Customer Reviews

Gods of War

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

If you're new to Manowar, I suggest starting with the excellent "Kings of Metal" as a starting point, as that album is not only a superb sample of everything Manowar embodies, but it is one of their most diverse albums, with a little bit of everything.
If you're a long time Manowar fan, read on, and let me share my thoughts on their latest CD "Gods of War."

Overall, Manowar have not strayed from the musical path they created over 2 decades ago. What makes this album different is that it is far more symphonic than any of their other releases. While Manowar have always embraced classical music, this album is more like Rhapsody of Fire, with its Wagnerian choirs, string arrangements, French horns and church organ interludes. Not only is this evident on intros and instrumentals that adorn this CD, but the classical influence is present even on the `regular' tracks. What bothers me is the amount of narration on the album. Added up it's almost 10 minutes of talking (even if there's cool music and sound effects in the background). As they say on radio: "Less talk, more rock!" Also, Manowar albums have become less and less organic overall. I know the band are perfectionists (4 albums in the last 15 years says it all), but I think a lot of the songs are overproduced. I kind of miss the band's early/mid years, when they were very raw. But I guess some would call this progress and maturing artistically. Lyrically, I've always enjoyed the mythological element of Manowar's music. This is a concept album based on the Norse god of war: Odin.

Overture to the Hymn of the Immortal Warriors - A most excellent orchestral intro. Very much like an epic Hollywood film score, full of choirs, and strings and even an organ section in the middle!

The Ascension - Strangely enough after the lengthy opening track we get yet another orchestral intro. This includes a narration, Eric sings softly towards the end leading into:

King of Kings - This is the first real Metal track on the album. It's a lightning fast power metal/speed metal track in the style of "Black Wind, Fire & Steel," "Ride The Dragon," or "Outlaw."

Army of the Dead, Part I - This is a short acappela song with Eric harmonizing to himself. Nice little piece.

Sleipnir - After a short narration the songs kicks in, which is for me one of the highlights on the album. It's a little different (I imagine due to Karl Logan's input). It's another fast, power/speed metal type song, with a catchy chorus. The guitar solo is phenomenal!

Loki God of Fire - After a fast riff, which is probably the coolest riff on the album, the song kicks in, but surprisingly the song isn't a super-fast song with lots of double-bass as the riff would imply. It's still a cool, more upbeat song, with a great chorus.

Blood Brothers - This is the first ballad on the album, which continues in the fine tradition of Manwar ballads such as "Mountains," "Heart of Steel," & Master Of the Wind." While Blood Brothers doesn't quite achieve the greatness of the aforementioned songs, I like it a lot, because it's a different type of ballad. What I've always liked about Manowar's ballads is the fact that they're all very different from each other (up until "Courage"). Blood Brothers starts off with just strings & Eric's superb voice, then it adds some marching band type snare & guitars. For the chorus the song is almost like a power ballad, but the presence of the keyboards remains & adds an incredible ethereal vibe to the whole song. Nicely done! Lyrically it's also very uplifting.

Overture to Odin - Another orchestral instrumental. Once again it's very much like a Wagner piece mixed with an epic Hollywood filmscore. It's starts off with some haunting strings, and becomes grandiouse as the track progresses.

The Blood of Odin - A spoken narration that serves as an intro to the next track. You'll probably be skipping this after a couple of listens.

Sons of Odin - This is cool, typical mid-tempo Manowar song, with some cool double-bass drums & a bombastic chorus. The song ends with yet some more narration, which features some cool orchestral music in the background.

Glory Majesty Unity - This is a reprise of The Warrior's Prayer, pretty much all narration (but spoken by a different narrator than the rest of the album). Once again, some cool background music, but you'll be bored of this easily.

Gods of War - This is a slow, almost doom metal type song, that we haven't heard the likes of since "Into Glory Ride." It's got some cool classical arrangements over the gloomy, slowly grinding riff.

Army of the Dead, Part II - Repise of part one, but it adds some instruments.

Odin - It starts off with a great riff by Karl, with some cool effects on his axe. This is also a slower, grinding tune. A fitting tribute to the Norse god of war indeed!

Hymn of the Immortal Warriors - This is the other (power) ballad on the album, which is nothing short of phenomenal! The classical instruments add some awesome texture, which allows Eric's voice to soar. A beautiful song, starting out quiet & haunting, then building to a grandiouse finale!

Die for Metal (Bonus Track) - I imagine this only became a "bonus track" because lyrically it doesn't fit in with the rest of the concept album. The lyrics are pretty Spinal Tap-ish, glorifying metal and such. Musically the guitar riff is reminiscent of Zeppelin's Kashmir. The song is a slow(er), pounding track that has a lot of crowd vocals, similar to Kings of Metal.

Gods of War
By Manowar

First off let me state that I had never heard of the band Manowar prior to a month or so ago when a friend of mine turned me on to a YouTube video that someone had put together using , "The Sons of Odin", as the theme. I was blown away by not only the power and skill of the musicians but by how their lyrics reached out and grabbed me in a way few ever do. I ordered the CD form Amazon after it took me a week, (and 20 gallons of fuel), to figure out that these guys are generally not found in your normal music outlets. Needless to say the CD was nothing I expected it to be. I was astonished how well done it was. Don't get me wrong, I've been listening to "Metal" music long before it ever had a name. "Gods of War" is an Epic Ballad of interlocking songs that , dare I say, tells a story. The style of the CD is similar to what Rick Wakeman used in the 1970's with "Myths & Legends of King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table". Interestingly enough, the only track on the CD that I did not care for was the Bonus track, "Die for Metal". It seemed out of place and a bit juvenile compared to the rest of the CD. All and all I highly recommend this work. The only catch is you must listen to the CD in its entirety. This is not a work that can be looked at and judged by its individual songs. It must be taken as a whole, (minus the bonus track). The import version is musically the same as the domestic version.

On the down side, for you Heathens & Asatru out there, the Edda & Lore used in the lyrics is only marginally correct. But what the Hel, these guys are great musicians and not lore masters, they just kick butt!


In Frith,
Spence

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc"
M. Addams

Few seem to have a clue as to what this new-ish Manowar releae MEANS. On Gods of War, Manowar have obviously listened to the more contemporary neo-classical Metal bands.

The difference is, they STARTED the whole Dragonforce/Rhapsody/Kamelot phenomenon, way back in the '80's. It's like they listened to those bands, were impressed with the (admittedly few) innovations, adopted them, and then spent time studying Richard Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen.

What they have produced, as usual, slays anything the above mentioned bands put out, at least partly due to what I call the "Rocking-out" element. The aforementioned other bands can spend all day shredding like computers (with pretty much the same amount of "emotion"), but they rarely Rock. Manowar still Rocks, they never stopped rockin' (Homer).

It also seems that Manowar have paid the best tribute to Wagner I have ever heard from the Rock/Metal field. Whereas Rhapsody often fumbles with their Beethoven/latter-day Verdi fixation, the Wagner odes on Gods of War are strong and sure.

I should now take the time now to point out that I have nothing against Rhapsody, they are probably the best of what I term the "New Wave of Classic Metal" ( a list that includes Dragonforce, Kamelot, Dream Evil, Stratovarious, et al). They are good for at least a couple of really excellent songs per album. Their problem, one they share with the others mentioned, is an overwhelmingly prevalent lack of dynamics on their albums. These bands rely far too heavily on the same drum patterns (especially, you guessed, the double-bass overkill patterns). Manowar has always been concerned with providing light and shade on their albums, much like the other greats, like Judas Priest and Black Sabbath. They go the extra mile to make sure a fan will WANT to hear the whole album all over again and again.

Overall, I most highly reccomend this album, if you are into Wagner and/ or Metal in general. It's obviously harder for younger children and Limp Bizkit fans to appreciate (check out 75% of the reviews on here). But for the long time fans of Manowar, this album is a Godsend. Rather, Odinsend.

I have almost all of Manowar's cd's and am very pleased with this one. At first, it's hard to take Manowar seriously but when you hear their music it's actually very good. Manowar is one of the most original, dramatic and imaginative bands ever and their music keeps getting better. This cd is filled with instant Manowar classics like, Gods of War, Sons of Odin, Sleipnir, Odin, King of Kings and others.

It's not a cd that takes long to get used to either. After 1 listen you'll find yourself chanting along with them to their many catchy cadences of conquest and courage. If you're a Manowar fan I highly recommend this cd. If you've never heard Manowar, don't be too quick to judge. These guys are very talented musicians and very passionate about their work.

Many have negatively reviewed this record due to many factors. Before I get into that, let me just make a few things clear about Manowar. Many people stereotype Manowar as well as the Manowar fans. Though Manowar wear interesting outfits on stage (hey, Kiss did this in the 70's so Manowar took it a step further...I think the loin cloth think was not a bad idea), the Manowar guys are very talented musically. Eric has a 4+ octave voice, Joey can pound the bass, Karl can shred on guitar and Scott destroys the drums...everything a metal band MUST have! Many do not look beyond the loin cloths and truly analyze the music of Manowar. Many also believe that Manowar fans are only live in Europe and no American fan would appreciate their music. I am actually an American living in Los Angeles (hey, there are metal heads here), and I am still a big fan. now that we've gotten this cleared up, let's get to the record.
Gods of War is a very different album compared to Manowar's previous work. It contains less "Gloves of Metal" and more "Battle Hymn's"-esque music. The songs are entirely of an epic nature. If you like symphonic metal, this album is for you. Many dislike the use of narration in the album. I do admit, I do feel that some of the narration and overtures weigh the record down, but remember, the tracks on this album cannot be heard as individual songs as many bands do. Instead, the listener must keep in mind that this is somewhat of a thematic album (not a concept album) and must make sure that he or she listens to the album as one piece, and not 16 different pieces. If you keep this in mind when listening, the album is about 50 times better. Each "movement" of Gods of War, especially "Sleipnir" and the "Army of the Dead" movements are beautifully orchestrated and I really believe that this is one of Manowar's best works. I really like the fact that Manowar does not rely on the whole "Kings of Metal" thing on this album (though I still love Die for Metal). Not that I am saying there is anything wrong with metal anthems, its cool to see Manowar go beyond this. If you are a Manowar fan, you will like this album, no questions. If you like epic heavy/power metal or symphonic metal, this album really the next chapter in this type of music. If you like rock n'roll, this album has it. Overall, this record really is for everyone who enjoys true music. DEATH TO FALSE METAL!!!

This album is Manowar's most complete effort to date. It has everything you'd ever want to hear from a top manowar album, dramatic orchestrations and narrations, meaty guitar riffs, heavy grooving bass, thrashing drums... AND SOME SERIOUSLY AWESOME METAL!!!!
The "Gods of War" concept of this album has been taken to an extraordinary level, with soaring choral passages and guitar riffs that make the album thrashy and tight in some parts and dramatic and awe inspiring in others. My advice is to grab a box of beer, sit back and let this album take you on a journey through norse mythology such as youve never had before.
Some people have pointed out that the long orchestration passages make this album a bit boring. This is perhaps true if your attention span is more suited to something like "Korn", "Top Twenty Rock Hits Volume 43" or "Sesame Street". However if you enjoy listening to an album that is more than just a collection of songs and is a truly fantastic effort from one of the best metal bands around today then look no further.

Gods of War
By Manowar

First off let me state that I had never heard of the band Manowar prior to a month or so ago when a friend of mine turned me on to a YouTube video that someone had put together using , "The Sons of Odin", as the theme. I was blown away by not only the power and skill of the musicians but by how their lyrics reached out and grabbed me in a way few ever do. I ordered the CD form Amazon after it took me a week, (and 20 gallons of fuel), to figure out that these guys are generally not found in your normal music outlets. Needless to say the CD was nothing I expected it to be. I was astonished how well done it was. Don't get me wrong, I've been listening to "Metal" music long before it ever had a name. "Gods of War" is an Epic Ballad of interlocking songs that , dare I say, tells a story. The style of the CD is similar to what Rick Wakeman used in the 1970's with "Myths & Legends of King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table". Interestingly enough, the only track on the CD that I did not care for was the Bonus track, "Die for Metal". It seemed out of place and a bit juvenile compared to the rest of the CD. All and all I highly recommend this work. The only catch is you must listen to the CD in its entirety. This is not a work that can be looked at and judged by its individual songs. It must be taken as a whole, (minus the bonus track).
On the down side, for you Heathens & Asatru out there, the Edda & Lore used in the lyrics is only marginally correct. But what the Hel, these guys are great musicians and not lore masters, they just kick [...]!


In Frith,
Spence

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc"
M. Addams

I bought this album, sight unseen, because I've been a Manowar fan since the beginning. After one listening of the album I was about to write it off as the worst Manowar album to date, even going as far as comparing them to the defunct Metallica, whom are not even a shell of what they used to be.

Then I decided I would write a review of the album. Luckily for me I read the previous 26 reviews and decided that I would give the album another chance.

It's not an album that you're gonna be blaring on your car stereo - save Kings of Metal for that. Put on some headphones, turn off the lights, relax, and enjoy the pictures they paint with their music and lyrics. It's far more enjoyable this way. Sure, some of the lyrics are quite cheesy, but we wouldn't expect anything less from Joey DeMaio.

If you've written this album off, try it again. You might just be surprised.

I've been listening to Manowar forever, just like many of the reviewers here. I'm not going to go into a track by track review or even spend much time describing the music. There are plenty of people who have done an adequate job doing just that.

For all the doubters-----this is a true Manowar album. However it is unlike any of the other albums. It plays like a soundtrack to the movie in the mind of Joey DeMaio. There are instrumental interludes, spoken pieces and of course Manowar music. It works fairly well but I would rank it in the lower echelon of the band's work. However, like Warriors of the World this album could come back years later with a vengeance and become a favorite of mine.

Don't be turned off by the negative reviews. It is well worth owning and belongs in your Manowar collection.

Alright. Yes, this album does have a lot of interludes and spoken dialogue. So you are really getting about 5 solid songs on here. But I dare any Manowar fan not to fall in love with songs like King of Kings, Loki God of Fire (my personal favorite on the album), and Sons of Odin. If you are a Manowar fan, and can deal with the album only having a handful of actual songs, I strongly recommend you pick the album up. Solid power metal. Really looking forward to Manowar's next album, but hopefully next time they put more of what their fans love on it.