Interviewer : Valerie Potter
Published on : January 1989
MANOWAR - IN HIS OWN WORDS
Wheels of Fire
Everybody likes to drive fast, and we wanted to capture this feeling on vinyl. A friend of us has a racing car and we thought it would be a good idea to record the sound of his machine and put it on the album. During the recordings we have been almost arrested because we didn't have a permission from the police to do this. Many think this song doesn't fit in our concept, but we always have an ultra fast song on the album for all the bikers and car fanatics out there, and besides, we like to play fast.
Kings of Metal
We are the "Kings of Metal", what else should I say? This song is about the band, our fight, how long we're already present and how often we have been slagged down by other people, because we play our kind of music. For our fans we are the "Kings of Metal"... and that's what they are for us, they are the greatest!
Heart of Steel
A recurrent theme in our songs is that we concentrate on staying individuals, that we try to stay honest and to do what we believe in. When you act like this then it's inevitably that you will be hurt often on your way. If you want to carry on then you have to be strong. Sometimes you ask yourself: "Oh God, do I really have a heart of steel?". And I believe you need one if you want to survive.
Sting of the Bumblebee
I always liked violins, and "Flight of the Bumblebee" was at all times a good chance to show if you can handle your instrument. I played it once during a show in New York. Many people said I could never play that fast live, so it was a challenge for me, and I walked out and showed them.
The Crown and the Ring
This is my favourite song on this album, because it expresses the whole Manowar feeling. Eric's singing is simply amazing, and I think it expresses all we believe in. The orchestral background and the choir is of course a project. My whole live I dreamed of working together with a real choir and an orchestra, a dream came true for me.
Kingdom Come
I think that there always comes the point where we inevitably have to start to believe in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; after all the suffering and pain there finally must come something. Some people believe they'll go to heaven, other believe in money or a family, everybody has his own kingdom, and I believe that it will come for everybody - earlier or later. At least we hope that.
Hail and Kill
"Hail and Kill" is for all the Manowar fans around the world who want to sing along with us. It's a very fast and very dramatic tune, it's a furious, threatening song. Live is this track a killer, it blows you away, when you hear the fans shouting "Hail and Kill" together.
The Warrior's Prayer
People in the States are simply nuts about English, Scottish and Welsh accents. I personally love to listen to a story told with such a heavy accent. When I was a boy my grandfather always told me stories; it's part of your childhood, to get stories told. I thought to myself, why not to build the fight of the band into a story, so at the same time we have an intro for the last track on the album.
Blood of the Kings
The idea for this song came through the letters from our fans from all around the world, who partially strong together our song titles. There were so many letters full with ideas that I thought we should put all albums in one verse and enumerate one song from each album in another verse and to build in the story of the band into it. It's the saga from the everlastning fight of the band against the rest of the world!
VALERIE POTTER
