«Louder Than Hell» is Manowar‘s eighth record. It came out on April 29, 1996 via Geffen Records, was recorded at Haus Wahnfried in New York — with the orchestra at SoundCastle Studios in Los Angeles — and runs 50 minutes. It’s the first album with guitarist Karl Logan and the big return of drummer Scott Columbus.
Country: USA
Genre: Heavy metal, power metal
For fans of: Black Sabbath, Saxon, Iron Maiden
Some of the tracks had been written much earlier: «Brothers of Metal», «Courage» and «Number 1» were played live from 1986, ten years before they appeared on the record. The album features «Return of the Warlord», «The Gods Made Heavy Metal», «Outlaw» and «Today Is a Good Day to Die».
The record sold over 34,000 copies in the United States, while in Germany it entered at number 7 and in Austria at 16. It was a return to the heavy, immediate tracks after «The Triumph of Steel», with Columbus back on drums and a new guitarist adjusting to the band’s sound.
Our take
«Louder Than Hell» doesn’t have the commercial shine of «Kings of Metal», but it has the mood of a band that found itself again: short, loud tracks for the stage and a lineup that would last over ten years.
See also
Manowar – The Triumph of Steel · Manowar – Warriors of the World · Manowar – A tribute to the discography · Manowar and Hellfest 2019: The cancellation that became legend
