On their anthemic mission statement "Kings of Metal" Manowar once again proclaim their metal superiority thusly: "Other bands play, Manowar kills." The twin sentiments of the group's metal mastery and the majesty of medieval heroism in battle are repeated on their sixth full-length release, Kings of Metal. There aren't too many surprises on the disc, with the possible exception of bassist Joey DeMaio's blinding 64th-note bass playing on a reworking of Russian classicist Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" entitled "Sting of the Bumblebee." Considered by some fans to be a classic of its own, the 1988 release has quite a few ballads, though speedier tracks like "Wheels of Fire" demonstrate the groups talents best. Besides their refreshingly totalistic loyalty to form, Manowar's most admirable trait is their prodigious metal musicianship.
Tracklist: 1 Wheels of Fire - 4:11 2 Kings of Metal - 3:43 3 Heart of Steel - 5:10 4 Sting of the Bumblebee [Instrumental] - 2:45 5 The Crown and the Ring (Lament of the Kings) - 4:46 6 Kingdom Come - 3:55 7 Pleasure Slave [*] - 5:37 8 Hail and Kill - 5:54 9 The Warrior Prayer - 4:20 10 Blood of the Kings - 7:30
