Manowar

 Today in 1988 Manowar released the album Kings of Metal

Auburn, New York Heavy/Power Metal

Status:Active

Years active: 1980-present

After almost thirty years in the business, Manowar continues to rally around their "Death To False Metal" battle cry. Though their over-the-top image and lyrics occasionally come across as slightly cheesy, their determination to stand by their beliefs is commendable, and the fact of the matter is that songs such as "Blood Of My Enemies", "Guyana", "Battle Hymns", and "Defender" rank as among the most brilliant, majestic metal songs ever recorded by any band. It's amazing that, after all this time, Manowar still has a sound that really isn't like anyone else, highlighted by Eric Adam's excellent vocals and a pounding rhythm section led by bassist (and chief songwriter) Joey DeMaio. While Manowar fanatics will doubtless argue that all of their albums are equally outstanding and brilliant, the opinion here is that their early work, particularly the first four albums, are far superior to their later albums, with the 1984 pair of Hail To England and Sign Of The Hammer being their best works. They've mainly stuck to releasing live albums and DVDs over the last decade, along with two studio albums in 2002 and 2007, and they're clearly still a major metal force in Europe.

Atlantic Records

Eric Adams - vocals

Ross the Boss - guitar

Joey DeMaio - bass guitar

Scott Columbus(R.I.P. 2011) - drums

Guest/Session

Grant Williams "Grandson" voice on "The Warrior's Prayer"

Arthur Pendragon Wilshire "Grandfather" voice on "The Warrior's Prayer"

1. Wheels of Fire (4:10)

2. Kings of Metal (3:45)

3. Heart of Steel (5:10)

4. Sting of the Bumblebee (2:49)

5. The Crown and the Ring (Lament of the Kings) (4:50)

6. Kingdom Come (3:56)

7. Pleasure Slave (5:38)

8. Hail and Kill (5:58)

9. The Warrior's Prayer (4:20)

10. Blood of the Kings (7:29)

Total Time: 48:09

European and American CD bonus track:

7. Pleasure Slave (5:38)

Kings of Metal is the sixth album by heavy metal band Manowar. Released in 1988 by Atlantic Records, it is thought by many to be among their very best releases.[citation needed]

The album was the last to feature guitarist and founding member Ross "The Boss" Friedman, who later went on to rejoin punk band The Dictators. Drummer Scott Columbus left the band after this album as well, but rejoined for 1996's Louder Than Hell and remained with the band until 2008