Led by bassist
Joey DeMaio and his singular metallic musical vision,
Louder Than Hell is another exercise in
power metal evangelism peculiar to
Manowar. The
British Steel-like opener
"Return of the Warlords" emphasizes the American band's rare ability to offer very European-sounding '80s
metal. The
ballad "Courage," like most of the group's slower numbers, is an abysmal failure. Fortunately, there are only a couple of these boring battle hymns included on this 1996 release. The shred-
metal rhythmic constructs are also in limited quantity, but
"Outlaw" with its pile-driving, 16th-note rhythm is up to the speedy standard set on
The Triumph of Steel. A distinctly old-school
Judas Priest vibe is apparent during the mid-tempo chunk of
Louder Than Hell.
Eric Adams' confident vocals don't wither one bit when compared to those of legendary screamer
Rob Halford and reinforces the classic influence. Sure,
Manowar's "true
metal" flag-waving is tedious and goofy, but non-judgmental
metal fans willing to overlook the bad comic book imagery will eventually marvel at the band's ability to create and capture their own brand of unapologetic
power metal. ~ Vincent Jeffries