Louder than what? (Louder Than Hell - Manowar)

Member Name: xBorgx

Product:	Louder Than Hell - Manowar
Date:	13/09/09 (50 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: One good song, one okay song and several awful songs...

Disadvantages: One good song, one okay song and several awful songs...

It was not my intention to write a review of this album which was released in 1996 by Manowar... not today, not ever. Most of my reviews are thought of in advance, save for the odd spare of the moment review... which is what this certainly is. In fact this CD has not been anywhere near any of my music playing devices for years. I guess I just got bored of them? This was not always the case. Being a fan of Heavy and Power Metal, I used to look forward to the release of their latest albums.

I also used to feel that they were more tongue-in-cheek, how they used to proclaim to the world that they were the loudest, heaviest band in the world, and death to false metal etc. But now I get an inkling that they might well be taking themselves seriously. And that is not good.


So, I guess you have sussed out that these are a metal act? They are also very heroic sounding, a bit like a music version of those old Viking films staring Kirk Douglas. There is very little subject matter in the songs they write, 'We are heavy etc, and the gods make it, don't you know, Viking, Odin! blah-blah...'

Return of the Warlord (5.20) kicks off with a very basic, almost AC/DC type riff (badly done at that!), where the guitar plods along in a very unremarkable intro. Eric Adams' voice is not much more interesting. The chorus is slightly uplifting, but you wish that they might get rid of that pretentious 'We are all metal' blah-de-blah. Very Viking rock.

The Viking rock keeps on coming with Brothers of Metal (Pt1) (3.55). Another very basic riff here and the crunching of the lead is just too tinny. This is not the loudest or heaviest of metal. I feel a sudden urge to pluck a Helloween album from my collection to reassure myself that Metal is actually good....

Wow, there are a few chord changes in The Gods Made Heavy Metal (6.04), but this is short lived as E minor comes soon enough, as well as a catchy chorus. I am thinking of how much I can get for this on Ebay.

Courage (3.49) is a more gentle song and it has a promising beginning. Eric Adams voice is very passionate and we have a lovely piano. A ballad, this is one of the albums highlights... The guitars come in and keep the moment going, but it is just too cliché...

Number 1 (5.12) is more AC/DC rip-off. Get yourself Back In Black instead of this. Number 1, dare I say I would rather have a number two..?

Ah, in Outlaw (3.22) we appear to have something fast, yet it is just very same as we have heard before, but just tinny...

King (6.25) begins with another beautiful piano sound. Eric Adams' voice is once again great here. But then the guitars come in an ruin it. Don't get me wrong, I want the guitars, but this riff, this sound is just terrible and without imagination. Let's have another AC/DC bit here, this time the chorus.

Today is a Good Day to Die (9.43). This starts off with a Spaghetti Western kind of intro and it is quite promising. It is the albums' epic song. The guitars come in well, an almost melancholy sound, along with rumbling thunder. We have several great guitar solos and I must admit to liking this song, so I might hold off Ebay. This is what will give the album an extra star in my final rating...

My Spirit Lives On (2.10) seems like it should be a continuation of the previous song, with Karl Logan doing more solos...

The Power (4.09) is a commercial tune with dark overtones. Not a bad riff. Not a bad song, but still pretentious..

The band:

Eric Adams - Vocals
Scott Columbus - Drums and Percussion
Karl Logan - Guitars
Joey DeMaio - Bass Guitar and Keyboards

Manowar were formed in 1980 and this is their eighth album. They are apparently still going as per 2009, having released a new album recently.

Overall, this is the last album I bought by Manowar and I guess this is because I just got bored of their Nordic Metal. I would recommend that you have a listen to one or two of their songs, but not to take them seriously...

Also published by me as Borg on Ciao UK

Summary: There is better metal out there...