This is Manowar's first full length album since 2002's Warriors of The World, an awesome album that was filled to the brim with tunes that rank as high as any in their entire catalog. Songs like "Hand of Doom", "House of Death", and "Call To Arms", became personal anthems. That album came out during the aftermath of September 11, 2001, and contains the perfect amount of emotional drive.
Mixed with the historical context of that day, I felt that it was successful in its attempt to portray a call to arms, time for us all to get off our collective asses and fight. Even though I had been a fan of their music for years, that was the first time I actually took them seriously. It was then, because of the context, that I came to realize they are serious about their message, and it is this message that never wavers. Unfortunately, it is a message that never wavers. It starts and ends with the big guy, Odin, and the goal of all Norse warriors, to fight valiantly and die in battle so he can cross over the rainbow bridge and chow down in the great mess hall that is Valhalla, sitting next to their King, Odin.
It is this imagery, though, that causes people, including me, to snicker and visualize a bunch of white dudes standing around a fire with horns on their head, waving animal carcasses on a stick, and shouting "By the power of grey skull!". This is a different time than it is was then. Yes I know, the age of war is not over, but without the real world context this time around, I cannot take the message seriously.
Gods of War isn't another call to arms as Warriors of The World was. It is a concept album, one in a series of tribute albums to come covering the Norse Gods of legend. The series kicks off with this rousing tribute to the head honcho himself, Odin. In a series dealing with Norse Gods, to begin with anyone else would be completely disrespectful and potentially catastrophic. Odin just might send over Thor to jam a lightning bolt up your ass if you didn't.
I am not much of a fan of concept albums, because what it really boils down to is this, I want to hear the music, not all the peripheral stuff. Such is the same with Manowar, I want to hear multitudes of rising anthems, crescendos that come fast and furious. I want to heat their version of power metal, long carrying the torch of true metal, played like they just invented it. The new album contains several of those moments, but there are as many moments that do not.
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
Perfect take on this. Some of the music is epic in the best way and there is amazing talent, particularly from the bass end.
But "death to false metal" when I first heard it made me laugh loudly, and it was never quite the same afterward. "Fighting the World" is and was one of the best albums going. Flight of the Bumblebee, bass solo is still masterful and memorable. That "Kings of Metal" album was when I first tuned in to them. Blood of the Kings I thinkis the title also rocks. I've still got both albums, on cassette no less.
the future albums don't sound so hot.
I haven't been following them lately so if you say 2002's album is worthy, I may have to check it out since you seem to have the right approach to who they are - not a fan boy and not vindictive for its own sake. - temple
2 - steveo
this cd is not good.7 out of 16 tracks are instumental and or narration.not enough rock/metal for me.i want to play it louder than hell but this this falls way short.their are a few good songs on the cd but not enough.stick with their older stuff