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Manowar: The triumph of steel

28/07/11 || Habakuk

We need more Manowar reviews. Why?

1.) They are, despite their popularity and big name, at least partly one of the most overlooked metal bands – often falsely, but self-inflictedly so.

2.) There are seemingly only two types of reviews for Manowar: Those who praise them to no end, and those who reduce them to a joke. Sure, the band put everything on the line to get dismissed as a ridiculous clown troupe, but should this be the reason why the only people that seriously write about them are those who universally love them? If you ask me, no.

Good thing we exist.

Existentialism aside, yes, but it’s probably the right approach for an album that sets out to re-tell the ancient story of Achilles in a 28-minute epic in eight parts. Which means, half of the album’s playing time is merged into one song, but the other half isn’t too short with seven songs of four minutes or more.

So, into the midst of it: Song 1,” Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy, yadda dadda” – How does it hold up? Okay, it starts great and lasts for three and a half minutes, but then it turns to a really, really tiresome affair. They apparently liked their idea so much, they just forgot to write a song. So, what starts as a cool galloping horse theme turns into a ballad, a transition that seems a bit forced I might say, then a slow, dragging instrumental (“Funeral march”), then a drum solo – what? Yes, a four minute drum solo. Sorry guys, if not earlier, then you’ve now absolutely lost me. We continue with another slow marching section… is this serious? We are now past the sixteen minute mark and it basically could have been cut at 3:30. Now it is abruptly cut. Next: Doublebass with numb riffing for three minutes straight, I kid you not. WHERE IS THE FUCKEN SONG? Not here son, because the next thing we get is: a bass solo. Pardon me, two bass solos!*

For fuck’s sake, stop!

*just in case you’re wondering (“two bass solos, how can this be? Isn’t one already the pinnacle of musicianship, civilization rather?”), the booklet is there to help: Part 1 was played on piccolo bass, part 2 was played on four-string bass. Now that makes sense.

Sigh… we are at 23:30. That is almost exactly twenty minutes after the last good part, when a hint of songwriting returns, and this time around it even holds up against an endless doublebass barrage. Guitar soloing. Finito. Wow. I can honestly say that I will never listen to this longer than Part 1 again. This was an absolute disgrace to music. There is no recurrent theme, no song structure that flows with the story, no feeling, no nothing. Just notes for the sake of having them. Words cannot describe the lifeless mixture of inane pretentiousness and failure on display. No words? Okay, let’s do the numbers: 3:30 of good stuff / 28:37 total length = 0,116 = 11,6 percent. If my calculations are correct, that’s a solid 1 score so far. I knew we were on to something, Professor.

Hey, at least we have the second half of the disc. And if you have any idea of the concept of Camp, you’ll be with me when I say that it gets about ten times better with the insanely brainless “Metal Warriors”… It’s catchy as hell, has one of the best metal lines ever (“Whimps and posers, leave the hall!”) and is in general an awesomely fun affair.

The rest of the songs are more or less good standard fare with a fantastic, punchy production, great bass sound and the occasional great riff, such as the main one in “Burning” or “The demon’s whip”, the latter of which David Shankle lends a thick, Black Sabbathian groove to. A true shame he didn’t get a chance for more in the band, since the songs he (co-)wrote certainly are among the more interesting ones – and they’re pretty much the last riff-based Manowar songs before DeMaio and not-really-songwriter Karl Logan took over.

Sure, there are still flaws where songs should have been trimmed, but I must say I definitely enjoy listening to most of the album which I scored for a mere fiver. Especially, but not exclusively after the snorefest of “Achilles”. And last but not least, Eric Adams simply is a great metal singer. Seen as a whole though, I even enjoy Louder than hell more, and with just one real standout track and a few high-class second tier numbers, I cannot give “The triumph of steel” more than a…

Information
Released: 1994
Label: Atlantic Records
Website: www.manowar.com
Band
Eric Adams: vocals
Joey DeMaio: bass
David Shankle: guitars
Rhino: drums

Tracklist
01. Achilles, Agony and ecstasy in eight parts
02. Metal warriors (Brothers of metal part I)
03. Ride the dragon
04. Spirit horse of the Cherokee
05. Burning
06. The Power of the sword
07. The demon’s whip
08. Master of the wind

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