Early on in their career, I could never quite decide whether they were real or just one big gimmick. Other than the demo album (that was not widely available), this is Manowar’s sixth studio album. Proudly displaying “Full Digital Recording” on the cover, it sounds pretty good on this original analog record. By this time, it was becoming more like a Joey DeMaio solo album, as all but two of the tracks were written by him alone – the others were joint efforts with Ross The Boss (who would leave the band after this album).
The album has a mix of grandiose over the top statements like Hearts Of Steel, The Crown And The King, and The Warriors Prayer, and straight melodic rockers like Kings Of Metal, and Hail And Kill. The band are telling us they are going to kick our asses, as Manowar kills and other bands just play. Of course this is all rabble rousing stuff and it’s what made them fun. I loved all the imagery as they looked like they sounded – pure warriors of metal. It’s still fun to listen to this some 34 years later, and I am transported back to a night in a phone box. Happy days!
9/10 from The Grooveman.
