burning, white fangs and flashing eyes
Hell's wind and incantations summon living fire,
Darkest forces and your demon's black order, black king
The cult that serves the living, accept this offering
Black candles slowly burning, white fangs and flashing eyes
Hell's wind and incantations summon living fire,
As the seven steps await, hear the great bell toll
With a dead man's bones conjure, the enemy of the soul
From the misery and sadness, of the molten seas of hell
Mystic love and mystic symbols in evil dreams there dwell
Darkest forces and your demon's black order, black king
The cult that serves the living, accept this offering
A deadly drink, a meal of hearts, now sacrifice and die
In darkness and destruction, behold the evil eye
And the Demon's whip
Armies of the gods of hell ride across the astral plane
Bearing curses of destruction, sworn beyond the grave
Children of the darkness, all born but to deceive
By the ancient code of evil grant not one reprieve
In the place where evil dwells death can live when all life dies
Wage eternal war on heaven immortal hate below the sky
Your scripture and your sermons, are leaves born on the wind
To heal the unrepentant one needs a greater sin
Night winds, Oblivion see my dark desire
Come forth, appear he is living fire
Feel the Demon's whip
Armies of the gods of hell ride across the astral plane
Bearing curses of destruction, sworn beyond the grave
Children of the darkness, all born but to deceive
By the ancient code of evil grant not one reprieve
In the place where evil dwells death can live when all life dies
Wage eternal war on heaven immortal hate below the sky
Your scripture and your sermons, are leaves borne on the wind
To heal the unrepentant one needs a greater sin
Feel the Demon's whip
05 Defender (06:02)
When you are old enough to read these words
Their meaning will unfold
These words are all that's left
And though we've never meet, my only son
I hope you know
That I would have been there to watch you grow
But my call was heard and I did go
Now your mission lies ahead of you
As it did mine so long ago
To help the helpless ones who all look up to you
And to defend them to the end
Defender
Ride like the wind
Fight proud, my son
You're the defender
God has sent
Father,father,father
I look up to you and heed thy call
This letter ends my search
I'll live your dream now passed on to me
And I now wait to shake the hand of fate
Like the dusk awaiting dawn
So wizards cast your spell
With no heart to do me well
So it's written,it shall be
Defender
Ride like the wind
Fight proud, my son
You're the defender
God has sent
07 Blow Your Speakers (03:39)
Wrote a letter to the M.T.V.
What's goin' on now
Don't ya care about me|
Sent the same letter to the radio,Ha|
But my party went dead
Like a shot in the head
We all like it-Rock and Roll
We all want it-On your show
Play it loud,don't play it low
Blow your speakers with Rock and Roll
We got lots of stations
Around the nation
And the stuff they're playing
It just ain't worth my sayin'
People want music to get'em movin'
We don't want labels
We want music on the table
We all like it-Rock and Roll
We all want it-on your show
Play it loud,don't play it low
Blow your speakers with Rock and Roll
We all like it-Rock and Roll
We want it
We all want it-on your show
Play it loud,don't play it low
Blow your speakers with Rock and Roll
We got lots of stations
Around the nation
And the stuff they're playing
It just ain't worth my sayin'
We all like it-Rock and Roll
We all want it-on your show
Play it loud,don't play it low
Blow your speakers with Rock and Roll
Blow your speaker...Rock and Roll (repeated)
09 Black Wind, Fire and Steel (05:15)
Full moon light is calling me
My kigndom lies within
The mystic soul and lions heart
Brought by the talisman
The ecstasy of battle takes me
Where the falcons fly
Immortal youth was granted me
I will never die
Born of Black wind fire and steel
Born of Black wind fire and steel
Born to teach them all to heel
Born of Black wind fire and steel
Pounded by the hammers
Of the giants of the world
I can see in darkness
I'm the overlord
Single combat I await
My shadow brings them fear
The spikes upon my chariot
Will grind them when they're near
Born of Black wind fire and steel
Born of Black wind fire and steel
Born to teach them all to heel
Born of Black wind fire and steel
I am an outcast on the path of no return
Punisher and swordsman
I was born to burn
Black Wind always follows
Where my black horse rides
Fire's in my soul
Steel is on my side
Born of Black wind fire and steel
Born of Black wind fire and steel
Born to teach them all to heel
Born of Black wind fire and steel
12 Herz aus Stahl (05:11)
Ein Feuer brennt
1000 Meilen weg,
zeig mir den Weg zum Ziel.
Ich reit' Kometen,
Mein Weg ist lang und schwer,
Schweigen ist die schwerste Last.
Kämpf gegen die Welt,
Nimm alles, was es gibt,
Manchmal verlier auch ich.
Geboren um gegen den Wind zu gehen,
geboren um zu verlieren,
Wohin ich geh', geh' ich allein.
Schlag' die Schlacht,
Leb wie Du willst.
Ich kenn' keine Not
Und keine Angst vor'm Tod.
Schlag' die Schlacht,
Du hast die Wahl,
Ich hab' ein Herz aus Stahl.
Geh den Weg nur vorwärts,
Laße nichts zurück,
Es gibt nur eine Chance.
Die jetzt lachen und sich freu'n,
Werden es noch seh'n,
Sie werd'n wie Schnee vergeh'n.
Wir werden geh'n als ein starkes Heer,
Sie beugen das Haupt,
Ihr Mut geht dahin.
Dann lachen wir, vorbei die Qual
und seht das Herz aus Stahl,
zu hart fuer euch - zu hart fuer euch.
Schlag' die Schlacht,
Leb wie Du willst.
Ich kenn' keine Not
Und keine Angst vor'm Tod.
Schlag' die Schlacht,
Du hast die Wahl,
Ich hab' ein Herz aus Stahl.
Ich hab' ein Herz aus Stahl.
Schlag' die Schlacht,
Du hast die Wahl,
Ich hab' ein Herz aus Stahl.
Schlag' die Schlacht,
Leb wie Du willst.
Ich kenn' keine Not
Und keine Angst vor'm Tod.
Schlag' die Schlacht,
Du hast die Wahl,
Ich hab' ein Herz aus Stahl.
13 Kingdom Come (03:56)
See The White Light
The Light Within
Be Your Own Disciple
Fan The Sparks Of Will
For All Of Us Waiting
Your Kingdom Will Come
...Alright
Rays Of Power Shining
Rays Of Magic Fall
On The Golden Voice
That Speaks Within Us All
For All Of Us Waiting
Your Kingdom Will Come
Kingdom Come
Now Feel The White Light
The Light Within
Yea It Burns A Fire
That Drives A Man To Win
For All Of Us Waiting
Your Kingdom Will Come
Kingdom Come
Words Of Power
Calling To Us All
Holding Us Together
While Other Kingdoms Fall
No Longer Waiting
Our Kingdom Has Come
Kingdom Come
Kingdom Coming
Another Kingdom Falls
The Rightful Are Waiting
But All Are Not Rightful
Wait And Receive...
The Weight Of The Fall
Kingdom Come
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