Review Summary: This album has some of the best stuff Manowar have done in years and also some of the worst.
Manowar: The manliest band ever, the band that eats live animals, usees Tabasco sauce as eye drops, as well as using the blood of virgins as pizza sauce. Their flatulence the cause of some forest fires and to top it all off the tale spreading around the internet that Eric Adams is so metal, that he survived 5 abortions before his mother finally gave up.
So what can you expect by the most manliest and "loudest band in the world" 20 years after they first hit the scene? Well, let's find out.
In 2002, Manowar signed with a new label (Nuclear Blast) with a pretty stable line-up. The truth is, Manowar who claim to be "Kings of Metal" actually get less and less metal with every release. We shall go through this album song by song.
Band Line-up:
* Eric Adams – vocals
* Karl Logan – guitars, keyboards
* Joey DeMaio – bass, keyboards
* Scott Columbus – drums
"Warriors of the World" makes me think of
"The Triumph of Steel" because of its uneven nature. This album is a bit appalling at first because it has some of the most amazing stuff I have heard in years by Manowar but also has some of the worst stuff I have heard in years, but the good stuff strongly makes up for it.
Some songs are very good, starting with "A Call to Arms" a powerful and groovy opener. Things go bad with "Fight for Freedom", the intro drags a but and Eric's tone is a bit weird (the arrangements don't help either). "Nessun Dorma" is a song by Pavarotti, it's basically nothing on this album. I do not know if it was management or Joey de Maio who comes up with these weird ideas to have such tracks on the album. "Swords in the Wind" is a nice power-ballad , Eric's voice can be soothing at times and he can be an awesome singer. "An American Trilogy", which us an Elvis Presley cover and I dont know what the heck its doing on this album. Then comes "The March", an instrumental that just makes the album drag more and you start to wonder if this album would ever take off. These three songs are horrible but I can understand why Manowar did them because they were searching for a patriotic theme for the album.
At this stage, the album seems condemned to sink ... But fear not, for it's here that Manowar chooses to recover with "Warriors of the World United." The riff is simplistic, a recurring problem since the arrival of Kar Logan, but I hesitate to hold him accountable for his simplistic riffs, because theyre extremely effective and seem to get the right feeling across.
The pace is then provided by a trio of tracks, fast and energetic. "Hand Of Doom" is one of the most metal tracks you'll ever hear and kind of takes you by surprise here, although Eric's voice isnt as glorious as it used to be, he sings this track really really well. The two closing tracks are really good, "Fight Until We Die"s lyrics will get stuck in your head. Downright awesome.
Pros:
Some really good metal songs here.
Eric's vocals are as good as ever.
This can be a good album to relax and listen to.
Cons:
The album may drag a bit.
Too much filler for the bulk of the album.
In conclusion, some may think that Manowar are sellouts by releasing such an album but keep in mind they have always maintained this kind of a balance between melody and metal. Some may also think that it has too much filler and stupid meandering, but the real songs make it up completely. Get this album if youre a fan of metal. Manowar albums are sure to put hair on your chest!
Rating: 3.5/5
