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Manilla Road - Crystal Logic



8.4 | 160 votes |
Release date: 1983
Style: Heavy metal, US power metal

Owners:

134 have it
27 want it


01. Prologue
02. Necropolis
03. Flaming Metal System [2000 reissue bonus]
04. Crystal Logic
05. Feeling Free Again
06. The Riddle Master
07. The Ram
08. The Veils Of Negative Existence
09. Dreams Of Eschaton
10. Epilogue

Top 20 albums of 1983: 9

Mousy vocals, reedy tones, modest production... but bombastic riffs, lofty concepts, fantastical mystique, and complete mastery over the art of flaming metal systems. Touching on power, prog, speed, and traditional heavy metal, Manilla Road produced a string of the finest albums ever released in any of those genres, and Crystal Logic crowned them all with its ensorcelling grooves. In losing Manilla Road, the heavy metal genre has lost one of its most literate and classically epic artists.

RIP Mark the Shark.

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Comments

Comments: 24   Visited by: 451 users
01.08.2012 - 03:44
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Damn these guys write some good songs

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01.08.2012 - 22:46
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Staff
Written by [user id=4365] on 01.08.2012 at 03:44

Damn these guys write some good songs

It makes me think of traditional doom with a bit more speed. Still have no idea what I think of the voice. I love it and hate it at the same time. It makes me think of a Saint Seiya opening or something.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass

Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.

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01.08.2012 - 23:18
Rating: 8
Druss
Aye, its definately doomsy-heavy metal, Manilla Road's pretty diverse (at times) in my opinion for a ''heavy metal'' band. Enjoyed the album, ''Flaming Metal System'' was the highlight for me, ESPECIALLY that crazy intro.
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02.08.2012 - 01:03
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by X-Ray Rod on 01.08.2012 at 22:46


It makes me think of traditional doom with a bit more speed. Still have no idea what I think of the voice. I love it and hate it at the same time. It makes me think of a Saint Seiya opening or something.

The voice to me essentially sounds like a great vocalist pinching his nose the whole time. I love his vocals though, no doubt about that.
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02.08.2012 - 01:05
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Staff
Written by [user id=4365] on 02.08.2012 at 01:03
The voice to me essentially sounds like a great vocalist pinching his nose the whole time. I love his vocals though, no doubt about that.

He probably was sick that day.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass

Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.

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02.08.2012 - 01:06
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by X-Ray Rod on 02.08.2012 at 01:05


Hella nasal voice as well, he probably was sick that day.

A bit like Phoebe from friends when she has a sexy singing voice when she was ill. Not to get all mainstream on everyone there...
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02.08.2012 - 01:07
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Staff
Written by [user id=4365] on 02.08.2012 at 01:06
A bit like Phoebe from friends when she has a sexy singing voice when she was ill. Not to get all mainstream on everyone there...

Never watched Friends so I'll have to check out her voice. The only Phoebe I know from tv is from Hey Arnold!
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass

Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.

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02.08.2012 - 01:15
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by X-Ray Rod on 02.08.2012 at 01:07


Never watched Friends so I'll have to check out her voice. The only Phoebe I know from tv is from Hey Arnold!

Ah Hey Arnold! Good old football head. Haven't watched that in years.

Phoebe's voice wasn't really that sexy to be honest, it was only sexy for the purposes of the program, if that makes sense. Almost like dramatic irony I suppose.
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02.08.2012 - 23:39
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite
The vocals is what really sets Manilla Road apart from the rest. In that way you can compare them to Cirith Ungol
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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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08.01.2014 - 21:42
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Nice. Never heard this track off this before.

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09.01.2015 - 19:27
Rating: 10
Jagermeister
I sold my soul to MANILLA ROAD \m/ 10/10
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But don't you ever get lost in Necropolis?
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12.07.2015 - 14:55
Rating: 10
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
Huge improvement here from the earlier albums. Truly a classic album in heavy metal and a beginning for more amazing albums to follow.
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My vision is augmented
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19.10.2015 - 19:20
Vetrarnott
Account deleted
Written by JOPE OF STEELE on 12.07.2015 at 14:55

Huge improvement here from the earlier albums. Truly a classic album in heavy metal and a beginning for more amazing albums to follow.

I don't think I connected so much with other heavy metal songs than I did with this album. Absolute perfect, great songwriting from start to finish, excellent lyrics and a strong cultish feel that persists til today.
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01.08.2019 - 13:29
Rating: 8
nonZero
8.5/10 leaning towards an 8 I'd say.
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Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)
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26.08.2019 - 23:22
Rating: 9
Redel
Moderator
Written by nonZero on 01.08.2019 at 13:29

8.5/10 leaning towards an 8 I'd say.

Indeed a great album. The vocals are characteristic here.
I like almost all tracks, except for Feeling free and the closer maybe.
The riddle master is probably my favourite song here, followed by The veils.
About 7.8 overall for me.
I guess I should check out some of their others albums (which are unknown to me so far), or should I better not...?
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28.08.2019 - 10:26
Rating: 10
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
10.5 / 10 , leaning towards 11. Yes, it's so good the scale is not enough
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My vision is augmented
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28.08.2019 - 17:15
Maco
Pvt Funderground
Written by Redel on 26.08.2019 at 23:22

I guess I should check out some of their others albums (which are unknown to me so far), or should I better not...?

The Deluge bro. The Deluge has some of their finest songs.
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Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
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17.05.2020 - 11:40
Maco
Pvt Funderground
Flaming Metal System for best bonus song ever.
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Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
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17.05.2020 - 16:35
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Maco on 17.05.2020 at 11:40

Flaming Metal System for best bonus song ever.

Their best, necropolis is their best song ever, crystal logic, flamingo metal systems kills
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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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23.09.2020 - 21:33
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
This is when band from boys became a men, where they born, because firts 2 are not close at all.
Good intro, then powerful Necropolis, what is their best song. Epic classic, same time it offers Flaming Crystal Logic, Flaming Metal Systems , and The Veils Of Negative Existance.

4 killer songs plus last one 13 mikes epic. Its not bad, but same time some parts of songs has bad mix, you see 80's was not always prefect, if they put this out today, whit PC help those isues would be fixed . A killer piece
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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
Loading...
25.09.2020 - 21:45
Rating: 10
JOPE OF STEELE
Steelemeister
Written by Bad English on 23.09.2020 at 21:33

This is when band from boys became a men, where they born, because firts 2 are not close at all.
Good intro, then powerful Necropolis, what is their best song. Epic classic, same time it offers Flaming Crystal Logic, Flaming Metal Systems , and The Veils Of Negative Existance.

4 killer songs plus last one 13 mikes epic. Its not bad, but same time some parts of songs has bad mix, you see 80's was not always prefect, if they put this out today, whit PC help those isues would be fixed . A killer piece

All songs great in different ways and genres IMO; Feeling Free Again, which gets attacked by some people, is like the two previous albums and it sounds like tribute to late 60s and 70s rock, weakest song, sure, but I still don't skip it. "Dreams Of Eschaton" is kind of repetitive and at the same time it's the birth of epicness, long song pattern which will be more common on their later albums (spoiler alert) I'm enjoying the song quite a lot. Masterpiece album, I don't say it's 10/10 for no reason, and posers won't agree.
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My vision is augmented
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01.03.2022 - 14:49
Rating: 9
AndyMetalFreak
A Nice Guy
Contributor
Such a unique album, that still stands the test of time as being one of the greatest and most important U.S. power metal albums.
Those vocals are really what make this album so special, they are so unusual, unlike any vocals I've heard before, but I really like them, they seem to have a 60's psychedelic vibe about them, a wee bit acid sounding if that makes sense

The guitar tone and riffs are also unique, they are really heavy, deep sounding, and slow to mid paced, borderline doom metal. I mean it's almost like listening to a speedier early Black Sabbath at times. The solo's are also great and the hazy production works well, it makes this album sound old school for it's time.
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30.05.2022 - 19:55
Rating: 9
AndreMarcos
Incredible album ... although i do agree that Feeling Free Again is very underwhelming compared to the rest of the album.
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07.07.2024 - 01:56
Rating: 9
Majesty1911
One of the first US Power/Epic Metal albums ever, together with Sirens, Into Glory Ride and Deliver Us EP. It's not a perfect record: the production and vocals are raw, and "Feeling Free Again" is a filler song. But despite all of this - what an awesome album it is, with classics like: "Dreams Of Eschaton", "Necropolis", "The Riddle Master", the title track and the brilliant bonus - "Flaming Metal System". Sadly, I discovered Manilla Road only a year ago, but I'm very glad that I did after all! This band deserves much more attention than it has.
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Glory to the Nation!
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