Let's get it out in the open from the beginning; Manowar is the band that gives a new meaning to the phrase "love them or hate them". People are either intrigued or reppeled by the whole macho lifestyle, the medieval warlord-like image, the faith towards everything that heavy metal represents or the lyrics about ancient Gods and glorious victories that Manowar bring forth since day one, back in 1982.However, before judging them, you should always have in mind that Manowar are dead serious and 100% honest about what they do. Simply put, they walk it how they talk it, which deserves some respect, to say the least. That being said, it's perfectly clear that any mark given to a Manowar album is as subjective as a rating can be.
Manowar's debut is considered a classic for the epic metal genre, along with their next three albums, although it isn't absolutelely dedicated to that sound, as their next three albums were. In fact, "Battle Hymns" in its first side is an album of very well played, yet generic heavy metal, influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Rainbow and the N.W.O.B.H.M. All four tracks are above average of course, and tracks like "Metal Daze" are up to this day fan favourites and constant parts of Manowar's setlists.
It's in the second side of the record however that Manowar trully shine; in "Manowar" the band continues to play the same generic heavy metal they did in the first four tracks,only now the chorus is very memorable, the rhythm is much more intense and the band sounds really tight. And when "Dark Avenger" comes to play, epic metal is actually born. A very heavy creepy riff introduces the story of a man that was unjustly killed, right before he returned from Hades to have his revenge. The naration in the middle, performed by Orson Welles is enchanting, and the furious third part rounds off an impressive song.
"William's Tale" is a somewhat narcissistic track by mr Joey de Maio, who by the way is one of the best bass players around. The song is delivered perfectly, and De Maio is very convincing of his potential as a player. In the title track, he is equally convincing as a songwriter.This isn't only the best song in the album, it is an epic metal (and probably more than just that) classic. From the galloping majestic riff, to Eric Adam's incredible vocal lines, to the acoustic middle part, this song has influenced every single epic metal band, or every metal band that has ever tried to tell a tale of ancient battles and glory(check Bathory or Amon Amarth for example).
Overall, "Battle Hymns" might not be the band's best work, because a lack of focus is observed; the band is double faced in this record, but everything they try is at least well done, and Manowar's weaponry is well demonstrated; the presence of Joey de Maio and Eric Adams, the first one as a songwriter (although not alone in this record), the second one with his powerful voice, dominates the album. Their next album took them to a whole new level, but Manowar's potential as shown in their debut together with a few classics that it included, made "Battle Hymns" one of the most important metal albums of the 80's.
