Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Manilla Road
Label: My Graveyard Production
Released: 2008
Kansas band Manilla Road are without a doubt one of the legendary metal acts, one that actually helped shape the whole metal movement. Founded back in 1977, the band is sadly also one of metal’s most overlooked giants, known only to a relatively narrow circle of metal enthusiasts. Manilla Road still remains an overlooked gem today, but that’s exactly what makes them a real treasure for anyone who dares (and knows how) to reach a little further than Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. The cult Americans are partly to blame for being so unknown, since they’ve been knocking around small, obscure labels their whole career, but that’s probably exactly why they’ve stayed truly faithful to their own sound to this day. Manilla Road split up in 1990/91, and their “mastermind” Mark “Shark” Shelton went on to play in The Circus Maximus, who put out a self-titled record in 1992. The label released it under the Manilla Road name despite objections, and because of that Mark vanished for almost a decade. At the turn of the millennium Manilla Road re-formed, and now we have their fifth “reunion” album, Voyager.
Manilla Road are considered the founders of the epic metal genre, and as such they still do it best. They approach epic themes, ranging from Atlantis, Lovecraft’s myths and Arthurian legends to the Aeneid and the Battle of Thermopylae, seriously, thoughtfully and in detail, so forget any kind of silliness in the style of the self-proclaimed “Epic Hollywood” metallers Rhapsody (of Fire) or later Manowar. The American blend of heavy, power and thrash metal, which Manilla Road spice up with epic, pompous arrangements, has become the band’s true “trademark” sound, and when you add an epic story about Vikings, which Voyager revolves around, the result can only be, perhaps even, the best record the band has made since getting back together. With their fourteenth record, based on Mark’s own story, Manilla Road take us to the 12th century, among the brave tribes of the North. Valiant warriors led by Holgar return to their homeland only to find, to their disappointment, that their people have been Christianized. After a failed attempt to return to their pagan roots, Holgar and his warriors set out in search of a new pagan homeland, which eventually leads them all the way to Mexico. That’s just the short version, since the whole interesting story is written out in the booklet.
From start to finish, the music of the album perfectly captures an epic, mystical atmosphere full of brutal and, at the same time, melancholic parts. The opener Tomb of the Serpent King is almost a classic Manilla Road atmospheric intro with a whiff of impending catastrophe, and with its mysticism and gloom it always reminds me of the horrifying images from Lovecraft’s stories. The brutal massacre Butchers of the Sea introduces Holgar and his seafarers with the raw sound of heavy riffs and mighty drums. The rhythm section, slow but seriously heavy, works like a multi-ton hammer, and the song is further elevated by Shelton’s wicked vocals, which deliver the chilling chorus even with a bloodthirsty growl. Shelton hints at his guitar virtuosity already in the first track, which unfolds into a fantastic solo with a truly epic flavor. Even more headbanging moments are served up by the thrash-tinged Frost and Fire, carried by dynamic, spectacular drums and a punchy gallop of guitar and bass that at times recalls the early days of Iron Maiden. Mark Shelton, who handled the production again this time, always makes sure it’s more than excellent, even if you could say the sounds from Midgard studio are almost primitive, but Voyager couldn’t have gotten a more fitting production. Frost and Fire is also driven by Shark’s typical trademark wicked vocals, and toward the end a timeless-sounding solo carries it off to new heights once more. The galloping tempo is cooled down by the melancholic Tree of Life, which opens with a mystical twelve-string acoustic guitar, and the track continues with mysterious guitar lines and a powerful, emotional vocal performance that manage to build up the already thick, mighty epic atmosphere even further. In Blood Eagle, about a bloody sacrificial ritual, pompous church organs lead us in, but they’re quickly cut short by the brutal shockwave of the rhythm section and raw staccato riffing, helped along generously, like a barbarian invasion, by an aggressive and raw Shelton. Voyager is a rather introverted song, as the slower tempo and acoustic guitars transport us onto a Viking longship, while the faster tempo that follows catches the ship in a storm and restless, uncharted seas. Just as the eye of the storm is calm, the winds are soothed by the acoustic Eye of the Storm, built only on emotional vocals and almost bluesy guitar lines, but with Return of the Serpent King another bloody massacre for the ears soon follows. The fast Conquest is a real thrash battle song, the fastest track on the album, and it fits Shelton’s semi-growls superbly. Voyager is perfectly closed out by Totentanz (The Dance of Death), which with its mournful acoustic lines in the intro carries us straight to a Viking funeral and, in the end, where else but to Valhalla, the final resting place of every Viking who died bravely in battle.
In every respect Voyager is a real little masterpiece that can easily be compared with the best works of Manilla Road’s first era. A highly structured album that faithfully follows its interesting story with both hard-hitting and quiet tracks, it’s also an instrumental showcase for an excellent trio, and then there’s still the unforgettable, typical vocal of Mark Shelton. Voyager is another epic treat that simply must not be missing from the shelf of any Manilla Road fan, and at the same time it’s an album that should satisfy even the most demanding listener.
Lineup
Cory (Hardcore) Christner – drums
Harvey (Crow) Patrick – bass, backing vocals
Mark (Shark) Shelton – vocals, electric guitar, 6- and 12-string acoustic guitar, keyboards, organ
Production
Mark (Shark) Shelton
Tracklist
1. Tomb of the Serpent King / Butchers of the Sea 09:02
2. Frost and Fire 06:02
3. Tree of Life 08:00
4. Blood Eagle 06:11
5. Voyager 09:31
6. Eye of the Storm 04:40
7. Return of the Serpent King 08:04
8. Conquest 04:37
9. Totentanz (The Dance of Death) 07:57
