STORIES BEHIND SOME MANOWAR SONGS

Heart of Steel
People close to Joey often ask him does he really have a steel heart. This was a reply.

Lament of Kings
Their favourite song on Kings of Metal. Was recorded for a HUGE sum of money (which made Atlantic mad) in Birmingham's St.Paul Cathedral with a professional church choir. They were all dressed up, while band had their traditional jeans and/or loincloths on only. Joey always said that classical/church music is very heavy.

Warrior's Prayer
Joey decided to retell this story in the manner his grandfather told those to him when he had been a kid.

Blood of the Kings
About fans of Manowar (in Europe) and their letters, which sometimes gave material for the songs — these letters are Blood of the Kings.

Achilles, Agony And Ecstasy In Eight Parts
Dedicated to Deena Weinstein for her book "Heavy Metal", where she wrote exceptionally favourable about Manowar, and who was Joey's close friend for a number of years.

Hail to England
From Sir Thomas Melory's narration about King Arthur.

Return of the Warlord
We all ride Harleys. If you ever go down the road sitting on a 100-horsepower engine with only two wheels, you'll know what an incredible experience is. The bikes we ride have a unique vibration because the engines are all custom-made; they're all racing bikes. There's something about the energy of being on a Harley that you just can't get on another style of motorcycle. It's a feeling, an atmosphere that's created when you ride.

Wheels of Fire
All 4 of them LOVE drive car really fast. They were actually pulled over by the local police while recording this song.

Brothers of Metal
This song speaks of the intense bond that we have with our fans. Part 2 appeared on our last album, THE TRIUMPH OF STEEL.

The Gods Made Heavy Metal
Metal will never die, no matter what the taste-makers claim. It's the most exciting form of concert music ever created. The energy produced by a real heavy metal show meets a timeless, primal need.

Courage
Courage often seems lost from today's world. People need to feel a sense of courage, but sometimes they seek it in the wrong places. There's a deep inner desire to achieve and strive, but frequently the focus required to preserve under difficult circumstances is missing, so fight, believe and win!

Number 1
We are all good at something; everyone is No. 1 in some area. It doesn't matter if it's baseball or drag racing or anything else. This song gives listeners the chance to think about what they do best and take pride in it. It's got raw energy and a killer beat.

Outlaw
In past songs we've explored the American Indian way of life; here, we're looking at the gunfighter, the outlaw of the Old West. We're viewed as outlaws by some for playing heavy metal. And bikers tend to think of themselves as outlaws because they represent a rebellious lifestyle. We ignore what society says we should look like, act like, think like, be like. Anyone who lives on the edge of what is considered "acceptable" is an outlaw. We are all in a sense.

King
This is about duty, but it's also a tribute to John Kalodner, who signed us to Geffen. John is a very sincere, real person. He was an integral part of this record. Our nickname for him is King — there's no denying his kingly qualities, He's a man of honor, of principle and belief. And he's a creative, artistic genius. "King" says people like him deserve to be recognized for what they are and who they are.

Today is a Good Day to Die
The title comes from the great chief Crazy Horse; it's what he said to his warriors when they went into battle. We have a deep respect for the American Indian, and Crazy Horse in particular. In keeping with Indian ritual, he went on a vision quest to seek spiritual insight. His whole life was foretold to him in his vision. The different movements of "Today is a Good Day to Die" correspond to this journey. The initial passage centers on the search, the vision itself and the power of the vision. The next part describes Crazy Horse's life and his bravery. The last section is about hid death and how his spirit lives on, which carries over into "My Spirit Lives On." Since they have no lyrics, the goal with these two songs was to have the listener sit back and reflect on the titles — and let their own image take over.

My Spirit Lives On
This represents the ascendance of the warrior spirit and the transcendence of everyday life. It's been more than a hundred years since his death, but the spirit of Crazy Horse lives on. "My Spirit Lives On" combined with "Today is a Good Day to Die" creates a cinematic, larger-than-life panorama.

The Power
There are all kinds of power in the world. Power is constantly transferred and transformed. Whether it's the energy powering a motorcycle or a person doesn't matter — it's in everything. We're all plugged into something. So don't be afraid — put this CD on, turn it up loud, and feel the power!

Demon's Whip
This song was originally written for the "Hellraiser" motion picture, but producer thought it was too heavy. One of the fans asked Joey about strange noises in the beginning of the song; the answer was : "Listen to it and you will understand everything". I don't know for sure, but I think it could have some relation to the movie.

All Men Play On 10
The idea of this song is that every "real heavy man" plays his music at the 10-th level of the amplifier. It is supposed, that the 10-th is the highest of existing levels of amplification at that time.

Master of the Wind
In early 1990 Manowar received a letter from one of the fans. It was a seriously sick boy, who was in hospital and who had a dream — to see Kings of Metal before his death. At first everyone thought it was a silly joke. When they wrote to the boy's parents they have found out that all this was truth, every word of it! Certainly they have visited him in the hospital. It's a sad story. It's hard to helplessly watch a young dying man. Manowar let him hear a song called "Master of the Wind", which they just have written. The boy told that it is a great song and wished that every Manowar fan could hear it. Some minor changes were introduced in the song and now every Manowar fan can appreciate it!
The boy died at the end of 1992...

MANOWAR METHOD OF COMPOSITIONS RECORDING

Probably, no other group records its compositions in a way Manowar does. Drums, guitars and bass are to be recorded first and then Eric's vocal is added. Eric needs accompaniment of the whole group to sing well. They need to create an impression as if the band plays on a stage. The stuff Eric will not be able to sing on a stage later will not be recorded. Eric uses eight records for his vocal. On first four ones he sings how he has rehearsed with the band on other four he tries to experiment. At the end of the session the band chooses the best of the eight records. Interesting fact: the beginning of the song "Kingdom Come" is recorded due to a mistake of the sound director! He replayed all eight records simultaneously.

This article is taken from True Metal Zone

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