Manowar - LOUDER THAN ** - [CD]

Manowar: Eric Adams (vocals); Karl Logan (guitar); Joey DeMaio (keyboards, bass); Scott Columbus (drums, percussion). Audio Mixer: Rich Breen . Recording information: Haus Wahnfried, NJ; Sound Castle Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA. Unknown Contributor Roles: John Kalodner; Justin Meldal-Johnsen. Led by bassist Joey DeMaio and his singular metallic musical vision, Louder Than ** is another exercise in power metal evangelism peculiar to Manowar. The British Steel-like opener "Return of the Warlords" emphasizes the American band's rare ability to offer very European-sounding '80s metal. The ballad "Courage," like most of the group's slower numbers, is an abysmal failure. Fortunately, there are only a couple of these boring battle hymns included on this 1996 release. The shred-metal rhythmic constructs are also in limited quantity, but "Outlaw" with its pile-driving, 16th-note rhythm is up to the speedy standard set on The Triumph of Steel. A distinctly old-school Judas Priest vibe is apparent during the mid-tempo chunk of Louder Than **. Eric Adams' confident vocals don't wither one bit when compared to those of legendary screamer Rob Halford and reinforces the classic influence. Sure, Manowar's "true metal" flag-waving is tedious and **, but non-judgmental metal fans willing to overlook the bad comic book imagery will eventually marvel at the band's ability to create and capture their own brand of unapologetic power metal. ~ Vincent JeffriesJust when you thought heavy metal had either died or mutated into dissonant alternative music, along comes Manowar to prove once again that straight-ahead guitar crunch, powerhouse drumming, and histrionic vocal yowls can be far more potent than the latest Nirvana clone band--and far more amusing. On Louder Than **, Manowar guard the heavy metal torch with unintentionally hilarious lines like, "The Gods made heavy metal and they saw that it was good/They said to play it louder than **, we promised that we would." This never-say-die spirit, along with muscular, audacious riffs, razor-sharp hooks, and strong, simple songwriting keeps Manowar's flame burning, even when they resort to violin-laden power ballads like "Courage." --Jon Wiederhorn