Manowar is an American heavy metal band from Auburn, New York. Formed in 1980, the band is known for lyrics based on fantasy themes, particularly sword and sorcery, as well as mythology including Norse and Greco-Roman traditions, alongside songs that celebrate heavy metal music and its audience. The group is also associated with a loud and emphatic sound. In 2007, bassist Joey DeMaio stated in an interview that he believed contemporary metal lacked large, epic productions with heavily layered instrumentation. In 1984, Manowar was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the loudest performance at the time, a record they later reportedly surpassed twice. They also held a record for the longest heavy metal concert after performing for five hours and one minute in Bulgaria at Kavarna Rock Fest in 2008. The band has been associated with the slogan "death to false metal". The band’s origins trace back to 1980 when bassist Joey DeMaio met guitarist Ross "the Boss" Friedman while both were working in connection with Black Sabbath’s Heaven & Hell tour. Friedman had previously been a member of the punk rock band The Dictators. The two decided to form a band after encouragement from Ronnie James Dio. The initial lineup was completed by drummer Donnie Hamzik and singer Eric Adams, whose real name is Louis Marullo; he adopted his stage name at the suggestion of Friedman. The name Manowar was proposed by instrument designer John "Dawk" Stillwell and is derived from the term "man-of-war", though it was intended to mean "warrior". The band recorded a demo and signed with Liberty Records in 1981. Their debut album "Battle Hymns" was released in 1982 and featured narration by Orson Welles on the tracks "Dark Avenger" and "Defender". After touring, including as support for Ted Nugent, drummer Donnie Hamzik left and was replaced by Scott Columbus. In 1983, Manowar left Liberty Records and signed with Megaforce Records in the United States and Music for Nations in Europe. Their second release, "Into Glory Ride", was issued in 1983, originally intended as an EP. In the same year, the EP "Defender" was released. The band released "Hail to England" in 1984 and "Sign of the Hammer" in 1984 as well. In 1987, after signing with Atlantic Records, they released "Fighting the World", which expanded their international profile, with album artwork by Ken Kelly. In 1988, they released "Kings of Metal", one of their best-known and highest-selling albums, featuring songs such as "Heart of Steel", "Kings of Metal" and "Hail and Kill". The band toured extensively for several years, during which Ross the Boss left the group and was replaced by David Shankle. Scott Columbus also departed during this period and was replaced by Kenny Earl Edwards, known as "Rhino". In 1992, Manowar released "The Triumph of Steel", which included the 28-minute composition "Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts" inspired by the Iliad. After touring, the band signed with Geffen Records. In 1994, Shankle left and was replaced by Karl Logan, while Scott Columbus returned. In 1996, the band released "Louder Than Hell", followed by compilation and live releases including "Anthology", "Hell on Wheels" and "Hell on Stage". In 2002, Manowar released "Warriors of the World", which included a version of Puccini’s aria "Nessun Dorma". They supported the album with the Warriors of the World United Tour and released several DVDs including "Fire and Blood", "Hell on Earth Part III" and "Hell on Earth Part IV". In 2003, Joey DeMaio founded Magic Circle Music, which became the band’s label. In 2006, the EP "The Sons of Odin" was released, followed by the album "Gods of War" in 2007 and the EP "Thunder in the Sky" in 2009, which included the song "Father" recorded in multiple languages. In 2010, drummer Scott Columbus confirmed he had left the band; he died in 2011. That year, the band released "Battle Hymns MMXI", a re-recording of their debut album featuring narration by Christopher Lee. In 2012, they released "The Lord of Steel", initially distributed digitally, and in 2013 the live EP "The Lord of Steel Live". In 2014, they released "Kings of Metal MMXIV", a re-recorded version of their 1988 album. In later years, lineup changes continued. Karl Logan was arrested in 2018 on charges related to child pornography and was subsequently removed from the band. Touring guitarist E. V. Martel and various guest musicians joined for later tours, with Anders Johansson and later Dave Chedrick appearing as drummers at different times, and Michael Angelo Batio performing as a touring guitarist. The band released "The Final Battle I" in 2019 as part of a planned EP trilogy. Planned releases including a new studio album and a re-recording of "Sign of the Hammer" announced for later years had not been issued as of 2025. In 2019, the band’s scheduled appearance at Hellfest was cancelled, with Manowar stating the cancellation was made by the festival organisers. In 2020, they announced a 40th anniversary tour planned for 2021, which did not take place. In 2022, they began the Crushing the Enemies of Metal Anniversary Tour, with further lineup adjustments. In 2025, they began the Blood of Our Enemies Tour. In 2026, former guitarist Ross the Boss announced he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and died from the disease on March 26, 2026, at the age of 72. Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manowar Studio albums Battle Hymns (1982) Into Glory Ride (1983) Hail to England (1984) Sign of the Hammer (1984) Fighting the World (1987) Kings of Metal (1988) The Triumph of Steel (1992) Louder Than Hell (1996) Warriors of the World (2002) Gods of War (2007) The Lord of Steel (2012)