I'm usually not a big fan of bands re-recording their own prior studio album, usually because they fail to recapture the spirit of the original. In the case of Manowar's BATTLE HYMNS MMXI, this doesn't seem so bothersome to me. Given the adequate-at-best production of the original, I can see why they may have wanted to give these songs a sonic upgrade. Their performances are a bit more confident the 2nd time around as one might expect. I did revisit the original after listening to this and believe it's pretty much a toss up between them. The new version does improve certain aspects of the album, but I wouldn't go as far as to say its better as a whole. BATTLE HYMNS MMXI was really meant as a gift for the their fans, even if it offers little more than the original release did.rI'm not quite understanding the hate for this album here on Sputnik, aside from maybe perceived sacrilege or just hatred for Manowar in general. Aside from the sonic upgrade and different performances, it's the same songs played competently enough.
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