• Voto:
Dopo 6 anni, 6 lunghi anni di attesa interrotti solo dagli ottimi live "Hell on Wheels", "Hell on Stage" e il primo della lunga release del live "Hell on Earth: Part I", i Manowar tornano a far parlare di loro, e stavolta con un fresco lavoro in studio. Il nuovo album, "Warriors of the World", viene rilasciato dopo 6 anni dal discreto e tanto criticato "Louder than Hell", che aveva visto il ritorno dello storico drummer Scott Columbus e il debutto del talentuoso Karl Logan. Sicuramente atteso, questo lavoro ha suscitato critiche sulla band già dopo 5 secondi dall'annuncio di un nuovo album dei Manowar. Pochi gruppi effettivamente, sono in grado di accendere discussioni come i Manowar. Ma lasciamo da parte le critiche, e vediamo cosa hanno da proporci i 4 musicisti del true metal di New York. L'album si apre con "Call to Arms", solido brano che regge su una batteria pesante come pochi (e da Scott, batterista semplice ma estremamente potente, mi aspetto proprio questo), e un basso che fanno spalla ad una voce carica di rabbia come quella di Eric Adams. Un brano che dà assolutamente la carica, un opener perfetta direi. Dopo "Call to Arms", si prosegue con "Fight fro Freedom", una semiballad in cui Adams fa sfoggio completo della sua voce, rabbiosa e grintosa in un momento prima, e dolce e soave dopo. Un brano veramente ottimo, da segnalare anche l'ottimo assolo di Logan. Con "Nessun Dorma", i Manowar danno il loro tributo al popolo italiano, e c'è da dire che questa canzone rappresenta uno degli apici della band. Eric canta in modo assolutamente fantastico, il brano è da brividi e pelle d'oca assicurati, un brano talmente bello che sarà poi riproposto nel Gods of Metal dello stesso anno, e del 2012. Dopo la breve parentesi chiamata "Valhalla", ha inizio uno degli episodi più belli dell'album, e probabilmente una delle migliori ballad del quartetto americano, seconda solo a "The Heart of Steel". Parliamo di "Swords in the Wind", ballad in cui tutti gli strumenti vanno alla perfezione, e la voce di Adams... Beh, neanche sto a parlarne. Uno dei migliori pezzi dei Manowar, assolutamente. "An American Trilogy" non si discosta di molto dalle precedenti, una buona canzone, con un Adams sempre in splendida forma. Dopola breve "The March", si ha un improvvisa accelerazione al disco, e di botto. La titletrack irrompe con una batteria ed un basso devastanti, in un minuto abbondante di intro, e ciò che ne esce fuori è una canzone rocciosa, basata su un semplice ritmo, ma efficace, e sicuramente una dele migliori song da proporre in sede live. Il trittico che segue, e che ci porta alla fine del disco, è di una rabbia da far sanguinare le orecchie. "Hand of Doom" è sicuramente un ottimo pezzo, con uno stacco centrale in cui Adams fa percepire la sua rabbia all'ascoltatore, sembra come un cane rabbioso legato al guinzaglio che non vede l'ora di essere liberato e distruggere tutto. "House of Death" segue la stessa linea, anche se dopo il secondo refrain tende forse a essere un po' ripetitiva. "Fight Until We Die" è descrivibile con una sola parola: POTENZA.Un Eric Adams al meglio della forma, Demaio che con il suo basso, non troppo eccessivo mantiene la song ad un livello eccelso, e Logan e Columbus che "dialogano" alla grande con gli strumenti. Grandissimi scream alla fine per Adams, che reputo uno dei migliori cantanti metal mai esistiti.
L'unica pecca di questo lavoro, a mio parere, è forse la scelta dell'ordine delle canzoni. Perchè partire con un opener come "Call to Arms", per poi far seguire ben 4 ballad/semiballad è leggermente eccessivo, e tende ad annoiare in un primo ascolto chi si accinge a sentire per la prima volta l'album. A parte questo, l'album è ben riuscito, e tutti i musicisti sono in ottima forma, Adams compreso. Che dire, le critiche per i Manowar qui non valgono, un album veramente ottimo. Non ai fasti di "Into Glory Ride" ovvio, sarebbe anche stupido pensarlo, ma comunque godibilissimo.
Hail!
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 All Men Play on 10 (04:01)
Original lyrics
I made a rock'n'roll sin
When I tried givin in to
Make money had to turn down low.
They said, "why be proud, don't play so loud,
Be like us and get a sound that's real thin.
Wear a polyester suit, act happy look cute,
Get a haircut and buy small gear"
That's when I turned to them and said,
"hold it, right there!"
Well it's more to me than just a job,
And while I'm playin' you won't get robbed.
Nobody tells a man how to play,
It just ain't that way hey, hey, hey,
Can you hear me say...
All men play on ten,
Never gonna turn down again.
All men play on ten,
Never gonna turn down.
I'm jet fuel honey, plug me into 220
Step back and let my fingers fly
While I'm burning up my gear
There's a fire in your ear
That won't stop until the day you die.
I really put it to the floor when I hear the crowd roar
Oh it's music to my ears when they scream
Then I run back to the power rack
And deck all of my gear.
Well it's more to me than just a job,
And while I'm playin' you won't get robbed.
Nobody tells a man how to play,
It just ain't that way hey, hey, hey,
Can you hear me say...
02 Animals (03:33)
Hear The Call Of The Wild In Us All
It Waits For The Night To Fall
I'm Getting Hot, I'm Ready For The Night
No Holdin' Back, Let's Ball
I'm Gonna Give All You Can Take All Night
And Leave You In The Morning Feeling Right
I'm An Animal, There's An Animal In Me
Gonna Set It Free
I'm An Animal, There's An Animal In Me
Gonna Set It Free
I've Been Looking, You've Been Watching From The Side
There's Something You Just Can't Hide
Oh, Your Getting Wet, Your Working Up A Sweat
Your Hairs Standing Up On End
Your Skin Is Screaming, Glad We Met?
Tonight's One Night You Won't Forget
I'm An Animal, There's An Animal In Me
Gonna Set It Free
I'm An Animal, There's An Animal In Me
Gonna Set It Free
03 Thor (The Powerhead) (05:23)
Black Clouds On The Horizon
Great Thunder And Burning Rain
His Chariot Pounding, I Heard The Heavens Scream His Name
I Watched As He Shouted
To The Giants who Died That Day
He Held Up His Hammer High
And Called To Odin For A Sign
Thor The Mighty, Thor The Brave
Crush The Infidels In Your Way
By Your Hammer Let None Be Saved
Live To Die On That Final Day
Gods, Monsters And Men
Will Die Together In The End
God Of Thunder, God Of Rain
Earth Shaker Who Feels No Pain
The Powerhead Of The Universe
Now Send Your Never Ending Curse
I Watched As He Shouted
To The Giants Who Died That Day
He Held Up His Hammer High And Called To Odin For A Sign
Thor The Mighty, Thor The Brave
Crush The Infidels In Your Way
By Your Hammer Let None Be Saved
Live To Die On That Final Day
Gods, Monsters And Men
Will Die Together In The End
Swing Your Hammer To Crack The Sky
Lift Your Cape So That You Might Fly
Back To Odin And The Gods On High
And Leave This Mortal World
Thor The Mighty, Thor The Brave
Crush The Infidels In Your Way
By Your Hammer Let None Be Saved
Live To Die On That Final Day
Gods, Monsters And Men
Will Die Together In The End
04 Mountains (07:39)
So Tall, Silent Against The Sky
Up Through The Clouds Where Eagles Fly
Wind And Rain Beat Down On One So Strong
They Cut But Never Change, What Stood So Long
Tall As A Mountain, I'm Gonna Tear Through The Sky
Life's For The Takin'
Like A Man Is A Mountainside
Greatness Waits For Those Who Try
None Can Teach You, It's All Inside
Just Climb
I Am In The Ground, I Am In The Air, I Am All
I Live In The Hearts Of All Men
I Am The Call To Greatness
Not All Can Hear
I Awaken The Creator, In Those Who Dare
And The Day Will Come, When We All Must Die
And Enter The Mountainside
Tall As A Mountain, I'm Gonna Tear Through The Sky
Life's For The Takin'
Like A Man Is A Mountainside
Greatness Waits For Those Who Try
None Can Teach You, It's All Inside
Just Climb
I Have No Fear
Death And Glory
Both Draw Near
Like A Man Is A Mountainside
Greatness Waits For Those Who Try
None Can Teach You, It's All Inside
Just Climb
05 Sign of the Hammer (04:18)
The Spell Has Been Broken, The Curse Has Been Lifted
Black Is The Wind On The Heels Of The Gifted
Four Sworn To Vengeance, See The Hate In Our Eyes
Called By The Gods And Given A Sign
Onward Pounding Into Glory Ride
Sign Of The Hammer, Be My Guide
Final Warning All Stand Aside
Sign Of The Hammer, It's My Time
Pounding, Pounding, We Are Back From The Dead
Those Who Denied Us Are Delivered Instead
Into The Hands Of Four Sworn To Ride
Now The People Will Triumph And Live By The Sign
Onward Pounding Into Glory Ride
Sign Of The Hammer, Be My Guide
Final Warning All Stand Aside
Sign Of The Hammer, It's My Time
The Spell Has Been Broken, The Curse Has Been Lifted
Black Is The Wind On The Heels Of The Gifted
Four Sworn To Vengeance, See The Hate In Our Eyes
Called By The Gods And Given A Sign
Onward Pounding Into Glory Ride
Sign Of The Hammer, Be My Guide
Final Warning All Stand Aside
Old Men And Young Boys, It's My Time
Sign Of The Hammer, Be My Guide
Sign Of The Hammer, It's My Time
06 The Oath (04:54)
Burning Embers Of The Second Death Will Come In The Night
Priests And Kings, The Alpha And Omega, Poison Bites
False Prophets And Deceivers, Swing From The Trees
Now. Dawn The Age Of Birds
Drunk With Blood, Like Lepers With Disease
Lord Of The Sky, Mercury The Guide
Lord Of The Underworld, I Swear The Sacred Rite
I Will Crucify, Slay Them With Their Tribe
Hear My War Cry
They'll Find No Sanctuary Hidden In Their Ancestral Halls
Let Loose The Knot That Binds
The Spirit And Flesh, Let It Fall
For Only Courage And Heroism Linger After Death
So, Hold Fast Thy Sword, Rejecting Pain, Feel The Dragons
Breath
Lord Of The Sky, Mercury The Guide
Lord Of The Underworld, I Swear The Sacred Rite
I Will Crucify, Slay Them With Their Tribe
Hear My War Cry
I've Sworn The Oath
I've Sworn The Oath
I've Sworn The Oath
Lord Of The Sky, Mercury The Guide
Lord Of The Underworld, I Swear The Sacred Rite
I Will Crucify, Slay Them With Their Tribe
Hear My War Cry
Burning Embers Of The Second Death Will Come In The Night
Priests And Kings, The Alpha And Omega, Poison Bites
False Prophets And Deceivers, Swing From The Trees
Now. Dawn The Age Of Birds
Drunk With Blood, Like Lepers With Disease
Lord Of The Sky, Mercury The Guide
Lord Of The Underworld, I Swear The Sacred Rite
I Will Crucify, Slay Them With Their Tribe
Hear My War Cry
I've Sworn The Oath
I've Sworn The Oath
I've Sworn The Oath
08 Guyana (Cult of the Damned) (07:10)
We thank you for the cool aid, reverend jim
We're glad to leave behind their world of sin
Our lifeless bodies fall on holy ground
Rotting flesh, a sacrificial mound
Were you our God or a man in a play
Who took our applause and forced us to stay
Now all together we lived as we died
On your command by your side
Guyana in the cult of the damned
Give us your word for the grand final stand
Guyana in the cult of the damned
Give us your word for the grand final stand
In the cult of the damned we all worked the land
Too afraid to look up we all feared his hand
Hurry my children there isn't much time
But we'll meet again on the other side
Be good to the children and old people first
Hand them a drink they're dying of thirst
Bigfoot bigfoot thrown in a well
Pulled under water screaming like hell
He told us life was just a hotel
Time to check out when he rang the bell
Mother, mother
Carico i commenti... con calma
