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Manowar - Kings Of Metal



8.6 | 727 votes |
Release date: 18 November 1988
Style: Heavy metal, US power metal

Owners:

855 have it
52 want it
1 trades it


01. Wheels Of Fire
02. Kings Of Metal
03. Heart Of Steel
04. Sting Of The Bumblebee
05. The Crown And The Ring (Lament Of The Kings)
06. Kingdom Come
07. Pleasure Slave [European and American bonus]
08. Hail And Kill
09. The Warrior's Prayer
10. Blood Of The Kings

Top 20 albums of 1988: 13
Featured in "Getting Into: Manowar"

Additional info
All tracks by DeMaio & Friedman except 4. by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Guest review by
DayFly
Rating:
7.2
Kings Of Metal largely follows the commercial route of it's immediate predecessor. Not that this is a throwback to the rocking days of Battle Hymns, but compared to Manowar's earlier works, the band is now blatantly fishing for poppy hooks (which in itself is not necessarily a bad thing) and the production is a slicker, more professional affair. DeMaio, aside from still being a troublingly devoted bass soloist, also found time to work on his lyrics which finally hit rock bottom with "Pleasure Slave", a song too clumsy and stupid to offend or actually make the listener waste his time dwelling on it. Disregarding the lyrics, the music remains so utterly simplistic and hook-free that Manowar might just have achieved the dubious distinction of writing the worst metal song of the 80s (and, who knows, actually be proud of it).

Read more ››
published 25.10.2009 | Comments (13)

Guest review by
ScreamingSteelUS
Rating:
8.0
Kings Of Metal had the potential to be the high point of Manowar's career. In several ways, it represents the crystallization of the band's well-known and oft-parodied style, that strange mixture of bombastic buffoonery and pure, unadulterated heavy metal. Yet, most unfortunately, Manowar seems to have screwed themselves out of pure success, as they tend to do.

Read more ››
published 20.10.2012 | Comments (3)

Found in 42 lists
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Comments

Comments: 29   Visited by: 1380 users
01.04.2010 - 17:56
ManOwaR King
In album shahkare
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11.05.2010 - 08:18
bj_waters
Does anybody know who is actually doing the talking in "The Warrior's Prayer?"
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11.05.2010 - 09:55
Rating: 8
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
I know a guy, who is normally listening to BM stuff, he is even working in one czech label and really knows about metal music and he is honestly saying, that this is the best heavy metal album ever...
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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11.05.2010 - 15:22
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite
Written by Ellrohir on 11.05.2010 at 09:55

... that this is the best heavy metal album ever...



Even Manoward's own first three albums are vastly superior to this.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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11.05.2010 - 23:09
Rating: 8
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
Well i think best Manowar album is Louder Than Hell...and of course - it is far from being best HM album...
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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11.05.2010 - 23:30
Baz Anderson
Staff
It's also laughable the concept that if someone works for a label, their opinion is in some way better than the average person, or holds more weight of some sort.
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12.05.2010 - 00:10
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Admin
The ex-boyfriend of the roommate of a girl i used to, uh, comfort 15 years ago swears that this is the worst thing every put to vinyl...



Kings Of Polyester
Hearts of Platform Shoes

So hard. So true.

Wimps and posers leave the hall... can't stand the scrutiny of their own call.
guess that means there's no show at all.
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get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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04.11.2012 - 22:26
megadeath13
Account deleted
I dont understand why people call this the best Manowar album. Battle Hymns, Into Glory Ride, Hail to England are all way better. Thats obviously the most popular Manowar CD, but for me its pure averageness
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30.11.2013 - 02:29
Rating: 5
Reaper_Redeemer
Indeed overrated..
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24.06.2015 - 20:39
Rating: 7
Although quite overrated by their hardcore fans (I think they call themselves Manowarriors or sth), the album does have some great moments. I prefer their first 4 releases because the whole thing started being cheesy (not truly cheesy until Louder Than Hell) in their previous release. This is way better than Fighting The World, though and escalates to their last great album...
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{}::::::[]:::::::::::::::::> ONLY DEATH IS REAL <:::::::::::::::::[]::::::{}
Rest In Peace: Bon Scott, Dave G. Halliday, Michael "Destructor" Wulf, Jerry Fogle, Quorthon, Witchhunter
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02.09.2015 - 02:01
Rating: 9
indexqwest
Hail And Kill!!!!
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14.12.2015 - 13:47
Rating: 9
qlacs
"The Quaker"
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 11.05.2010 at 15:22

Written by Ellrohir on 11.05.2010 at 09:55

... that this is the best heavy metal album ever...



Even Manoward's own first three albums are vastly superior to this.

Marcel, seeing you bashing Manowar so hard makes me think you're just nearly as old as them and a bit envious
No doubt they left the "true metal" purpose somewhere in the early 90's...

I'd consider myself a fan and I think what they did between Battle Hymns (which is sounds like slowed down hard rock) and Fighting the World suckz ballz... their "true" (or "poser" for you) sound is found on Fighting the World/Kings of Metal and that's it.
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15.07.2016 - 12:39
Rating: 7
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
Some really strong tracks and some total fillers here. The band should've left these slow pussy metal songs out, since they couldn't do them properly. And I'm referring to #3, #5, #6, #7 and #9.

Wheels Of Fire and Hail And Kill though
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My vision is augmented
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17.10.2018 - 21:50
Rating: 10
zdenoeddie
Beside Triumph of Steel the best album from this band, my opinion.
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Up the Irons!!!
http://www.last.fm/user/zdenoeddie
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17.04.2019 - 23:00
Rating: 8
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Staff
Left: first CD I ever bought with my own money
(I was young and I just didn't know any better)
Right: first computer game I ever purchased
(and my most favorite pastime around 1990)




The weird thing is that I never recognized any similarities - until today.
Feeling a bit deranged right now.

Do I need some professional help?
Is this even real?


Hello?
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signatures = SPAM
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18.04.2019 - 12:26
nikarg
Staff
Written by Starvynth on 17.04.2019 at 23:00

Left: first CD I ever bought with my own money
(I was young and I just didn't know any better)
Right: first computer game I ever purchased
(and my most favorite pastime around 1990)

The weird thing is that I never recognized any similarities - until today.
Feeling a bit deranged right now.

Do I need some professional help?
Is this even real?

Hello?

a) The professional says you had a great childhood.
b) It's obvious that Turrican ripped off Manowar
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18.04.2019 - 12:39
John doe
Written by nikarg on 18.04.2019 at 12:26

It's obvious that Turrican ripped off Manowar

because DeMaio(naise) invented the muscled warrior swordsman...
Right?
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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18.04.2019 - 12:52
nikarg
Staff
Written by John doe on 18.04.2019 at 12:39

Written by nikarg on 18.04.2019 at 12:26

It's obvious that Turrican ripped off Manowar

because DeMaio(naise) invented the muscled warrior swordsman...
Right?

Right
DeMaio invented everything, even muscles. Before him there was only fat.
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18.04.2019 - 13:31
Rating: 8
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Staff
Written by nikarg on 18.04.2019 at 12:26

a) The professional says you had a great childhood.
b) It's obvious that Turrican ripped off Manowar

a) It's true, but there has been some massive and disturbing interruption of my innocent and sheltered childhood in 1992: my first (and last) Manowar concert.
Anyway, thanks for your quick psychological support!

b) Yes, they definitely did.
I just found some old interview where Manfred Trenz, the main programmer and graphician of the game, confessed that the game's developing process was 'heavily inspired by the music and the cover artwork of Kings Of Metal'.

Written by John doe on 18.04.2019 at 12:39

because DeMaio(naise) invented the muscled warrior swordsman...
Right?

Nah, let's stay fair and say that he didn't even have to invent him. A concrete vision of the muscled warrior swordsman has always been there, even long before Manowar saw the light of day.

Little Joey's wet dreams were made of it.
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signatures = SPAM
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18.04.2019 - 13:52
nikarg
Staff
Written by Starvynth on 18.04.2019 at 13:31

It's true, but there has been some massive and disturbing interruption of my innocent and sheltered childhood in 1992: my first (and last) Manowar concert.

FFS man, my first (and last) Manowar concert was in 1992! So much sweat and bruising, after it finished I was feeling like I had fought a thousand battles, lol.

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18.04.2019 - 13:53
Rating: 8
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Staff
Written by nikarg on 18.04.2019 at 12:52

DeMaio invented everything, even muscles. Before him there was only fat.

Not to forget that he also invented jeans and leather.
I am wearing my DeMaio™ steelwashed jeans almost every day. With pride.

Just two minor problems:
- it's so tight that it permanently hurts in the crotch area
- I have a strong feeling that something's wrong with the button fly (it's not located where it actually should be)
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signatures = SPAM
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18.04.2019 - 13:56
Rating: 8
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Staff
Written by nikarg on 18.04.2019 at 13:52

FFS man, my first (and last) Manowar concert was in 1992! So much sweat and bruising, after it finished I was feeling like I had fought a thousand battles, lol.

Holy shiiiit! Yes, that's it - the Triumph Of Steel tour.
Do you still remember their support? In Germany, they teamed up with Skyclad.
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signatures = SPAM
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18.04.2019 - 14:17
nikarg
Staff
Written by Starvynth on 18.04.2019 at 13:56

Written by nikarg on 18.04.2019 at 13:52

FFS man, my first (and last) Manowar concert was in 1992! So much sweat and bruising, after it finished I was feeling like I had fought a thousand battles, lol.

Holy shiiiit! Yes, that's it - the Triumph Of Steel tour.
Do you still remember their support? In Germany, they teamed up with Skyclad.

I wish it had been Skyclad, they actually have a big following here even today and they come very often and play in every little village in the country Instead, it was a Greek band called Fatal Attraction and they were jeered and booed and thrown bottles at because they sucked and we all wanted to see Manowar.

Unfortunately the setlist was really bad and ignored most of the classics. Among the long and boring bass solos, drum solos, DeMaio speeches and his sexist ravings, they played "Manowar", "Kill with power", "Fighting the world", "Kings of metal", "Heart of steel", "Ride the Dragon, "Hail and kill", "The glory of Achilles", "Metal warriors", "Spirit of the Cherokee", "Black wind, Fire and Steel", and "Battle hymns". The sound was awful but when you are 16 all that shit is irrelevant I guess.
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18.04.2019 - 15:10
Rating: 8
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Staff
Written by nikarg on 18.04.2019 at 14:17

Unfortunately the setlist was really bad and ignored most of the classics. Among the long and boring bass solos, drum solos, DeMaio speeches and his sexist ravings, they played "Manowar", "Kill with power", "Fighting the world", "Kings of metal", "Heart of steel", "Ride the Dragon, "Hail and kill", "The glory of Achilles", "Metal warriors", "Spirit of the Cherokee", "Black wind, Fire and Steel", and "Battle hymns". The sound was awful but when you are 16 all that shit is irrelevant I guess.

Wow, you really still remember the setlist!
Actually, this sounds quite familiar and all of it could have been part of their german selection as well. But I'm quite sure they also played "Blood Of The Kings" as I clearly remember the public's reactions to the line '...back to the glory of Germany'.

Just to prove how much this concert spoiled my childhood: I initially read 'sexist' as 'sexy' and imagined Joey raving to some hammering techno beats...

But seriously, that show - and in particular Joey's over the top macho behaviour - marked the very end of my fanship time. Sold all of my Manowar records a few days after the concert and never looked back. DeMaio is the prototype of a blithering idiot and I'm ashamed that I supported his band through purchases of their music.

On the other hand, it's quite satisfying to see that they failed to release a decent album ever since...
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signatures = SPAM
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23.07.2019 - 20:13
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
First 2 songs and women favorire all time song are decent metal song, rest is muscle macho idea about that they get money and all will love them. Its nothing, not so good album.
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I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens.

Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"

I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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11.10.2019 - 19:30
Rating: 8
SebaRaven36
Fantastic!!
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14.04.2020 - 10:08
Rating: 6
majormalfunction
They had something really good going with this album but the cheese is starting to get way out of hand and I just can't enjoy most of this stuff anymore. I rarely listen to the entire thing and only enjoy the best tracks (Blood of the Kings, Hail and Kill, The Crown and the Ring and Heart of Steel).

Blood of the Kings is possibly my favourite Manowar track.
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Everything's twice as bright with money in your hands
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14.06.2020 - 03:10
Rating: 7
TSRodriguez
The amount of total dog crap in between the awesome in this album is staggering. Why the fuck they put that horrible worthless bonus track (Pleasure slave) in the middle of Kingdom Come and Hail and Kill. And who the hell needs EVER a 4 and a half minute spoken-intro? what a way to completely undermine a kickass album.
The Nonfillers are of course, totally incredible, I personally like the ballad Crown and the Ring and Blood of the Kings.
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10.05.2021 - 14:39
blackwreath13
I think it opens and closes really strong but the middle drags it down for me (ballad, gimmick track, another ballad, Kingdom Come (not for me), sex song that aged badly...). That said, Blood of the Kings and Hail and Kill are among the best songs I've heard from the band.
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