Source: Bravewords.com

Hi-Rez Studios, independent developer of AAA free-to-play online games and MANOWAR, the band known worldwide for mythology-themed lyrics and an epic heavy metal sound, today confirmed their collaboration around the game, Smite. A new Smite video was released featuring god vs. god gameplay footage set to the popular MANOWAR song, ‘The Sons of Odin‘ (see below).

“MANOWAR has a rich history in fantasy and mythology”, says Hi-Rez Chief Operating Officer Todd Harris. “We shared our vision for Smite and decided to start with ‘The Sons Of Odin’ track with more music to come, including original compositions by Joey DeMaio and MANOWAR.”

The online game Smite began Closed Beta testing in June and has already surpassed 500,000 player downloads within the first three months.

MANOWAR, the world record holder for both loudest and longest live heavy metal performances, has sold over nine million records to date and boasts a passionate fan-base known as the “Army of the Immortals” and “Manowarriors“.

“We are very excited about this collaboration”, said MANOWAR founder and bassist, composer and producer Joey DeMaio. “Metal fans and gamers have a lot in common and Smite in particular totally connects with our music. We are looking forward to uniting Smite gamers and Manowarriors all over the world.”

The game Smite is currently in Beta and will release in Q1 2013. Within Smite, players choose from a selection of gods, join session based 5 versus 5 arena combat, and use custom powers and team tactics against other players and minions. Smite is free-to-play and is a digital download for the PC. Players interested in joining the Smite Closed Beta can register for an invitation at this location.MANOWAR‘s new studio album, The Lord Of Steel, will now be released into worldwide retail on October 19th, delayed from the previously announced date of September 28th (dates may vary from territory to territory), following a limited-edition pre-release as the Hammer Edition in collaboration with Metal Hammer (UK). A preview of the album artwork, from Ken Kelly, can be seen below:

A new trailer for the album and upcoming tour can now be seen below:

The retail edition of The Lord Of Steel will feature different mixes and mastering, spectacular new art by fantasy artist Ken Kelly, and other surprises. The album will be available as CD, limited-edition vinyl and digital album.

“Manowar have always dared to do things differently. You have to look at these two versions like a movie that comes out in alternate versions; a Director’s Cut or alternate endings or stories even told from different perspectives.” explained bassist Joey DeMaio. “For those of you who enjoyed the first taste of The Lord Of Steel, meaning the Metal Hammer version, I can tell you that the forthcoming Lord Of Steel release on Magic Circle Entertainment will be even more unique and yes, more brutal.”

The Lord Of Steel is a raw-to-the-bone production, merging vintage elements with the trademark sound Manowar have developed over the years.

“When you have to make room for literally hundreds of other instruments such as Orchestras, Choirs, Marching Armies on ‘Gods Of War ‘for example, you have to create sonic space for that. The fewer instruments you have the louder they can be individually. As an artist you want to give your audience new experiences. This is not ‘elevator music’. This is an album that hits you hard right between the eyes and does not let up”, said Joey DeMaio.

For their twelfth studio album Manowar have tapped into the world of action heroes and their stories, writing their first song specifically for a Hollywood movie, ‘El Gringo’ and another one, ‘Expendable’, inspired by Sylvester Stallone’s action movie franchise The Expendables. The band has meanwhile confirmed their next movie project, Soldiers, for The Expendables 2 star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

From the furious title track and the pumping ‘Black List’, to the power ballad ‘Righteous Glory’ and the Ennio Morricone homage ‘El Gringo’, The Lord Of Steel is full of surprises.

The Lord Of Steel (retail edition) will be mixed and mastered by long-time collaborators mixing engineer Ronald Prent and two-time Grammy award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper.

BraveWords.com’s review of The Lord Of Steel can be found at this location.

Coinciding with the release of the album, Manowar will kick off the Lord Of Steel World Tour with first shows in October and November, in Europe and the United States. The band have just announced that they will also return to Russia, on Saturday, November 3rd at the Stadium Live in Moscow.

Confirmed dates:

October
9 – Zaragoza, Spain – Interpeñas
11 – La Coruña, Spain – Coliseum
13 – Barcelona, Spain – St Jordi Club
14 – Madrid, Spain – La Riviera
16 – Paris, France – Trabendo
19 – Kerkrade, Holland – Rodahal
20 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
23 – Pardubice, Czech Republic – CEZ Arena
24 – Prague, Czech Republic – Mala Sportovni Hala
26 – Zlin, Czech Republic – Euronics

November
3 – Moscow, Russia – Stadium Live
23 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
24 – Long Island, NY – The Paramount
25 – Long Island, NY – The Paramount

MANOWAR‘s new studio album, The Lord Of Steel, will be released into worldwide retail on September 28th (dates may vary from territory to territory), following a limited-edition pre-release as the Hammer Edition in collaboration with Metal Hammer (UK). A preview of the album artwork, from Ken Kelly, can be seen below:

A new trailer for the album and upcoming tour can now be seen below:

The retail edition of The Lord Of Steel will feature different mixes and mastering, spectacular new art by fantasy artist Ken Kelly, and other surprises. The album will be available as CD, limited-edition vinyl and digital album.

“Manowar have always dared to do things differently. You have to look at these two versions like a movie that comes out in alternate versions; a Director’s Cut or alternate endings or stories even told from different perspectives.” explained bassist Joey DeMaio. “For those of you who enjoyed the first taste of The Lord Of Steel, meaning the Metal Hammer version, I can tell you that the forthcoming Lord Of Steel release on Magic Circle Entertainment will be even more unique and yes, more brutal.”

The Lord Of Steel is a raw-to-the-bone production, merging vintage elements with the trademark sound Manowar have developed over the years.

“When you have to make room for literally hundreds of other instruments such as Orchestras, Choirs, Marching Armies on ‘Gods Of War ‘for example, you have to create sonic space for that. The fewer instruments you have the louder they can be individually. As an artist you want to give your audience new experiences. This is not ‘elevator music’. This is an album that hits you hard right between the eyes and does not let up”, said Joey DeMaio.

For their twelfth studio album Manowar have tapped into the world of action heroes and their stories, writing their first song specifically for a Hollywood movie, ‘El Gringo’ and another one, ‘Expendable’, inspired by Sylvester Stallone’s action movie franchise The Expendables. The band has meanwhile confirmed their next movie project, Soldiers, for The Expendables 2 star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

From the furious title track and the pumping ‘Black List’, to the power ballad ‘Righteous Glory’ and the Ennio Morricone homage ‘El Gringo’, The Lord Of Steel is full of surprises.

The Lord Of Steel (retail edition) will be mixed and mastered by long-time collaborators mixing engineer Ronald Prent and two-time Grammy award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper.

Coinciding with the release of the album, Manowar will kick off the Lord Of Steel World Tour with first shows in October and November, in Europe and the United States. The band have just announced that they will also return to Russia, on Saturday, November 3rd at the Stadium Live in Moscow.

Coinciding with the release of the album, Manowar will kick off the Lord Of Steel World Tour with first shows in October and November, in Europe and the United States. The band have just announced that they will also return to Russia, on Saturday, November 3rd at the Stadium Live in Moscow.

Confirmed dates:

October
9 – Zaragoza, Spain – Interpeñas
11 – La Coruña, Spain – Coliseum
13 – Barcelona, Spain – St Jordi Club
14 – Madrid, Spain – La Riviera
16 – Paris, France – Trabendo
19 – Kerkrade, Holland – Rodahal
20 – Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
23 – Pardubice, Czech Republic – CEZ Arena
24 – Prague, Czech Republic – Mala Sportovni Hala
26 – Zlin, Czech Republic – Euronics

November
3 – Moscow, Russia – Stadium Live
23 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
24 – Long Island, NY – The Paramount
25 – Long Island, NY – The Paramount

With the release of the band’s new album, “The Lord Of Steel”, only days away, MANOWAR has revealed that the exclusive pre-release of its 12th studio album will be a limited edition with exclusive artwork.

“Metal Hammer has shown a great understanding for MANOWAR and the special bond to our fans. They understand that we always strive to do something special for our Manowarriors and with great enthusiasm they have put a special magazine together,” said MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio. “The ‘Metal Hammer Steel Edition’ and ‘The Lord Of Steel – Hammer Edition’ are a perfect match!”

“The Lord Of Steel – Hammer Edition” will first be released digitally on June 16 on www.thekingdomofsteel.com and in a limited variant “Steel Edition” of Metal Hammer #233 on June 26, exclusively from Metal Hammer U.K.

For the “Metal Hammer Steel Edition” featuring “The Lord Of Steel Hammer Edition”, go to this location (international shipping options available).

“The Lord Of Steel” — which was mixed and mastered at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands with the help of longtime collaborators, mixing engineer Ronald Prent and Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper — is blazing with pure power, untamed energy, and a sound as raw and wild as a force of nature. Track titles like “Annihilation” and “Hail, Kill And Die!” set the tone for a record that is packed with surprises. In contrast to the 2007 release “Gods Of War”, this new album is not a concept album, yet each song tells a different story, retaining the MANOWAR vision of righteousness, honor and everything MANOWAR fans have come to know and love.

MANOWAR fans should expect to have “their heads completely blown off,” said MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio in a recent interview, and explained that “this album is all about brutality and raw power!”

“We were talking about a concept album but then got inspired to go in a different direction. This is where we are right now,” explained DeMaio. “I’ve been doing research on getting the best microphones and pre-amps for the guitars. The bass sound is death defying. We’ve done a lot of work on drums too, giving Donnie [Hamzik, drums] room to stretch out. And Eric [Adams, vocals] will simply sound bigger than life, as always.”

“The Lord Of Steel” will include the track “El Gringo”, which will also serve as the theme song for the After Dark Action franchise film “El Gringo”, an action western starring Scott Adkins (“The Expendables 2”, “The Bourne Ultimatum”), Christian Slater and Yvette Yates (“Without Men”).

“El Gringo” marks the first time MANOWAR has written a song specifically for a movie. The song depicts the struggle of a hero torn between his moral code and financial gain, and the challenge of being true to oneself and the real values in life — a recurring theme in MANOWAR‘s music.

“Everyone loves action movies! Our music, along with ass-kicking visuals and a great story, are a perfect match, not to mention a chance to actually see the music come alive on screen,” said MANOWAR bassist and composer Joey DeMaio. “‘El Gringo’ has been a great experience, the team at After Dark Films has been a pleasure to work with, and we are ready for more!” he continued.

When asked about the long gap between MANOWAR‘s last CD and upcoming effort, DeMaio said, “I know that a lot of people don’t wanna wait another five years for a MANOWAR record, but we hope that people are gonna think that it was worth waiting the time. Because, you know, you go to a restaurant and you order dinner, if the waiter walks in the kitchen and comes back out two seconds later and puts the dinner on the table, I really don’t know what you’re gonna get. Every now and then I like McDonald’s, too — it doesn’t mean something fast is not good — but we’re not a fast-food restaurant with MANOWAR. We think it’s quality, so we hope you’re gonna feel the same way.”

MANOWAR will headline several European festivals this summer, celebrating their new album and the 10th anniversary of one of their most popular records, “Warriors Of The World”.

“El Gringo” audio stream:

(Thanks: NJthrasher)

Source: Blabbermouth.net

According to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, MANOWAR has set “The Lord Of Steel” as the title of its long-awaited eleventh studio album. The CD, which will celebrate its world premiere and digital pre-release in June, was mixed and mastered at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands with the help of longtime collaborators, mixing engineer Ronald Prent and Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper.

“The Lord Of Steel” will include the track “El Gringo”, which will also serve as the theme song for the After Dark Action franchise film “El Gringo”, an action western starring Scott Adkins (“The Expendables 2”, “The Bourne Ultimatum”), Christian Slater and Yvette Yates (“Without Men“).

“El Gringo” marks the first time MANOWAR has written a song specifically for a movie. The song depicts the struggle of a hero torn between his moral code and financial gain, and the challenge of being true to oneself and the real values in life — a recurring theme in MANOWAR‘s music.

“Everyone loves action movies! Our music, along with ass-kicking visuals and a great story, are a perfect match, not to mention a chance to actually see the music come alive on screen,” said MANOWAR bassist and composer Joey DeMaio. “‘El Gringo’ has been a great experience, the team at After Dark Films has been a pleasure to work with, and we are ready for more!” he continued.

On March 12, a select group of special MANOWAR fans known as The Circle, who represent the band’s worldwide fan base, were invited to a private pre-listening session of the forthcoming MANOWAR album, as well as a tour of Wisseloord Studios.

MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio, and longtime collaborators, mixing engineer Ronald Prent and Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper, provided insight into the making of a record, and the specific requirements in the production for a band that is world-renowned for a sound that is louder than any other band and yet equally clear and perfect.

Fans from all over the world were chosen to represent their countries and receive news and updates to share them with their fellow brothers and sisters, and listen to first songs from the new album that is set for release in June/July.

“It was important to us that the fans should be the first to hear the new music. After all, it is all for them!” explained DeMaio.

When asked about the long gap between MANOWAR‘s last CD and upcoming effort, DeMaio said, “I know that a lot of people don’t wanna wait another five years for a MANOWAR record, but we hope that people are gonna think that it was worth waiting the time. Because, you know, you go to a restaurant and you order dinner, if the waiter walks in the kitchen and comes back out two seconds later and puts the dinner on the table, I really don’t know what you’re gonna get. Every now and then I like McDonald’s, too — it doesn’t mean something fast is not good — but we’re not a fast-food restaurant with MANOWAR. We think it’s quality, so we hope you’re gonna feel the same way.”

MANOWAR will headline several European festivals this summer, celebrating their new album and the 10th anniversary of one of their most popular records, “Warriors Of The World”.

“Expendable” rough mix:

“El Gringo” rough mix:

Source : Blabbermouth.net