Battle Hymns (Manowar album)



Battle Hymns is the 1982 debut album of the American heavy metal band Manowar. It is considered one of the first power metal albums ever created.

Track listing
All songs by Ross the Boss and Joey DeMaio, except where indicated
 * Side one
 * 1) "Death Tone" – 4:48
 * 2) "Metal Daze" (DeMaio) – 4:18
 * 3) "Fast Taker" – 3:56
 * 4) "Shell Shock" – 4:04


 * Side two
 * 1) "Manowar" – 3:35
 * 2) "Dark Avenger" – 6:20
 * 3) "William's Tale"  (DeMaio, Gioachino Rossini) – 1:52
 * 4) "Battle Hymn" – 6:55

Manowar

 * Eric Adams - vocals
 * Ross the Boss - guitars, keyboards, producer
 * Joey DeMaio - bass guitars, producer
 * Donnie Hamzik - drums

Additional personnel

 * Orson Welles - narration on "Dark Avenger"

Production

 * Bob Currie - executive producer
 * Joe Foglia - engineer
 * Jim Sessody, John Agnello - assistant engineers
 * Jon Mathias - mixing at Record Plant, New York
 * Joe Breschio - mastering

Cover versions

 * Thrash metal band Overkill covered the song "Death Tone" on their 1999 album Coverkill.
 * Traditional metal band Seven Witches covered the song "Metal Daze" on their 1999 album Second War in Heaven.
 * The song "Battle Hymn" has been covered by German heavy metal band Majesty
 * German band Tankard covered "Fast Taker" on the re-release of their album Disco Destroyer.
 * American traditional metal band Slough Feg covered "Fast Taker" on a split single with Solstice.

2010 Re-recording - Battle Hymns MMXI
In late 2010 it was announced that Manowar were to rerecord Battle Hymns for a November 26 release. The album, Battle Hymns MMXI, was drummer Donnie Hamzik's first studio recording with Manowar since the original 1982 Battle Hymns release. Orson Welles having died 25 years before, the narration during "Dark Avenger" was recorded by Sir Christopher Lee.