Review Summary: Give us your word, for the grand final stand...
There are some moments in life of musicians when they get "blessed" with a holy unearthly inspiration. When ideas flow as an endless gushing river without having to actually put much effort in creating. Ideas which start either musically or lyrically and get perfectly matched with each other.
This is the case of "Sign of the hammer". An album full of creativity, inspiration, emotions and musical delightness. Released in the band's greatest period, it stands out as their most shiny gem, passing the torch of heavy metal epicness to every listener that actually takes the time to appraise it. And he doesn't need that big amount of time to do so. Epic monuments as "Thor" and "Sign of the hammer" are capable enough to catch the listener's ear by the first play. The drum intro alone (which gets out of the musical meter/verse and Manowar pick up the tempo right on time and synchronize, showing their musical prowness) of "Thor" leads to one of the most shiny epic moments in history. Great vocals by Eric Adams, simple but distinguishable guitaring, fast solo, epic chorus, it's all there, in the tribute of mighty Thor.
Similar results we have in "The oath", a huge epic track played in fast forward. Some of Eric's best screams are present here. On the other hand, the title track shines in more mid tempo gears and reminds us more of the band's glorious history.
Where this album really shows a "holy touch" is in the tracks "Mountains" and "Guyana". The first song is a travel to our soul, where we search for the most valiant emotion, courage. It's a hymn to braveness and ambition which lead to conquering the most sought out prize, glory. The listener is asked to remove his fears and try to achieve what lies in his heart. There is no other song that actually unites a band with a fan so much. This is maybe a reason why people got a bit frustrated when Manowar ceased to produce that greatness.
The second monumental pick is a tribute to Guyana, where the famous mass suicide of the Jonestown cult took place. From the excellent slow tempo beginning (which reminds "Bridge of death"), to the majestic chorus, paved all the way by Eric's excellent vocals and to the delightful solo of Ross, this is a huge moment for heavy metal music. Backing vocal lines and melodies add to the magnificence and drama of the song.
I don't know if Joey De maio ever surpassed this. I don't know if he even realized what greatness he had produced. He had for sure other memorable moments after this, but not so grandiose and stand-out. Let aside, the somewhat weak production and the two first average tracks. This is one of the greatest accomplishments of heavy metal MUSIC.
