Out of the Abyss (1988)
As you can clearly see below, I was an established Manilla Road fan by the time Out of the Abyss was released. I bought the LP dutifully when it came out, though it wasn't the type of metal I was looking for post college. Then came the opener 'Whitechapel' which was a real curveball from the Road. It starts off as straight up thrash before shifting into other metal tempos. The problem, to my ears at the time, is it wasn't heavy enough to play in the thrash game. It was an inauspicious start for the album because a) it isn't that great of a track to begin with, b) has little to do with the Manilla Road patented epic metal sound and c) it wasn't indicative of the music that was to follow on the album. Not sure why I never really gave the rest a chance, and it was to be the only Manilla Road LP I released out of the collection. It wasn't until seven years ago that I finally revisited the title via the CD reissue, and realized that Out of the Abyss wasn't really that far off the tracks as I had initially thought. Still I'd submit it's more of a follower album than a leader, which the band is noted to be. Sort of what I said about Pink Floyd's Meddle in 1971. All the same, were I to rate all of the studio Manilla Road albums pre-reformation (and not counting Circus Maximus, which is a different band really), then Out of the Abyss would still come in last. And it's a very good album, demonstrating how strong the band were in their prime.
Ownership: 2005 Cult Metal Classics (2xCD). Includes their live Roadkill album (CD version which is significantly longer than the LP). Lengthy liner notes from Mark Shelton.
1988 (first acquired); 2/3/18; 5/20/25 (review)
Crystal Logic (1983)
I've referenced this album many times, but never have featured it prior. I bought this album without knowing anything about the band or what they sounded like. It was on the wall of a local record store, and with a cover (and song titles) like that, I just presumed it had to be a killer metal album. I rarely would do that with new and costly albums, but I was drawn to the cover like a magnet. And my instincts proved me correct. Though at first I had some hesitancy. In retrospect, Crystal Logic is a transitional album for Manilla Road. And that unfolds through the album itself. 'Prologue' opens things up promisingly enough with a Rush-like 'Necromancer' narrative bit. This leads to the speed metalish 'Necropolis'. The guitar tone is raw and dry, and Mark Shelton sounds particularly nasal here, even more than usual. The song is almost showtooney to be honest. It's not the darkened heavy metal one would associate with the cover. This leads to the title track, and Manilla Road is inching closer to the sound they would be famous for. And then comes the infamous 'Feeling Free Again'. One last look back at their 70s heritage. With lyrics like "I got a feel for life girl, hey baay-bay I'm feeling free again... I'd never thought it's feel like this, now I'm in love with you". Some real heady stuff there. It's a good pop metal song actually. It just happens to be on the wrong album.
I knew this was going to be a tough listen. I was all of 19 when I visited my favorite import/indie store in Dallas (Metamorphosis for those old-timers that were there). On the wall they were featuring a most fascinating looking new album. I'd never heard of the band, but it just looked so cool, I had to buy it. It was during the Christmas break from college... 1983. Yes, that album was Crystal Logic (still own that exact LP copy). And from that point forward Manilla Road were intertwined with various personal life events. I even went to band leader Mark Shelton's house in Wichita back in 1991. At the time, he was very excited about his new project Circus Maximus, something that didn't really take off, except for one album, released against his will as Manilla Road.
As is often the case, we all go in different directions. Shelton himself took close to a decade off from recording. My career and personal life took me away from being deeply immersed into the music world, moving more towards strictly a remote music collector. When Manilla Road resurfaced in 2001, I continued to follow the group and buy their albums, but not in the same fanatical way. No more contact, or seeing them live.
During this time, I watched with fascination as Manilla Road went from a barely known metal band that only a few of us knew, to that of true legend. It pleases me no end to see those much younger than I truly appreciate the music that Manilla Road has put out all these years. That legend will continue to grow, this I'm sure of.
To Kill a King will likely be the last Manilla Road album. It wouldn't make sense to maintain the brand, as Shelton was the brand. There was no opportunity for hand off, or to cultivate a successor. Mark Shelton's death came as a shock to us all. He didn't die early (relatively) the way many musicians unfortunately do via self-destructive behavior. Rather he went out the way true warriors do - in the middle of the battle. In effect he died of heat exhaustion, literally playing his heart out for his fans. It was a fitting way to go, though far too early for a man that seemed to never lose his way - where creativity continued to spring like a fountain.
The irony here is that To Kill a King was a look backward - to the very roots of Manilla Road. At the time when they were just as much a proggy hard rock band as anything heavy metal. One could easily hear To Kill a King as a lost album between Metal and Crystal Logic, with some excursions into more modern metal ('The Arena' in particular). To Kill a King is not Manilla Road's most exciting or innovative album, but it's great to hear a turn-back-the-clock album such as this. Perhaps Shelton subconsciously knew his fate, and wanted one last shot at an older style.
If you've never heard Manilla Road, and you're not really a metal fan (in the more modern sense), then To Kill a King would be a great way to immerse yourself into this most fascinating world. And then perhaps work your way through the catalog starting at Crystal Logic up to their masterpiece (IMO) The Deluge.
One fun fact for you: If you drive east on I-70 from Denver towards Kansas, there's an exit for a... Manilla Road. I've always wondered about that.
Now I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye, Mark Shelton. Thank you for everything.
Ownership: 2017 Golden Core (CD). Tri-fold digipak with a booklet containing lyrics and photos.
I've referenced this album many times, but never have featured it prior. I bought this album without knowing anything about the band or what they sounded like. It was on the wall of a local record store, and with a cover (and song titles) like that, I just presumed it had to be a killer metal album. I rarely would do that with new and costly albums, but I was drawn to the cover like a magnet. And my instincts proved me correct. Though at first I had some hesitancy. In retrospect, Crystal Logic is a transitional album for Manilla Road. And that unfolds through the album itself. 'Prologue' opens things up promisingly enough with a Rush-like 'Necromancer' narrative bit. This leads to the speed metalish 'Necropolis'. The guitar tone is raw and dry, and Mark Shelton sounds particularly nasal here, even more than usual. The song is almost showtooney to be honest. It's not the darkened heavy metal one would associate with the cover. This leads to the title track, and Manilla Road is inching closer to the sound they would be famous for. And then comes the infamous 'Feeling Free Again'. One last look back at their 70s heritage. With lyrics like "I got a feel for life girl, hey baay-bay I'm feeling free again... I'd never thought it's feel like this, now I'm in love with you". Some real heady stuff there. It's a good pop metal song actually. It just happens to be on the wrong album.
And then Manilla Road became Manilla Road.
From here on out, it's epic metal in all its glory. The birth of the sound as it were. 'The Riddle Master' is everything you want in an epic metal track. Heavy riffs, sinister vocals, and psychedelic guitar solos. The latter is something Shelton dragged along from the 70s, and never let go of fortunately. He wasn't a modern million-chromatic-scale-notes-per-second kind of soloist. He preferred expressive solos, as were more common in the decade prior. All of Side 2 is excellent, with the uptempo 'The Ram' followed by the dark and eerie 'The Veils of Negative Existence'. You'd almost think Shelton was from Europe with his unusual pronunciations. "Negaahteeve Exeestaahnse". And then comes the closer, the blueprint for epic metal to come. 'Dreams of Eschaton' is why you buy albums that have covers that look like Crystal Logic. It just pounds away with one helluva killer riff and Shelton's echoed and impassioned vocals are the icing on the cake. All this leads to one last awesome solo drifting into the mists of time. Groundbreaking - and the beginning of an era.
The CD adds one bonus track 'Flaming Metal Systems' which was originally released on Shrapnel's U.S. Metal Vol. III. This track sounds like Van Halen's 'Eruption' mixed with speed metal. The label curiously placed it between 'Necropolis' and 'Crystal Logic', which kind of makes sense when reviewing the album and its progression.
Ownership: 1983 Roadster (LP); 2000 Iron Glory (CD)1//84 (acquired); 2004; 7/2/15; 9/28/19; 8/23/21 (review)
To Kill a King (2017)
As is often the case, we all go in different directions. Shelton himself took close to a decade off from recording. My career and personal life took me away from being deeply immersed into the music world, moving more towards strictly a remote music collector. When Manilla Road resurfaced in 2001, I continued to follow the group and buy their albums, but not in the same fanatical way. No more contact, or seeing them live.
During this time, I watched with fascination as Manilla Road went from a barely known metal band that only a few of us knew, to that of true legend. It pleases me no end to see those much younger than I truly appreciate the music that Manilla Road has put out all these years. That legend will continue to grow, this I'm sure of.
To Kill a King will likely be the last Manilla Road album. It wouldn't make sense to maintain the brand, as Shelton was the brand. There was no opportunity for hand off, or to cultivate a successor. Mark Shelton's death came as a shock to us all. He didn't die early (relatively) the way many musicians unfortunately do via self-destructive behavior. Rather he went out the way true warriors do - in the middle of the battle. In effect he died of heat exhaustion, literally playing his heart out for his fans. It was a fitting way to go, though far too early for a man that seemed to never lose his way - where creativity continued to spring like a fountain.
The irony here is that To Kill a King was a look backward - to the very roots of Manilla Road. At the time when they were just as much a proggy hard rock band as anything heavy metal. One could easily hear To Kill a King as a lost album between Metal and Crystal Logic, with some excursions into more modern metal ('The Arena' in particular). To Kill a King is not Manilla Road's most exciting or innovative album, but it's great to hear a turn-back-the-clock album such as this. Perhaps Shelton subconsciously knew his fate, and wanted one last shot at an older style.
If you've never heard Manilla Road, and you're not really a metal fan (in the more modern sense), then To Kill a King would be a great way to immerse yourself into this most fascinating world. And then perhaps work your way through the catalog starting at Crystal Logic up to their masterpiece (IMO) The Deluge.
One fun fact for you: If you drive east on I-70 from Denver towards Kansas, there's an exit for a... Manilla Road. I've always wondered about that.
Now I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye, Mark Shelton. Thank you for everything.
Ownership: 2017 Golden Core (CD). Tri-fold digipak with a booklet containing lyrics and photos.
11/30/19 (review)
The Deluge (1986)
Manilla Road's peak album among a whole canon of peak albums. The ultimate epic metal performed at a time (1986) when everything was synthesized and slick-as-a-butter-dish. The Deluge is the antithesis - perhaps remedy - to all that was wrong in those misguided middle 80s. And the drumming on this album is insane, it's also like it is just off meter (a little bit) that adds to the urgency. There's an awesome moment in the middle of the lengthy title track that must be heard - incredible riff and drumming! The loss of Mark Shelton cannot be understated. He followed his own direction and made his own music. One that was pretty much ignored upon release (especially here in the US - I was one of the few here who bought it as soon as available) but many years later found his audience. Which continues to expand - and will grow for generations. He died a true warrior - after playing a concert in Germany, pounding it out at age 60 as if he was still 19. Look for the The Deluge to one day be considered a Top 5 album of the year in which it was released. It's timeless. Ownership: 1986 Black Dragon (LP); 2011 Shadow Kingdom (CD). Liner notes from Shelton, plenty of photos, and lyrics.
Nobody mixed riff based metal with
psychedelic hard rock better than Manilla Road. All wrapped up with
fantasy Medieval lyrics and artwork to cuddle up with. It's a big sloppy
mess, but wonderfully so. Imperfection never sounded so good. At times
Shelton sounds like Frank Marino, as he noodles away wildly, seemingly
without purpose, with a crazy racket storming behind him. 'The Ninth
Wave' is yet another perfect Manilla Road epic metal track - one that
basically reiterates their invention of the style. Manilla Road are for
those of you who like Hollywood leading men with scars and lots of
wrinkles. If you came here looking for crisply executed, slickly
produced, and perfectly played metal - then you cannot possibly be more
lost.
Ownership: 1985 Black Dragon (LP + EP); 2001 Dragonheart (CD)
1993 (acquired); 12/9/11; 10/13/15 (review)
So the story goes that this album was originally intended to be the second Manilla Road release after Invasion, but was scrapped, and Metal ended up being the final product. The title was to be Dreams of Eschaton. I'm not buying it for one second. There's way too much variation of style and sound quality here to be a coherent album. Not to mention the 66 minute length (double LP? C'mon...). But this is the story Mark Shelton himself tells, but we know how it goes with bands and their memories...
What I will believe, though, is that these are demo recordings from the 1981/1982 time frame, and that would fit the label owner's story of him receiving it at that time as a teenager. It's important to remember that Manilla Road were a hard rock band at their beginning, with psychedelic guitar and progressive lyrical themes. And mostly that's what you get here, along with some of their early chugging metal style that was present on Metal.
It's mostly a solid psychedelic hard rock release, with a couple of down moments like 'Court of Avalon' and 'Venusian Sea' both of which seem go nowhere beyond hearing Shelton sing for way past the song's shelf life. So 13 minutes of just-OK music is hardly a bad batting average. On the flip side....
'Avatar' has to be heard to be believed. To me, this is the perfect 5 star track. What a glorious mess of a song. It is all over the place. It's psychedelic, it's hard rock, it's metal, and it's progressive. All at the same time. I absolutely adore this time in music when there were obvious influences - yes - but not properly placed at all. There were no rules, just whatever they felt like doing, whenever they felt like doing it. You could hear this track forever and not hear it the same twice. I want a triple album of music like this! And then follows 'Dream Sequence' which is an organ dirge with echoed voices, sounding right off a 1970 German Ohr Krautrock album. And no keyboards are credited! Guys, are you sure you did this?
Anyway, so much material here, and plenty more inconsistencies that make it so weird and wonderful. In other words: Must own album!
Ownership: 2002 Monster (CD). Includes all the lyrics and a history of the album penned by one of the label owners.
2004 (acquired); 7/20/15 (review)
Manilla Road's peak album among a whole canon of peak albums. The ultimate epic metal performed at a time (1986) when everything was synthesized and slick-as-a-butter-dish. The Deluge is the antithesis - perhaps remedy - to all that was wrong in those misguided middle 80s. And the drumming on this album is insane, it's also like it is just off meter (a little bit) that adds to the urgency. There's an awesome moment in the middle of the lengthy title track that must be heard - incredible riff and drumming! The loss of Mark Shelton cannot be understated. He followed his own direction and made his own music. One that was pretty much ignored upon release (especially here in the US - I was one of the few here who bought it as soon as available) but many years later found his audience. Which continues to expand - and will grow for generations. He died a true warrior - after playing a concert in Germany, pounding it out at age 60 as if he was still 19. Look for the The Deluge to one day be considered a Top 5 album of the year in which it was released. It's timeless. Ownership: 1986 Black Dragon (LP); 2011 Shadow Kingdom (CD). Liner notes from Shelton, plenty of photos, and lyrics.
1986 (acquired); 11/5/11; 12/23/18 (review)
Open the Gates (1985)
Ownership: 1985 Black Dragon (LP + EP); 2001 Dragonheart (CD)
1993 (acquired); 12/9/11; 10/13/15 (review)
Mark of the Beast (1981-1982 / 2002)
What I will believe, though, is that these are demo recordings from the 1981/1982 time frame, and that would fit the label owner's story of him receiving it at that time as a teenager. It's important to remember that Manilla Road were a hard rock band at their beginning, with psychedelic guitar and progressive lyrical themes. And mostly that's what you get here, along with some of their early chugging metal style that was present on Metal.
It's mostly a solid psychedelic hard rock release, with a couple of down moments like 'Court of Avalon' and 'Venusian Sea' both of which seem go nowhere beyond hearing Shelton sing for way past the song's shelf life. So 13 minutes of just-OK music is hardly a bad batting average. On the flip side....
'Avatar' has to be heard to be believed. To me, this is the perfect 5 star track. What a glorious mess of a song. It is all over the place. It's psychedelic, it's hard rock, it's metal, and it's progressive. All at the same time. I absolutely adore this time in music when there were obvious influences - yes - but not properly placed at all. There were no rules, just whatever they felt like doing, whenever they felt like doing it. You could hear this track forever and not hear it the same twice. I want a triple album of music like this! And then follows 'Dream Sequence' which is an organ dirge with echoed voices, sounding right off a 1970 German Ohr Krautrock album. And no keyboards are credited! Guys, are you sure you did this?
Anyway, so much material here, and plenty more inconsistencies that make it so weird and wonderful. In other words: Must own album!
Ownership: 2002 Monster (CD). Includes all the lyrics and a history of the album penned by one of the label owners.
2004 (acquired); 7/20/15 (review)
Other albums I own and need to review: Invasion; Metal; Mystification; The Courts of Chaos; Atlantis Rising; Spiral Castle; Gates of Fire; Voyager; Playground of the Damned; Mysterium; The Blessed Curse; Roadkill; After Midnight Live
7/20/15 (new entry)
Mega fan here. They were (and still are) huge in my country.
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