The legendary Manowar made its triumphant return to the United States more than a decade after the band’s last performance in the country (a pair of November 2012 concerts at The Paramount in Huntington, New York), performing in their home state of New York at Kings Theatre. The “Kings of Metal” surely chose this Brooklyn venue, at least in part, due to its name and the name of the county in which it is situated. The November 30, 2024 performance was the band’s final show of its 2024 Crushing the Enemies of Metal Tour, during which the quartet played fewer than ten times.
For more than four decades, Manowar created and enhanced its reputation as among the loudest bands in history, splitting ears by reportedly using tons of huge amplifiers that allegedly reached 139 decibels. Stalwart vocalist Eric Adams and bassist Joey DeMaio remain the foundation of the band (in some circles, dubbed the John Lennon and Paul McCartney of metal), with the current touring iteration featuring legendary axe man Michael Angelo Battio and drummer Dave Chedrick. During the band’s historic career, Manowar became renown for some of the most captivating live performances and built an overtly loyal fan base that swears its allegiance to the metal masters. Manowar’s diverse song writing ranges from emotional ballads such as “Master of the Wind” and “Courage” to driving anthems like “The Gods Made Heavy Metal” and “Blood of My Enemies.”
Due to the scarcity of opportunities to see the “Lords of Steel” in the live setting, this truly was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for the fans from across the world. As such, it was no surprise to hear and see people speaking in numerous foreign accents lined up outside the venue for many hours prior to the theatre opening - despite freezing temperatures – some of whom were wearing sheepskin and battle armor paying homage to their heroes. Many attendees compared Manowar tattoos and shirts at the adjacent Tattoo Bar while discussing from how far they traveled to spend two hours in the presence of these metal icons, and paid an additional fee for early access to the merchandise line that stretched around the entire inside of the venue lobby and staircases.
As usual, Manowar opened with their eponymous song that led their debut record Battle Hymns. Then, they transitioned into “Kings of Metal” and “Brothers of Metal Pt. 1”, which thrilled the capacity crowd that traveled from across the globe for this exclusive performance. This pair of songs encapsulates all that is Manowar, and speak to the bond with their fans. Adams showcased his phenomenal pipes during “Kill With Power”, and the crowd returned the favor during the anthemic “Call to Arms.”
Virtuoso mastermind DeMaio and guitarist extraordinaire Battio then exchanged licks during a lengthy bass and guitar solo, with the stoic DeMaio sweep picking on his bass and then harmonizing the guitar and bass solos. DeMaio has been renown for his unparalleled skill, which is often reserved primarily for live soloing and instrumental tracks on the record.
Manowar followed with the inspirational “Fighting the World,” with Adams and the audience exchanging vocal parts throughout. When Adams presented the lyrics positing whether Manowar would “change”, the crowd passionately responded “no way!”
With the Sign of the Hammer album cover as the backdrop, the band then performed the title track and “Mountains”, noting their late-2024 run of performances was a celebration of the 40th anniversary of this record.
Next up was “Immortal”; released on an EP in 2022, it was the most recently released song in the set. Then came “Hail and Kill,” which arguably elicited the strongest crowd response. The up-tempo trio of “The Dawn of Battle,” “The Power,” and “King of Kings” followed, with “Fight Until We Die” concluding the main set. “Fight…” was released on 2002’s Warriors of the World but did not make its live debut until 2022; this was the first time it was performed in the U.S.
The encore began with the highly anticipated speech by DeMaio, during which he noted Manowarriors from 48 stages and 15 countries packed the New York City venue and thanked the fans for their devout support. Fittingly, Manowar opened the final two-song salvo with the anthemic “Warriors of the World” and closed with the staple “Black Wind, Fire and Steel.”
During a year filled with numerous high profile metal tours and notable performances, Manowar’s epic return to the United States and their home State at an aptly named venue before more than a thousand ranks among the most significant metal event of the year. To many of those in attendance at this historic event, it was the seminal concert event of the year (or decade).