Manowar

The early '80s saw an explosion of new metal bands. Some focused on penning epics (Iron Maiden), others focused on melody (Def Leppard), and quite a few dressed in snazzy outfits (Mötley Crüe). Manowar managed to combine all three elements together, issuing a string of albums right off the bat that many longtime fans consider to be their best. And this is the exact era that the 16-track compilation The Kingdom of Steel: The Very Best of Manowar focuses on. There is one problem, though: a few glaring holes in the track list. While both 1982's Battle Hymns ("Battle Hymn," "Manowar") and 1984's Hail to England ("Blood of My Enemies," "Kill With Power") are well represented, the set completely bypasses such releases as Into Glory Ride. Regardless, Kingdom of Steel remains one of the larger single-disc Manowar comps on the market -- containing the majority of their headbanging best. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi