72 is not age for people who dont do day job ,he could do few more good albums , 2 great bands should stop Ross The Boss and Death Dealer. So soon after diagnose ALS. Sad.

Sad news
RIP

RIP Ross. I bought my first Manowar album when I was about 15; I was on a school trip and I'd found a music store, so I spent all the money I'd brought for food on CDs. One of them was Kings Of Metal. Since then, Manowar has been one of my favorite bands, even as I learned to take them less seriously in adulthood (and even as they've floundered spectacularly in the post-Ross years). That streak of albums in the '80s is incredible, and so much of it is down to Ross's playing. "Battle Hymn" is one of the best solos in all of metal, and so many of his others - "Hail and Kill", "Thor (The Powerhead)", "Heart of Steel", "Gloves of Metal", “Carry On”, etc. - are embedded in my mind; he understood exactly what Manowar needed. His guitar playing remains quite unique in the heavy/power sphere and it's a big part of what makes some of my favorite albums so special. I can never go for more than a few days without having "Kill With Power" or "Gates of Valhalla" or "Black Wind, Fire, and Steel" pop into my head.

I really liked Hailstorm when I listened to it while researching my power metal article series, but I never listened to much else of his solo work or his stuff with The Dictators and Death Dealer, so I'll have to do that.

RIP

RIP

Really sad. He was crucial in Manowar's sound development and had a very particular style. I'm glad I got to see him perform with Manowar at that special show in Earthshaker festival, way back in 2005, and even to have had the chance to meet him. I remember I told him ''thank you for making Manowar go ahead'', it's just what spontaneously came from my mind.

DEP Ross and thank you for the riffs!

Very sad news. Manowar was a huge part of my life in my teens and those early albums with him were something special.

Written by majormalfunction on 29.03.2026 at 09:11

Very sad news. Manowar was a huge part of my life in my teens and those early albums with him were something special.

Death Dealer and his solo band was much better aftrer Manowar specially now,so its more sad those two should stop.

So sad to hear Ross passing away. He was probably the single biggest influence on my teenage metal years and I never quite got over his departure from Manowar and the way the band ground to a halt creatively so soon after. His solos on the Kings of Metal album showcase his metal-meets-blues approach and brought real emotion to the band that I think most people sadly overlook. I’ve learnt from that that good things don’t last forever and you have to realise what you’ve got when they’re in front of you. I still revisit those first six albums (and maybe a few of the later songs) regularly and the sheer delight I felt when hearing them for the first time is still there. A sad loss. R.I.P. Ross The Boss.

RIP and eternal gratitude for those untouchable '80s Manowar albums.