The 1984 Listening Post - Manowar - Sign of the Hammer

Manowar - Sign of the Hammer

#269
October 15 1984
Manowar
Sign of the Hammer
3.25 out of 5

I have to wonder if I hadn’t been inundated with sooooo much metal in the 84 listen would I like, love or hate this record?
I think it’s actually funny (“Thor the Powerhead”) but not good by any means.
And that song is kind of the high point for me.
How’s this? If a metal band listened to nothing but Pink Floyd for a month and then wrote an album I think it would sound like this.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sign-of-the-hammer/724147263

The 1984 Listening Post - Manowar - Hail to England

Manowar - Hail to England

#42

February

Manowar

Hail to England

3 out of 5

First off, you gotta like screaming shred metal. Secondly, you have to be able to look past lyrics about battle and swords and enemies and Asgard. I love the former, when it’s done well and I have little patience for the latter. Maybe, Gwar. Maybe. This is exactly those two sides of that coin. “Kill Wit Power” is insipid in it’s lyrical content. Screaming “Die! Die!” and squealing with laughter is buoyed by the Megadethian guitar work.

So, like all Manowar albums, I’m right there in the middle. Probably never get higher than a 3.5 from me. Stranger things have happened. But, so far, not for this band. I have no idea what to make of the weirdly engrossing Spinal Tapian entry “Black Arrows” which is a 3 minute hredding piccolo BASS solo and nothing else. I mean, how can you not love that? Or hate it. Sure. It’s fucking weird. 

Oh, don’t be fooled by the cover or the slavish devotion to that Brit Metal sound. These guys are from Albany. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hail-to-england-silver-edition/570730791

The 1983 Listening Post - Manowar - Into Glory Ride

Manowar - Into Glory Ride

July 1983
Manowar
Into Glory Ride
3.5 out of 5

Power metal chords? Check.
Soaring high notes? Check check.
Stupid lyrics? Yep.
Norse and medieval mythology? Sure, why not?
Obligatory guitar solos? What do you think?
The landscape of rock is littered with metal bands who aspire to be the Wagners of Rock. Some succeed, some do not.
Manowar might be the early progenitors of this theatrical cheese and, without them, maybe we get no Iron Savior. And I like Iron Savior.

I’ll say this. Often when I do this I listen to the first “side” of the record and then do Side One of the next, like they are platters dropping on an old turntable. I was really expecting to want to dive into that next LP as soon as possible. But, Manowar won me over.

Highlights:
Gates of Valhalla
Revelation (Death’s Angel)