As this new
Manowar EP begins it brings back a fond memory from the Earthshaker Festival 2005.
We join
Manowar live at the festival as they play the double feature,
The Ascension and
King of Kings. As Eric's clear voice rings loud and clear I was back in the middle of that crowd again, remembering the glorious night vividly. Unfortunately the first time I listened to this EP I was wearing headphones and some sound problems show themselves during
King of Kings in this environment. Through headphones it sounds like the loud bass is so far in front of the rest of the instruments that it is seriously distracting. This problem is not apparent when heard on a regular stereo system. In this environment the sound is as powerful and full as it should be. I'm happy to hear that the god-awful sound that I experienced during the concert has been improved greatly (In the right listening environment that is).
Concerning the performance it is as powerful as it should be and you'll get the feeling that you're caught in a raging thunderstorm. Eric Adams really nails the line
"I live and I die by the storm" with a wildness that sends chills down the spine. Just brilliant.
Odin is an orchestral piece that slowly grows in magnitude.
Gods of War is in one word, Majestic. The song is a mid tempo grinder with a sinister atmosphere. First time around I was a little hesitant towards the heavy use of orchestration, but it honestly works magic here. The orchestra is perfectly utilized and manages to add to the heaviness of the music. The occasional effects on Eric's voice is another matter. Putting effects on Eric's voice borders on blasphemy in my mind, fortunately it is only done a few times.
Gods of War holds incredible power and delivers a crushing blow that makes me envision the forthcoming album as something that could be completely out of this world.
The Sons of Odin keeps the atmosphere intact while speeding up the tempo slightly. The tense opening is genius. Eric's voice commands your complete attention here. The main riff is heavy as hell and like a certain song named "Call to Arms", I find it impossible not to do some major headbanging as this one blows my speakers.
Joey DeMaio does not quite match Orson
Welles as a narrator, but he does a good job. I sincerely hope that the narration on the full album is kept under control and used as sparingly as possible. The music should speak for itself and notes in the booklet should do the narration between songs if it really is necessary.
I purchased the EP online at the
Manowar website for $5 and therefore I can't comment on any of the extra features that accompany the different versions of the release. For those who don't have immediate access to the EP I would recommend spending $5 on the
downloadable version. It is instantly available and well worth the small price.
If the forthcoming full album continues and expands on the path these three new tracks have paved then I believe a new genre definition is in order; "Wagner Metal" or the abbreviated Wagnowar. To say that I have high expectations for the next
Manowar album would be the understatement of the year.
Written by
Steen Sunday, October 15, 2006
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