Manowar's Best Albums: A Buyers' Guide

If ever a band was beyond parody, it's Manowar . As self-appointed Kings Of Metal, these valiant, muscle-bound, loincloth-wearing power metal warriors have acted as standard-bearers for 'True Metal' for more than 40 years, their missionary zeal impervious to ridicule. "Death to false metal!" is their battle cry – and by Odin they mean it.

Manowar formed in 1980 after a chance meeting of Americans Joey DeMaio and Ross 'The Boss' Friedman at Newcastle's City Hall. DeMaio, an aspiring bass player, was working as a roadie for Black Sabbath , and Friedman was the guitarist for Sabbath's support act, Shakin' Street. Vowing to create what DeMaio called "the hottest rock group in the world", the pair reconvened in the US to launch Manowar, with singer Eric Adams and Rods drummer Carl Canedy who also produced their first demo.

Manowar's debut album, 1982's Battle Hymns (with full-time drummer Donnie Hamzik) set the tone for their entire career. Pure heavy metal thunder, built to a blockbuster scale, it featured narration from Hollywood legend Orson Welles – the only man with a voice big enough for Manowar – and a keynote message in Metal Daze: 'Only one thing really sets me free/Heavy metal, loud as it can be!'

Band members came and went (DeMaio and Adams are the only constants), but DeMaio's vision has remained acutely focused. No band has written more songs about heavy metal than Manowar, whose titles include Brothers Of Metal, Die For Metal and of course, The Gods Made Heavy Metal.

Manowar have even set new standards for human achievement in the name of True Metal, entering the Guinness Book Of World Records on four occasions: three for loudest performance (129.5dB) and once for the longest heavy metal concert, a five-hour marathon played in Bulgaria in 2008.

Manowar haven't made an album since 2014's rerecorded Kings Of Metal MMXIV but have continued to tour, even in the wake of unsavoury revelations about former guitarist Karl Logan. They're back on the road now – this year's Crushing The Enemies Of Metal tour is followed by 2025's Blood Of Our Enemies schedule – a testament to the unwavering self-belief that has driven this extraordinary band to create some of the most heroically OTT heavy metal albums of all time.

In the words of their vainglorious anthem Kings Of Metal: "Other bands play; Manowar kill!"

...and one to avoid