Louder Than Hell
Just when you thought heavy metal had either died or mutated into dissonant alternative music, along comes Manowar to prove once again that straight-ahead guitar crunch, powerhouse drumming, and histrionic vocal yowls can be far more potent than the latest Nirvana clone band--and far more amusing. OnLouder Than Hell, Manowar guard the heavy metal torch with unintentionally hilarious lines like, "The Gods made heavy metal and they saw that it was good/They said to play it louder than hell, we promised that we would." This never-say-die spirit, along with muscular, audacious riffs, razor-sharp hooks, and strong, simple songwriting keeps Manowar's flame burning, even when they resort to violin-laden power ballads like "Courage."--Jon Wiederhorn