Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - L to Z»Artists - M
    Artists - M Music - 1980s 3 Mins Read

    Manowar

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    If ever a band was beyond parody, it’s Manowar. As self-appointed Kings of Metal, these valiant, muscle-bound, loincloth-wearing warriors have acted as standard bearers for ‘True Metal’ for over 30 years – their missionary zeal impervious to ridicule. “Death to false metal!” is their battle cry – and by Odin they mean it.

    Manowar formed in 1980 after a chance meeting of Americans Joey DeMaio and Ross ‘The Boss’ Friedman at Newcastle’s City Hall. Aspiring bass player DeMaio was working as a roadie for Black Sabbath and Friedman was the guitarist for Sabbath’s support act, Shakin’ Street.

    Vowing to create what DeMaio called “the hottest rock group in the world” the pair reconvened in the US to launch Manowar, with singer Eric Adams and Rods drummer Carl Canedy (who also produced their first demo).

    Manowar’s debut album, Battle Hymns (1982) – with full-time drummer Donnie Hamzik – set the tone for their entire career. Pure heavy metal thunder, built to a blockbuster scale, it featured narration from Hollywood legend Orson Welles – the only man with a voice big enough for Manowar – and a keynote message in Metal Daze: “Only one thing really sets me free/Heavy metal, loud as it can be!”.

    manowar 8The commercial failure of their debut led to the band parting company with record label Liberty, manager Bill Aucoin (the man who guided Kiss to megastardom) and drummer Hamzik.

    Having replaced the latter with Scott Columbus, Manowar secured a new record deal. The contract was signed in the band members’ blood – a fitting metaphor for the belligerent tone of their second album, Into Glory Ride (1983).

    Having parted from two major labels in four years, Manowar bounced back in 1987 by signing to the illustrious Atlantic Records.

    Band members came and went (DeMaio and Adams remained the only constants) but DeMaio’s vision always remained acutely focused. No band has written more songs about heavy metal than Manowar, whose titles include Brothers Of Metal, Die For Metal and of course, The Gods Made Heavy Metal.

    On their seventh album, The Triumph of Steel (1992), the group created arguably the most monumental heavy metal song of them all – the 28-minute odyssey based on Greek mythology, Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts. For artistic endeavour and sheer endurance, it’s an astonishing feat.

    Manowar also entered the Guinness Book of Records on four occasions: three for loudest performance (129.5dB) and once for the longest heavy metal concert, a five-hour marathon played in Bulgaria in 2008.

    Eric Adams
    Vocals
    Joey DeMaio
    Bass
    Ross ‘The Boss’ Friedman
    Guitar
    Scott Columbus
    Drums
    Donnie Hamzik
    Drums
    Dave ‘Death Dealer’ Shankle
    Guitar
    Karl Logan
    Guitar
    Rhino (Kenny Earl Edwards)
    Drums
    Carl Canedy
    Drums

    Related Posts

    • New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)
      New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM)
      In the early 1980s, UK rock magazine Sounds ardently promoted (and christened) the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal -  the acronym…
    • Misfits, The
      Misfits, The
      The Misfits were formed in New Jersey in 1977 by Jerry Only (born Gerald Caiafa) and Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Anzalone)…
    • Sepultura
      Sepultura
      Brazilian thrash metal band formed in Sao Paolo in 1983 by teenage brothers Max and Igor Cavelera (on guitar and…
    • Anthrax
      Anthrax
      Although die-hard fans stuck by Anthrax no matter who their singer was, it is widely agreed among metalheads that the…
    • Suicidal Tendencies
      Suicidal Tendencies
      Suicidal Tendencies were formed in Venice, California in 1981 as a punk/hardcore band, and virtually came to define the phrase "skate-punk."…
    • Quartz
      Quartz
      Birmingham-based New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) band who hopped to a different label with almost every release. Vocalist Mike 'Taffy'…
    • Hard-Ons, The
      Hard-Ons, The
      The Hard-Ons hailed from the Sydney (Australia) suburb of Punchbowl. With Korean, Ceylonese and Yugoslav-Australian backgrounds they made for a…
    • Money
      Money
      On paper, Money should have been incredibly successful. Not only were they charismatic youngsters capable of writing ambitious yet never…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleCenturions
    Next Article Rivieras, The

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Silverchair
      Formed when all three members were 12-year-old students at […]
    • How Green Was My Valley
      1 9 6 0 (UK) 8 x 30 minute episodes Richard Llewellyn’s famous […]
    • Hope and Glory (1987)
      Hope and Glory is director John Boorman’s autobiographical […]
    • 1927
      1927 formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1987. Guitarist and […]
    • Mister Roberts (1955)
      On a small cargo ship – the USS Reluctant (known as […]
    • Shirley’s World
      1 9 7 1 – 1 9 7 2 (UK) 17 x 30 minute episodes Shirley […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.