2023 release on black vinyl

Having made incredible strides while experimenting with severalhard rock subgenres on their first three albums, Manilla Roadappeared set to delve further into the fantasy-laced niche of epicheavy metal that had dominated 1983’s Crystal Logic with its 1985successor Open the Gates. Easily their heaviest, hardest-hitting,and most focused effort to date, the album clearly benefited fromthe arrival of powerhouse new drummer Randy Foxe, who provided amore limber and muscular attack behind the kit, and helped foundersMark Shelton (vocals/guitar) and Scott Park (bass) infuse ManillaRoad’s sound with the thrash-affected techniques that were popularof mid-’80s. Only a few cuts (“Heavy Metal to the World” andstunning opener “Metalstorm”) resorted to all-out thrash, however,as the retooled trio continued to take the bulk of their cues fromheavy metal’s formative founders of the ’70s and more recent NewWave of British Heavy Metal champions like Iron Maiden and Saxon.In fact, the latter’s influence is particularly strong (todiscerning metal geeks, anyway) in the growled narrations openingand closing the album, and the guitar licks shot through thenear-ten-minute sprawl of “The Ninth Wave” (originally featuredwith “Witches Brew” as a 12? vinyl bonus disc), which recalledSaxon’s “The Eagle Has Landed.” As for lyrically, Shelton wasdiving deep into his esoteric, mythological and sci-fi readings,with Arthurian legends providing the backbone to many of thecompositions cited above, as well as the excellent, all-too-brieftitle cut. Another standout, the evocative semi-ballad“Astronomica” took a detour into outer space, but the suite ofsongs comprising the album’s second half were almost entirely basedon Norse legend, and included such highlights as the deliberatemarch of “The Fires of Mars” and cathartic soloing coda of “WitchesBrew.” In the end, the only thing that sounded amiss on Open theGates (though not enough to derail the overall stellar results) wasShelton’s voice, since he reportedly had to record all his vocalsin a single night while sick as a dog. Other than that, it’s easyto understand why Open the Gates has enjoyed such enduringpopularity as one of Manilla Road’s best loved albums, and why itremains, along with predecessor Crystal Logic and follow-up, TheDeluge, a recommended first listen for new fans.

Track list:
1. Metalstorm
2. Open The Gates
3. Astronomica
4. Weavers Of The Web
5. The Ninth Wave
6. Heavy Metal To The World
7. The Fires Of Mars
8. Road Of Kings
9. Hour Of The Dragon
10. Witches Brew

Condition cover: nm

Condition vinyl: nm

Tänk på attfrakten blir billigare per vara ju fler du köper (se vårafraktvillkor för en portotabell). Så se mina övriga annonser,kanskehittar du något mer

Skickgradering:

M(mint)/NM(near mint) = Nyskick/Mycket bra exemplar
EX (excellent) = Mycket fin och välvårdad
VG+ (very good +) = Bra skick, normalanvänd skiva
VG (very good) = Sliten men spelar ändå bra
G (good) = Väldigt sliten skiva som kan hacka
+/- = mindre skillnaderinomgraderingsområdet