Battle Hymns es un álbum de Manowar, publicado en 1982 por Liberty. El disco incluye 8 canciones, entre ellas «Death Tone», «Metal Daze», «Fast Taker» y «Shell Shock».
Sobre el álbum
La discografía de Manowar arranca con "Battle Hymns", un álbum que, de inmediato, estableció las bases de lo que se conocería como "true metal" y el sonido épico de la banda. Este debut, con su potencia cruda y sus letras centradas en la guerra, el honor y la lucha, ya mostraba la visión inquebrantable que caracterizaría toda su carrera. Se convirtió en una declaración de intenciones, un himno de batalla para los que buscaban un metal sin concesiones.
Las guitarras rugen con una ferocidad que anticipa el poderío que desarrollarían, mientras la batería marca un ritmo marcial que incita a la confrontación. "Death Tone", "Metal Daze" y la propia "Battle Hymns" son ejemplos claros de su habilidad para crear temas con riffs memorables y coros que se quedan grabados en la mente. Por otra parte, la voz de Eric Adams, con su increíble rango vocal y su capacidad para transmitir una fuerza sobrehumana, se adapta perfectamente a la épica de las letras. El álbum se siente como un grito de guerra, una inyección de pura adrenalina y orgullo metálico.
"Battle Hymns" no solo marcó el nacimiento de una de las bandas más influyentes del heavy metal, sino que también demostró su capacidad para crear un universo sonoro y lírico propio, lejos de las modas. Para cualquier amante del metal más puro y las letras que exaltan la valentía, este trabajo es una adquisición esencial. Es una prueba irrefutable de que el talento de Manowar ya brillaba con luz propia desde el principio de su camino, forjando el acero de su leyenda.
Listado de Canciones
- Death Tone
Letra
Original Lyrics Ridin' on two wheels Chains hooked on my heels Sittin' on leather Ridin' on steel Put my shades on Hair blows in the wind I give some square the finger Now he won't look again, no he won't Now, you were sittin' home And I got sent to Nam I went to the big house You just worked at job Hear me calling can't you hear my death tone Hear me calling can't you hear my death tone Hear me ride on into the night pull along side If you're looking for a fight My social worker's got me on a chain Keeps me out of jail so the paper prints his name Yes it does, and he likes it Unemployment checks run out next week It won't be very long 'til I'm back on the streets again - Metal Daze
Letra
I hear the sound in a metal way I feel the power rolling on the stage 'Cause only one thing really sets me free Heavy metal, loud as it can be Baby I was born to play music I am a man with a screaming guitar There's a light in a middle of the stage And in a minute I'll be wearing it all I don't know another way of living Man I couldn't really care Give me a pair of jeans and a riff that's mean And girls that love to share Heavy metal, metal daze Heavy metal, heavy metal daze Heavy metal, heavy metal daze Living like there's no tomorrow Yeah Currie says we're on the edge He said man you're really graffic This bands a social wedge Yeah we all got hearts made of metal And our blood is hot molten rock And If I don't hear the sound of metal I go into shock So mister D. J. play just one for me You know the one with the crashin' and the screams 'Cause only one thing really sets me free Heavy metal loud as it can be - Fast Taker
Letra
Mama is having problems always comes to me Your daddy's been a drinker since 1943 They tell you I'm a loser 'Cause I like bein free But truth is in the mirror It's what they never see I sing Yeah Long time ago You tried to tell me, son keep our daughter home I said no no, no no Now, I don't mind them saying That you should be praying For me, fast taker Right here's where I'm staying Life's a game I play For keeps, fast taker, bed breaker, love maker Take it away Only sixteen a woman not a girl Old enough For a trip around the world Pick you up on Friday When daddy goes to sleep Bring you back on Sunday When he's watching "Billy Graham" on T.V. Oh yeah, he won't see me Now do it right with music Then you learn how to use it All night, fast taker Right here's where I'm staying Life's a game I play For keeps, fast taker, bed breaker, love maker Take it away - Shell Shock
Letra
I don't know Well there's no charge for the haircut And the bullets come free My Uncle Sam sent a letter, said: He's got a mission for me Now I'm a ranger, not a stranger And I live in Saigon We've got a team of special forces And we deliver napalm But if they tell you that I've lost my mind Maybe it's not gone just a little hard to find About the time this letter gets home I'll be gone, gone, yeah gone And if they tell you that I'm M.I.A. Think a little less about me each day 'Cause if I ever get back I'll be shell shocked Feels funny riding in my car Used to drive a tank and shoot a B.A.R. I know I'm home But I feel gone,gone, yeah gone Now it's over and the homeland's safe Got a purple heart to show the world I'm brave The businessmen sat home Well I got shell shocked - Manowar
Letra
We met on English ground in a backstage room We heard the sound And we all knew what we had to do We called the high command Requested leave to make a stand And in the field we grew And we all knew Soon the time would come For us to fight, Destination now in sight Oooh, Manowar Born to live forever more The right to conquer every shore Hold your ground and give no more Our fight will never end So we called on partisans To raise your hands And take our stand Look sharp when duty calls Where we march cities fall And the strong survive And take our side - Dark Avenger
Letra
He broke the laws of the elders So they plucked out his eye, Took his land and fortune, Left him to die Bound on the shoreline, Left for the tide, Sees his life blood leaving... Circling lower the vultures fly These bones may be broken But the spirit can't die And the Gods see his anguish And give him a sign From the floor of the ocean The ship of the lost souls rise And they take him where no one sleeps while the undead cry Where no one sleeps while the undead cry And in the world above The elders sing, On his land they live Let death's bell ring He was met at the gate of Hades By the Guardian of the Lost Souls, The Keeper of the Unavenged And He did say to him: "Let ye not pass Abaddon, return to the world from whence you came And seek payment not only for thine own anguish But vindicate the souls of the unavenged" And they placed in his hands a sword made for him called Vengeance Forged in brimstone and tempered by the woeful tears of the unavenged And to carry him on his journey back to the upper world They brought forth their demon horse called Black Death A grim steed so fearsome in might and black in color That he could stand as one with the darkness Save for his burning eyes of crimson fire And on that night they rode up from Hell The pounding of his hooves did clap like thunder Burning, death, destruction raping the daughters and wives In blood I take my payment in full with their lives No one can escape me on Black Death I ride When kissed by the sword of Vengeance Your head lays there by your side I take the lives of all that I once knew The torn flesh of a slow death waits for you Burning, death, destruction raping the daughters and wives In blood I take my payment in full with their lives I spare not land or servants my wake is smoke and flame I take their wives and daughters They stand there watching, watching Hoping to gain their livese but when I'm through they know they must pay - William's Tale
- Battle Hymn
Letra
By moonlight, we ride - ten thousand side by side With swords drawn, held high - our whips and armour shine Hail to thee, our infantry - still brave beyond the grave All sworn the eternal vow, the time to strike - is now Kill Kill oh oh oh oh Kill Kill oh oh oh Kill Kill oh oh oh oh Kill Kill oh oh oh oh oh Gone are the days, when freedom shone - now blood and steel meet bone In the light of the battle’s way, the sands of time will shake How proud our soldiers stand, with mace and chain in hand Sound of charge into glory ride, over the top of their vanquished pride Victory Victory oh oh oh oh Victory Victory oh oh oh Victory Victory oh oh oh oh Victory Victory oh oh oh oh oh To the battle, we ride - we crossed a starlit sky No space - no time, we’ll catch the wind Strange losses, men died - we crossed a starlit sky And still no space and time - we’ll catch the wind Kill Kill oh oh oh oh Kill Kill oh oh oh Kill Kill oh oh oh oh Kill Kill oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh Sound the charge into glory ride - over the top of their vanquished pride By moonlight, we ride - ten thousand side by side Kill Kill oh oh oh oh Kill Kill oh oh oh Kill Kill oh oh oh oh Kill Kill oh oh oh oh oh