House of Death--RealAudio

There are some very good parts to this album, but some truly head-scratching moments as well. The first part of the disc has orchestration sprinkled here and there, with many of the songs being quickly forgettable.
Opening track "Call to Arms" is old-school and good, but then things get real iffy. The band's heart is in the right place on "An American Trilogy," as they do a 9/11 homage, but what's this mess about "dixieland"? A metalized tribute would have been fitting and apt; instead the result is a collage that sounds trite and very UN-Manowarish. There's opera in "Nessun Dorma," and "The March" is four minutes that could have been much better spent.
To the group's extreme credit, they do redeem themselves with the end sequence of the disc. "Warriors of the World United" is good, "Hand of Doom" is a fast track, and both "House of Death" and "Fight Until We Die" are solid.
Here's the deal: Metal fans don't have any misconceptions when buying a Manowar album. They know what they want, and aren't expecting any real surprises. So just give us the cranking, chunky, swords-covered-in-blood songs, thank you very much.

TRACK LIST: Call to Arms/The Fight for Freedom/Nessun Dorma/Valhalla/Swords in the Wind/An American Trilogy/The March/Warriors of the World United/ Hand of Doom/House of Death/Fight Until We Die