Manowar is an American Heavy / Epic Metal band from Auburn, New York. Formed in 1980, the group is known for lyrics based on fantasy (particularly swords and sorcery) and mythology (particularly Norse mythology). The band is also known for a loud and bombastic sound. In an interview for MTV in February 2007, bassist Joey DeMaio lamented that "these days, there's a real lack of big, epic metal that is drenched with crushing guitars and choirs and orchestras... so it's nice to be one of the few bands that's actually doing that." In 1984 the band was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for delivering the loudest performance, a record which they have since broken on 2 occasions. They also hold the world record for the longest heavy metal concert after playing for 5 hours and 1 minute in Bulgaria in 2008. They also have been known for their slogan "Death to false metal".
Although the band has never been a mainstream commercial success in the United States, they maintain a strong cult following there. In contrast, they are extremely popular in the heavy metal scene in Europe and South America. Dedicated fans are known and referred to by the band as "Metal Warriors", "Manowarriors", "Immortals" or "Brothers of Metal".
"I believe in the fans. I believe in metal more than anybody you've ever met. And another thing, I'm prepared to die for metal. Are you?" - Joey DeMaio, during a 2006 interview with Rock Hard Magazine.
Fighting The World (the band's fifth release) was metal's first full-digital recording
The creation of Gods Of War was not devoid of obstacles. The band was forced to delay its release when, deep into the recording sessions, Logan suffered a devastating injuring after crashing on his prized dirtbike. Logan dislocated his elbow in the accident, an injury so severe it could have resulted in permanent nerve damage, ending his musical career. But the guitarist fought back and after months of painful rehabilitation, he boasted he has never played his instrument better.
During Manowar's career, the band have recorded 10 studio albums; two live albums; five DVDs and countless compilations.
Manowar's many innovations include:
* The first metal band to include sword & sorcery imagery in both their lyrics and on their album covers
* The only band ever to record with Orson Welles
* Among the first metal bands to record with an orchestra
* The first band to design and build their own speaker cabinets and their own guitars as well
* The first metal band to record in Dolby 5.1 and be the spokespersons for SACD (Super Audio Compact Disc)
* The loudest band in the world (a record they have broken on three separate occasions)
