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THE REVIEW
I must say that I am a huge fan of Manowar, but after listening to this album, I just can't say HAIL TO THE KINGS.
"The Triumph Of Steel", aided by the departure of Ross The Boss and Karl Logan in favor of David Shankle and Rhino, turns out to be the least inspired album in the glorious career of Joey, Eric & co. It starts with "Achilles, Agony And Ecstasy In Eight Parts": a good start, some flashes of class here and there, for the rest 28 minutes of boredom and unnecessary technicalities (see "Armor Of The Gods" or, worse yet, "Desecration of Hector's Body"). Unfortunately, things do not improve with the second track ("Metal Warriors"), which suffers from decidedly subpar guitar work. The fact that Eric Adams starts screaming like a desperate housewife halfway through the piece certainly doesn't help matters. "Ride The Dragon", on the other hand, rocks pretty hard, although it must be pointed out that this piece is shamelessly self-plagiarized from "Black Wind, Fire And Steel". Finally, we arrive at "Spirit Horse Of The Cherokee", where the band shows their prowess to gift True Metal a song worthy of their name: Eric Adams sings like a god, greatly supported by a band that seems to have rediscovered the glory days of "Fighting The World" and "Kings Of Metal".
Alas, once this happy interlude is over, we plunge into the utter darkness with the indefensible "Burning", where there is really the suspicion that it isn't Eric singing. Not since the days of "Black Arrows" has anything so horrendous been seen in a Manowar album. We then arrive at "The Power Of Thy Sword" and "The Demon's Whip", which could be genuine pieces de resistance (especially the former), but they are penalized by an excessive duration that dilutes their strength. There remains "Master Of The Wind", a more melancholic and less baroque ballad compared to the band's usual standards, which closes in an epic and nuanced way an album, born of a moment of crisis and a reshuffled line-up that doesn't do justice to these splendid warriors of True Metal.
The crisis will partially involve the subsequent "Louder Than Hell" as well, only to dissolve entirely with "Warriors Of The World" and especially with a stunning and Wagnerian concept album "Gods Of War" (review coming soon). Even the best make mistakes, so I still say HAIL TO THE KINGS.
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Summary by Bot
This review critiques Manowar's The Triumph Of Steel as the band's least inspired album, hampered by lineup changes and technical overreach. While some tracks like "Spirit Horse Of The Cherokee" and "Ride The Dragon" stand out, many suffer from excessive length, uninspired guitar work, and strained vocals. The album reflects a period of crisis, partially redeemed by later releases. Overall, it fails to live up to Manowar's legendary standards.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Manowar
Manowar is an American heavy metal band formed in New York, known for epic, mythology-tinged lyrics, anthemic choruses and exceptionally loud live shows. Key releases include Kings of Metal, Into Glory Ride and Hail To England.47 Reviews
Other reviews
By James1
Imagine yourself in a medieval plain... armed with a long golden sword forged by the gods and an invincible armor... this is Triumph Of Steel.
You must have it if you're a fan of the genre, at least to listen once to The Power Of Thy Sword or Master Of The Wind.
By mayhem
"’Triumph of Steel’, ultra-classic heavy metal, with 50,000 piercing screams of Eric Adams per song, the super-tight power chords, the beautiful and ultra-fast solos, is an album that deserves recognition."
"Here’s the true gem of the album... ’Master Of The Wind’. Only acoustic guitar, almost imperceptible, and Adams’ voice in all its splendor: every dream is allowed, let’s believe in them, and move forward at any cost."
