Smell the leather, smell the fire, feel the muscles ripple and loin clothes swirl in the wind...and then hide your face in embarrassment as this warrior four-piece prepare for attack. I owned only a couple of Manowar records, but if ever there was a band who took the metal pride to the max it was these guys. 'Battle Hymns' may sound a little dated when looking back, and despite their claim as the loudest band in the world, there's no hiding the fact that lyrically it's often cringe worthy, check out the words to 'death Tone', but then again, also check out the big groove guitar courtesy of Ross The Boss, it's almost T-Rex with a Zeppelin strut as Eric Adams voice soars over the snow-capped mountains like an eagle searching for prey. Yep, this is real metal for real men, a debut record from a kingdom where metal is formed in burning pits and smoke-filled chambers. 'Metal Daze' is a bass driven bonanza and Adams brings to mind the vocal delivery of Ian Gillan, a fair set of lungs rising above the thunder. I so desperately want to mock the band, but 'Battle...' really rocks, far more depth than any Kiss record, and more meat than most from the time, consisting of big anthems al la football ground chants, and some great searing music that'll have your ears bleeding over the stereo. Manowar were always an acquired taste mainly because of their image which took metal to the extreme but if you can overlook the posing and the pouches, you'll actually find one of the best true metal bands ever, riding on the waves of rock, swords raised to the Heavens...parents beware, the house is crumbling.
8/10
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