Personnel: Eric Adams (vocals); Ross the Boss (guitar, keyboards); Joey DeMaio (guitar, 8-string bass); Rich Breen (recorder); Chris Beale (vibraphone); Scott Columbus (drums, percussion); Vincent Gutman (drums).
On their anthemic mission statement "Kings of Metal" Manowar once again proclaim their metal superiority thusly: "Other bands play, Manowar kills." The twin sentiments of the group's metal mastery and the majesty of medieval heroism in battle are repeated on their sixth full-length release, Kings of Metal. There aren't too many surprises on the disc, with the possible exception of bassist Joey DeMaio's blinding 64th-note bass playing on a reworking of Russian classicist Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" entitled "Sting of the Bumblebee." Considered by some fans to be a classic of its own, the 1988 release has quite a few ballads, though speedier tracks like "Wheels of Fire" demonstrate the groups talents best. Besides their refreshingly totalistic loyalty to form, Manowar's most admirable trait is their prodigious metal musicianship. ~ Vincent Jeffries
