MANOWAR · Kings Of Metal | SILVER LP

Silver vinyl, black inner sleeve, two-sided insert with lyrics and credits.

Background information about 'Kings Of Metal'

There are albums that define a genre, and then there is "Kings Of Metal" — the record that turned Manowar from a loud cult band into the self-proclaimed loudest force in heavy metal. Reissued on silver vinyl, this is the sound of four warriors deciding that subtlety was never part of the deal. From the first gallop of "Wheels Of Fire" to the closing thunder of "Blood Of The Kings", everything here is built on a scale that borders on the absurd, and that is precisely the point. Joey DeMaio's bass rumbles like a war drum, Eric Adams reaches for notes that should not be humanly possible, and the twin guitar attack of Ross the Boss and David Shankle cuts through the mix like a broadsword.

The title track remains one of the great metal anthems of the late eighties — a chest-beating, fist-raising declaration that still detonates live. "Heart Of Steel" slows things down into a genuinely moving ballad without ever losing its steel spine, while "Sting Of The Bumblebee" is a shameless, glorious display of technical showmanship that exists purely because the band could pull it off. The bonus track "Pleasure Slave" adds a rawer, more controversial edge to the running order, and "Hail And Kill" is simply one of the most satisfying choruses ever committed to tape.

Is it over the top? Absolutely. Is it sincere? Completely. That combination is what makes this album endure nearly four decades on, and hearing it pressed on silver wax with the lyrics and credits laid out on a solid paper insert is exactly how this kind of music deserves to be experienced.

For fans of: Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, Omen, Virgin Steele, Grave Digger

Other Versions

2-LP DLP · Sold out USED LP · Sold out

Track listing

A1. Wheels Of Fire
A2. Kings Of Metal
A3. Heart Of Steel
A4. Sting Of The Bumblebee
A5. The Crown And The Ring (Lament Of The Kings)
A6. Kingdom Come
B1. Pleasure Slave
B2. Hail And Kill
B3. The Warriors Prayer
B4. Blood Of The Kings

Manufacturer: Listenable Records, 26 Rue de Bertinghen, 62200 Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France, Contact: www.listenable.eu