Manowar

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Manowar
ManowarLogo.svg

Manowar in the Erfurt exhibition hall in 2016
Manowar in the Erfurt exhibition hall in 2016
General information
Genre (s) True metal , heavy metal , power metal
founding 1980
Website www.manowar.com
Founding members
Eric Adams
Guitar , studio keyboard
Ross "The Boss" Friedman (until 1988)
Bass , studio keyboard
Joey DeMaio
Carl Canedy (until 1981)
Current occupation
singing
Eric Adams
Bass, studio keyboard
Joey DeMaio
guitar
EV Martel (since 2019)
Drums
Anders Johansson (since 2019)
former members
guitar
David Shankle (1988-1993)
guitar
Karl Logan (1994-2018)
Drums
Scott Columbus (1983–1990, 1993–2008, † April 4, 2011)
Drums
Donnie Hamzik (1981–1983, touring drums: 2009–2010, drums: 2010–2017)
Drums
Kenny Earl "Rhino" Edwards (1990–1993, touring drums: 2008)
Drums
Marcus Castellani (2017-2019)

Manowar is an American band that is considered to be the founder of the musical style of true metal .

Band history

1980 to 1990

Manowar was founded in 1980 by Joey DeMaio and Ross "the Boss" Friedman in Auburn, New York . Both met while Heaven and Hell Tour of Black Sabbath know because DeMaio were involved as bass and pyrotechnics and Friedman as a guitarist for the opening act Shakin 'Street on this tour. The band's first and only demo was recorded in 1981 by Joey De Maio (bass), Ross the Boss (guitar), Eric Adams (vocals) and Carl Canedy (drums) and contains the songs Battle Hymn and Shell Shock .

A little later, the band signed their first record deal with Liberty Records and released their debut album Battle Hymns in 1982 , on which Canedy was replaced by Donnie Hamzik on drums. For the recordings, Manowar managed to win over the American director and actor Orson Welles for various text passages in the song Dark Avenger and the piece Defender, which was released as a single via Music for Nations in 1983 . The second album Into Glory Ride was also released in 1983 via Music for Nations and Megaforce Records, among others, and was also Scott Columbus' debut album on drums. In 1984 the third studio album Hail to England was released , followed by the Spectacle of Might Tour across England . After a move to 10 Records , the fourth studio album Sign of the Hammer was also released in 1984 . The tour of the same name took the band to Germany , Sweden and England in October 1984 . In the spring of 1986, the Hail to Europe Tour followed , on which Manowar appeared for the first time as a headliner .

The fifth album Fighting the World was released in 1987 on the major label Atlantic Records and was one of the first metal albums to be recorded digitally. This album and the following tour of the same name marked the band's final breakthrough in Europe .

In 1988 the sixth album Kings of Metal followed , which brought the band further great success and finally gold status in Germany . As a thank you to the German fans, the band recorded the song Heart of Steel in a German version with the title Herz aus Stahl and released it as a single. Immediately after the album, Ross the Boss had to leave the band due to a disagreement with Joey DeMaio and was replaced by David Shankle on the subsequent tour. In 1990 Scott Columbus left the band and handed over his position on drums to Kenny Earl "Rhino" Edwards, who let his previous drums go up in flames during a handover ceremony. In 2010, Columbus denied the rumored reason that his son was ill at the time.

1991 to 2000

The seventh album The Triumph of Steel was released in 1992 with the new line-up . The album was recorded in the band's own recording studio, Haus Wahnfried, and after its release rose to number eight in the German album charts. The subsequent tours took the band across Europe in 1992 and 1994. After completing the tour, David Shankle left the band and was replaced by Karl Logan . Scott Columbus returned to the band. In the meantime, Manowar signed with Geffen Records . In 1996 the eighth studio album Louder Than Hell was released. The album entered the German album charts at number seven, although the subsequent tour was accompanied by a scandal in the form of a concert interruption in Vienna. The live recordings made during this tour formed the basis for the first official live album Hell on Wheels, which was released in 1997 . In 1998 the next European tour took place, which was supposed to provide the live recordings for the second live album Hell on Stage , released in 1999 via Nuclear Blast . In the same year Manowar completed an extensive Scandinavian tour under the title Monsters of the Millennium .

2001 to 2010

In 2001, in addition to the newly mixed and lavishly designed versions of the first three albums, the first DVD called Hell on Earth Part I was released . In 2002 the ninth album Warriors of the World was released by Nuclear Blast and reached high chart positions in various European countries, the single Warriors of the World United reached number 16 in the German single charts. In addition to the album, a DVD of the same name was also released with recordings of various television appearances by Oliver Pocher and Stefan Raab (the appearance in which the band called Raab the "True Brother of Metal" caused a scandal among metal purists) and an EP with the Title The Dawn of Battle . In the same year the second DVD Fire and Blood including the second part of the Hell-on-Earth series and the first complete and officially published concert recording of the band was released. In addition to these publications, Manowar completed the Gods-of-War and Warriors-of-the-World tours.

In 2003 and 2005 part three and part four of the Hell-on-Earth series followed, with the fourth part also containing a new song called King of Kings as a bonus. In the same year the Demons, Dragons and Warriors Tour started , which ended with a show lasting several hours with guest appearances by all former band members at the Earthshaker Festival in Geiselwind . In 2006 a recording of this show was released on DVD under the title The Day the Earth Shook - The Absolute Power . In the same year, the EP The Sons of Odin was released .

In 2007, the tenth studio album Gods of War was released on the band's own label Magic Circle Music . The album was controversial in the music press. The following second part of the Demons, Dragons and Warriors tour took the band back to Europe and ended in Germany with the Magic Circle Festival . In the same year a live album called Gods of War Live and a DVD called Magic Circle Festival Volume 1 were released.

A year later the second Magic Circle Festival took place, at which the band also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Kings of Metal album . Due to a death in the family, Scott Columbus was replaced by the former drummer Rhino, who is said to have recorded the single Die with Honor that was released at this festival . As a thank you to the fans, the new single Die with Honor with an edition of 20,000 was given away to the fans at this festival . The recording of the festival was released in 2008 as Magic Circle Festival Volume 2 on DVD.

In June 2009 Manowar played as part of their Death to Infidels tour at some festivals in Europe and released a new EP called Thunder in the Sky , which, in addition to four new songs, the single Die with Honor , a new version of the classic The Crown and the Ring and the new title Father in 16 different languages.

In 2010, drummer Scott Columbus announced that he had not been a member of the band since speaking with DeMaio in 2008. As with the incident in 1990, Columbus denied the statement that a personal tragedy was the reason for a break. He does not know why he is still officially listed as a member of the band. The reasons given are musical, personal and financial differences.

In October 2010, Joey DeMaio announced that the band is currently working on re-recording the album Battle Hymns . He also confirmed drummer Donnie Hamzik ​​as a new permanent member of the band. On November 26, 2010, the album was released under the name Battle Hymns MMXI .

2011 until today

On April 4, 2011, the former Manowar drummer Columbus died unexpectedly. The project planned during Columbus' lifetime in collaboration with the German writer Wolfgang Hohlbein was never completed.

On June 16, 2012, the twelfth studio album The Lord of Steel was released. It was initially published as a download only in the so-called Hammer Edition and was therefore only available via the online fan shop or via the British edition of the eponymous Metal Hammer magazine. The CD version was released exclusively by the British Metal Hammer on June 26, 2012, and from October 19, 2012 it will also be released in retail stores in a newly mixed version and with a new design.

On December 20, 2013, the band announced that they would re-record the Kings of Metal album on February 28 of the following year on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the release and release it as a double album. The album was released in March 2014.

In May 2016, the band announced in a statement on Facebook that they would split up after one last world tour. Since November 2017, Marcus Castellani, drummer of the Brazilian Manowar cover band Kings of Steel , has replaced the retired Donnie Hamzik.

In the course of the final battle tour in 2019, guitarist EV Martel was hired in January after Karl Logan had been investigated for possession of child pornography since summer 2018 and he subsequently left the band. At the beginning of the tour, Joey DeMaio indicated in an interview with the Russian news agency TASS that the band was not planning to break up. It was merely a misunderstanding because of the name of the tour ( "Final Battle" to German "final battle" ). The band will play fewer concerts, but these should offer a more intense experience and a bigger show for the fans. At the same time announced a three-part series of publications with the same title Final Battle . The first part of this series was sold at concerts and on iTunes as an EP from March 29, 2019, and will be released in retail and mail order on May 30. During the final battle tour, the drummer Castellani was replaced by the former drummer from Yngwie Malmsteen's band and HammerFall Anders Johansson . He also took over the drums when recording the Final Battle EP.

Music genre

The musical means in Manowar's songs are based on the one hand on powerful orchestral and melodious models from symphonic music, such as the compositions of Richard Wagner , but on the other hand also on catchy folkloric elements from a wide variety of cultures. The songs are given special expressiveness by the very multifaceted voice of the singer Eric Adams. The musicians have also worked with well-known artists such as Orson Welles , who spoke the text passages of the songs Defender and Dark Avenger , as well as with Christopher Lee on the re-recording of Dark Avenger in 2001 .

On the album Warriors of the World , the band recorded the Elvis-Presley cover An American Trilogy and the aria Nessun dorma for the first time, two very atypical pieces for heavy metal.

A trademark of the band is the image-building used magical - mystical staged self- image : The second record deal was signed with Megaforce Records in 1983 with the blood of musicians. This self-image can also be found in many song texts. For example, motifs from Nordic mythology and corresponding heroic legends are taken up and mixed with terms such as honor and fame, for example in the “fight” against poser and the “wrong” metal.

The “Sign of the Hammer” greeting symbol, which is often used at concerts, is also part of the band's aura. The left hand encloses the wrist of the right, which is raised above the head with a clenched fist.

The artist Ken Kelly , who has worked for Kiss , among others , has been responsible for the cover illustrations for several years .

Reception and criticism

The band is considered to be particularly fanatical, so in 1988 they released the ballad Herz aus Stahl as a thank you to the fans in Germany, which earned them "both laughter and respect". Because of the text of the Pleasure Slave published as a bonus track , the band came under criticism as "misogynist machos". The band broke off a concert in Vienna after disappointed fans threw beer mugs on stage. The behavior of the band during the Hell on Stage Tour in 1998 caused a stir . According to the band members of Manowar, the American metal band Metallica no longer played heavy metal . To convert those who “had turned their back on true Metal”, Joey DeMaio brought a young fan with a Metallica T-shirt onto the stage for each show. There he was ridiculed for the shirt, received a Manowar shirt in return, and was pushed back into the audience by DeMaio. Later, the band found themselves exposed to increasing criticism from fans who accused them of “selling out, commercializing without regard to losses, release overkill, disappointing shows” and “lack of critical ability”. In 2006 DeMaio said in an interview with Götz Kühnemund from the German rock-hard magazine that all allegations against the band were unjustified and that he was ready to "die for metal". He dedicated the bonus title Die for Metal on Gods of War to Kühnemund . When the album The Lord of Steel was auditioned for journalists, the German press only invited Metal Hammer .

Outside of the scene, her martial demeanor with fur, leather and swords is seen as ridiculous. Spiegel online described the band as the "most pain-free poser in the entire metal genre" in view of the album cover for Anthology . In the scene, too, their appearance is sometimes described as seeming less dangerous, the German metal hammer refers to a comparison with other metal bands:

“ The Manowar, founded in 1980, can only dream of [ the FBI's surveillance of the band Suicidal Tendencies and their ban on performing in California]. They appear martial, but in fur trousers and armed with swords they only appear dangerous to a limited extent. "

- Marc Halupczok : Metal.Hammer -Special issue History of Metal

To characterize Manowar's music, DeMaio regularly makes a comparison with Richard Wagner's compositions. However, this analogy is extremely questionable from a musicological perspective. There are undoubtedly parallels on the thematic-textual level (e.g. Nordic mythology, heroic pathos, etc.) between the songs by Manowar and individual works by Wagner; From the subjective listener's point of view, there may be a common “bombastic moment” in both pieces of music. In terms of the complexity of the compositions (tonal density, harmony, melody, rhythm), Wagner's romantic style differs fundamentally from that of DeMaio's true metal. In contrast to Wagner's symphonic music, Manowar songs are compositionally simple: mostly in 4/4 time, without polyrhythms, rare harmony changes, a few polyphonic melodies etc. The principle of continuous composition followed by Wagner (cf. Infinite Melody ) runs diametrically to repetitive song structure of Manowar's music.

Others

Since the 1985 Spectacle of Might tour of Europe, Manowar have been claiming the title of “loudest band in the world”. On March 8, 1994, a sound pressure level of 129.5 decibels was measured in the Hanoverian Music Hall without an audience . When performing with an audience, the volume of the Manowar concerts is usually between 115 and 120 decibels. The particularly resilient sound technology required for this was developed by John "Dawk" Stillwell, who is considered a permanent member of the band in the background and always accompanies them on tours. In July 2008, at the Magic Circle Festival in Bad Arolsen , a new Guinness world record was set with 139 dB .

At Christmas 2007, Manowar published a German and an English interpretation of the Christmas carol Silent Night , which they offered to fans for free on the Internet.

Since 2007 the band has been organizing the Magic Circle Festival with their own record company Magic Circle Music . At the second edition of this festival, Manowar played their first six studio albums live in chronological order and distributed a free single called Die With Honor , which was produced in an edition of 20,000 copies, to their fans.

Membership development

Discography

Studio albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placementsTemplate: chart table / maintenance / without sources
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)
Remarks
DE DE AT AT CH CH UK UK
1982 Battle Hymns
also known as: Battle Hymns MMXI
- - - -
First published: 1982
1983 Into Glory Ride DE100 (1 week)
DE
- - -
First publication: 1983
Chart entry DE until 2019
1984 Hail to England - - - UK83 (2 weeks)
UK
First published: February 4, 1984
Sign of the hammer - - - UK73 (1 week)
UK
First published: September 22, 1984
1987 Fighting the World DE-
gold
gold
DE
- - -
First published: May 14, 1987
Sales: + 300,000
1988 Kings of Metal
also known as: Kings of Metal MMXIV
DE37
gold
gold

(16 weeks)DE
- - -
First published: November 18, 1988
Sales: + 300,000
1992 The Triumph of Steel DE8th
gold
gold

(11 weeks)DE
- CH20 (4 weeks)
CH
-
First published: September 29, 1992
Sales: + 388,848
1996 Louder Than Hell DE7 (9 weeks)
DE
AT16 (6 weeks)
AT
CH24 (4 weeks)
CH
-
First published: September 23, 1996
Sales: + 35,513
2002 Warriors of the World DE2
gold
gold

(31 weeks)DE
AT6 (6 weeks)
AT
CH35 (5 weeks)
CH
-
First published: June 4th, 2002
Sales: + 150,000
2007 Gods of War DE2 (19 weeks)
DE
AT9 (4 weeks)
AT
CH21 (5 weeks)
CH
-
First published: February 26, 2007
2012 The Lord of Steel DE19 (4 weeks)
DE
AT37 (2 weeks)
AT
- -
First published: June 16, 2012

gray hatching : no chart data available for this year

Awards

Rock power

  • 1992: in the category "Album of the Year" (The Triumph of Steel)

literature

  • Holger Stratmann (Ed.): RockHard Encyclopedia . RockHard-Verlag, Dortmund 1998, ISBN 3-9805171-0-1 , p. 232-235 .

Web links

Commons : Manowar  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Marc Halupczok : Changeable winds . In: Metal Hammer , special issue No. 1/2012: History of Metal , p. 26f.
  2. Interview with Rockpages.gr . Retrieved June 21, 2017 .
  3. Interview with Classic Rock . (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on November 19, 2012 ; Retrieved June 2, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.classicrockmagazine.com
  4. Jakob Kranz: Old faces and new noise . In: Metal Hammer , special issue No. 1/2012: History of Metal , p. 47.
  5. Fantasy Becomes Reality! ( Memento of the original from June 19, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Manowar homepage (English) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / manowar.com
  6. ^ Joey DeMaio - Battle Hymns 2011 youtube.com; Retrieved November 21, 2010
  7. Scott Columbus died. Retrieved April 5, 2011 .
  8. Anzo Sadoni: Manowar . The madness . In: Metal Hammer , August 2012, p. 53.
  9. MANOWAR's 'Kings Of Metal MMXIV' Album Will Be Released On February 28, 2014. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on January 29, 2014 ; accessed on January 24, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.manowar.com
  10. Message to all Manowarrior. In: facebook.com. Retrieved May 25, 2016 .
  11. http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/manowar-recruits-drummer-from-brazilian-tribute-band-kings-of-steel-for-final-battle-tour/
  12. http://manowar.com/guitarist-ev-martel-will-join-manowar-on-the-final-battle-world-tour-2019/
  13. American rockers Manowar kick off their first big Russian tour with concert in Siberia. In: TASS. March 1, 2019, accessed on March 10, 2019 .
  14. MANOWAR - Annunciato il nuovo Batterista. In: loudandproud.it. March 26, 2019, accessed March 27, 2019 (Italian).
  15. Michael Custodis : Classical Music Today . transcript Verlag, Bielefeld 2009, ISBN 978-3-8376-1249-3 (Chapter 2: "Manowar and the legacy of Richard Wagner")
  16. a b Holger Stratmann (Ed.): RockHard Encyclopedia . P. 234
  17. a b Christian Schachinger: Always go to Walhalla to laugh. In: The Standard. November 6, 2002, accessed January 20, 2010 .
  18. ^ Ian Christe: Sound of the Beast. The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal . ItBooks, ISBN 978-0-380-81127-4 , pp. 312 f .
  19. Götz Kühnemund : Manowar. Kings of commerce? In: Rock Hard . No. 194 .
  20. Götz Kühnemund: Manowar. Merciless exchange of blows . In: Rock Hard . No. 227 .
  21. Anzo Sadoni: Manowar . The madness . In: Metal Hammer , August 2012, p. 52.
  22. ^ Keith Kahn-Harris: Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge . Berg Publishers 2007, ISBN 1-84520-399-2 , p. 151.
  23. Classic of Metal Embarrassments. Spiegel Online , November 25, 2009, accessed January 20, 2010 .
  24. Marc Halupczok: Who invented it? . In: Metal Hammer , special issue No. 1/2012: History of Metal , p. 23.
  25. Reinhard Amon: Lexicon of the musical form . Doblinger / Metzler, Vienna 2011.
  26. Werner Keil : Dissonance and harmony in romanticism and modernity . Wilhelm Fink, Munich 2012.
  27. July 29th, 2008 New Guinness World Record !!! ( Memento of the original from July 4, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. manowar-info.de @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.manowar-info.de
  28. Silent Night . ( Memento of the original from December 23, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. manowar.com @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.manowar.com