Hail To England is the third album by the "Kings Of Metal" and without a doubt a true milestone in the bands discography. No less than four of the seven tracks have become true Manowar classics: Kill With Power, Army Of Th... more »e Immortals, the title track Hail to England and Bridge Of Death. Hail To England is Heavy Metal in its purest way ? mighty, powerful and melodic. As a special bonus, the digi pack Silver Edition features a 16-pages booklet with new and rare photos, interviews with the band members (and others) plus lyrics and liner notes. In addition to this, the album has been digitally remastered using the original studio mastertapes.« less
Hail To England is the third album by the "Kings Of Metal" and without a doubt a true milestone in the bands discography. No less than four of the seven tracks have become true Manowar classics: Kill With Power, Army Of The Immortals, the title track Hail to England and Bridge Of Death. Hail To England is Heavy Metal in its purest way ? mighty, powerful and melodic. As a special bonus, the digi pack Silver Edition features a 16-pages booklet with new and rare photos, interviews with the band members (and others) plus lyrics and liner notes. In addition to this, the album has been digitally remastered using the original studio mastertapes.
CD Reviews
Another classic album victimized by the "loudness war"
Pedro Corbett | Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL | 08/19/2008
(2 out of 5 stars)
"After reading this comment's title you'll probably be thinking: "but I do want to listen to Manowar as loud as possible!". Sure, we all do. The expression "loudness war", however, refers to a trend in the music industry to master CD's with the volume too loud, often beyond the limits allowed by the technical specifications of the CD format. This process will almost always cause unwanted distortion and even "clipping" on various parts of the audio. In other words, parts of the audio are often irreparably damaged in the mastering process because they don't "fit" within the CD format's dynamic range limits.
I did a full audio analysis of this remastered "silver edition" of the album, and on the first track alone, "Blood Of My Enemies", there are at least 254 clipped (that is, cut off, LOST) samples on the left channel and 312 on the right channel. Please note that this is something completely different to listening to a correctly mastered CD as loud as you want - the sound will be intact in that case, and the loudness limit will be defined only by your audio equipment and your taste. On the other hand, an album that has been victimized by the "loudness war" will be missing parts of the sound even when played at a low volume.
It's a real shame that a band that's known for their perfeccionism when it comes to their music, and specially Joey DeMayo, allowed this absolutely classic album to be released this way. If you don't have "Hail To England" on CD, make sure you get the original release, which was mastered correctly.
For more information on the "loudness war", just Google the expression between quotes.
"
Poseur's need not reply!
Dammerung | lehigh acres, florida | 01/15/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I own most of the Manowar cd's and find that they are the finest export of Auburn, New York. I was turned on to them in the mid 80's and have been playing them at maximum volume ever since. I would suggest that if you aren't one of the Army of the Immortals, don't rate this."
An outstanding masterpiece
whiterussian@web.de | Aachen, Deutschland | 08/04/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I know this CD by heart from the first accords of "Blood of my Enemies" till the laughter at "Bridge of Death". It is so classical, so powerful and brimming with the ancient lust for unseen lands, for truth and honesty, for pride and glory. I have many many CDs in my collection, including a wide range of styles (From Heavy Metal to Classic to Electronic Arts), but this one here is an absolute key to everything, one of the foundations Heavy Metal lies on. I wouldn't even compare it to any other bands of that age, because it's so supreme. But Metallica's "Ride the Lightning" for Heavy Metal or "In the Nightside Eclipse" by Emperor for Black Metal have had a similar impact and importance. I'd score this 10 stars if I could!"
THE GREATEST ALBUM OF THE GREATEST BAND
Dante | Valinhos, SP BRAZIL | 05/13/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hail, Brothers of Metal!
This is, in my opinion, the most criative and pleasurable Manowar's album. There are epic/sword-and-sorcery songs, satanic songs, a instrumental song and a exaltation to the Manowar's fans! Everything a Headbanger wants from a Heavy Metal album!IT IS HEAVY METAL PURE AND DISTELLED! ENJOY IT!"
Another early classic from Manowar!
A. Klein | New Mexico, USA | 08/28/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought my copy of "Hail To England" back in May, kind on an impulse purchase really. As you can tell from my other reviews, I am a fan of Manowar and have many of their CDs. I wasn't particularly looking to buy a Manowar CD when I went into the local music/video/book place, but I saw it on the shelves, I'd heard good things about it, and I AM a Manowar fan, so I bought it. This is an example of one of those purchases that I have not regretted since.
The music on this CD has a raw, primal feel to it. It's kind of like they took the best songs from "Battle Hymns" ("Dark Avenger" and "Battle Hymn," to be exact) and built on the foundations of these songs, distilling the sounds and intensifying the lyrics. The result is awesome! "Blood Of My Enemies" could almost be titled as "Battle Hymn, Part Two," as the song structures of both songs are very similar. "Each Dawn I Die" is an intriguing track; I like the unique drum beat and Eric's vocals are nicely utilized here. "Kill With Power" is a definite Manowar staple. The title track is an early example of just how majestic Manowar can be, simply an awesome song. "Army Of The Immortals" is a tribute to all the dedicated Manowar fans of the world. This is one reason Manowar is so cool, they are definitely loyal to their fans and aren't afraid to show it! "Black Arrows" is another awesome display of Joey DeMaio's killer bass playing. I can understand how "Bridge of Death" could be disturbing to some. But let's face it: if you are a fan of Manowar, you should know that these guys are not for everyone. I for one think the song is great musically, a logical way to cap off the CD. As a whole, "Hail To England" is another classic from Manowar, and as such it should definitely be added to any Manowar fan's collection."
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1