Manowar--Hail to England

Manowar--Hail to England (1984) Rating--8.7

The third release from the self-proclaimed 'Kings of Metal,' and this one rocks with a deep vengeance. Manowar digs deep into lost pages of lore, gracing its songs with such themes as kings and queens, knights and maidens, and dragons and fire. For the most part, the music backs up the bravado.
The guitar sound may seem a bit stiff on a few of the songs here, but taking a step back and realizing the release date is '84 it is actually quite refreshing. Manowar is pretty straight-forward at this point in its career, using heavy bar chords and strong chorus work. Because of this, the tunes come across loud and clear---no frills or smokescreens. Manowar could best be compared with early-to-mid '80s Maiden, and perhaps the more basic and straight-forward tunes of the same-era Priest. Vocalist Eric Adams has both a strong voice and one with great range, although he doesn't let loose on this disc the way he will in the future.
Highlights include all the songs (there are only seven) except "Black Arrows," which is a screechy, poorly played bass romp. However, the pure sonic energy of the first four more than make up for it, as the band absolutely annihilates for the first 15-20 minutes.
HOT CHOPS: The groove beats of "Each Dawn I Die" and "Kill With Power" demand attention. Pure power! Also, check out Adams' "Die, die!" screams in the latter. Oooooh, yeah.
TRACK LIST: Blood of My Enemies/Each Dawn I Die/Kill With Power/Hail to England/Army of the Immortals/ Black Arrows/Bridge of Death

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