Ελληνικά
Warriors of the World: Manowar’s New Beginning in the New Millennium!
It was on a day like this, 23 years ago, when Warriors of the World United was released and found its way into the suitcase of a naive 18-year-old student beginning his journey to new lands.
The first times I listened to the new album by the Kings in 2002 were completely indicative of the love I still hold for it to this day. The explosive opening of “Call to Arms” left me speechless with its power… and it still does! It’s a modern throwback to Hail to England, a reminder that no one can beat them at their own game. For many hours, it was simply impossible to listen to the next track, and I still consider it one of Manowar’s best songs. The rest of the album, of course, was quite different, as nothing had prepared me for the deeply emotional journey Joey DeMaio and his band had in mind. Unlike the more direct and straightforward Louder Than Hell, Warriors of the World was a far more complex affair.
You see, September 11, 2001, had haunted every American soul, and I’ve always believed it deeply affected Manowar too, being New Yorkers. The melodramatic “Fight for Freedom” was their way of giving courage to those who had lost loved ones in the Twin Towers attacks. The cover of the traditional “An American Trilogy,” which Elvis Presley once elevated to greatness, was aimed at the wounded patriotic instincts of the American audience. Even the wonderful Nessun Dorma, a dedication by Eric Adams to his mother shortly after her death, was a testament to the emotional weight WotW carried.
DeMaio’s first step as an orchestral maestro in the melodic, dreamy, and cinematic “The March” was the perfect bridge to the climactic part of the journey that followed. “Warriors of the World United” was, is, and always will be a unifying cry to all Manowar fans around the globe. There’s no need to describe the shock of the first listen to one of their most iconic songs worldwide. The beloved elements that had carved Manowar into my heart were here again, in a completely understandable, relevant, and convincing way. All those things that were once expressed in a heroic, mythic, and epic framework now spoke a simpler language. No longer to conquer new shores, but to finally unite the ones already claimed. We, the younger generation, now had our ultimate Manowar sing-along, written in our time to renew our oath of allegiance.
The second “side” and closing of Warriors of the World is essentially the opening of a new chapter in their career. Three explosive tracks, a formula that pushed their traditional metal forward—a smooth transition from epic/heavy to heavy/power metal, which they follow to this day. Manowar had found their confidence again, rediscovered their path after a decade-long pause following The Triumph of Steel.
Warriors of the World was many things all at once: a new beginning, a renewal, a risk, and a heartfelt expression. It was an open window into their psyche, their grounding in reality without the oversimplification of Louder Than Hell, and their entire essence packed into an exciting, fresh package. It was the counterattack of American heavy metal in the new millennium, at a time when bands like Linkin Park, Slipknot, System of a Down, and Limp Bizkit were sweeping the scene in the U.S., while in the U.K., Iron Maiden were sailing into a brave new world without a compass for the future.
Back then, of course, I couldn’t understand all of this. With Warriors of the World, Manowar charged into a new era, with a new label, new vision, and renewed enthusiasm, which led to an ultra-active decade. This new beginning allowed them to rally their fan base and win new followers along the way, with a barrage of live shows, new songs, and DVDs. Personally, I had the opportunity to see them up close for the first time among tens of thousands of others, and together we all sang “We are Warriors, Warriors of the World” at the most breathtaking live experience of my life—at the Earthshaker Festival!
That’s why I will always love it and feel it’s the most personal Manowar album for me, from my days as an 18-year-old student to today.
