Artist: Manowar
Release Date: 6/6/00
Rating: 4 Skulls
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Title: Hell on Earth, Part I Artist: Manowar Release Date: 6/6/00
Rating: 4 Skulls |
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Death's Review:
Metal videos have traditionally fallen into one of the following categories: (1) live concert footage; (2) compilation of music videos; (3) "crazy" backstage and tour footage; or (4) some combination of all of the previous three. Manowar's new offering doesn't break the mold, and is a decided category 4. But it does stand out from the pack in a number of areas. Most notably: the sex/T&A scenes are more numerous and, while still on the safe side of "XXX", more explicit (the lesbian scenes are surely at least NC-17) than in your ordinary mainstream metal video offering, and the jaw-dropping amazement factor you feel as you begin to discover that these guys in Manowar have been able to fashion this total "metal lifestyle" for themselves and can tour the world, play the part, live the life, clearly doing it for real, while you're sitting home on your ass watching TV. At times it's so silly you think, "look at these guys." How do these dudes get away with this shit? Others, you realize that they just figured out what life and metal were really all about and are able to pull it off. Either way, heavy metal rubbernecking was never so much fun.The video begins with the appropriate low-budget fanfare and Manowar style hyperbole to put you in the mood. Ladies and Gentlemen. Your attention please. "From the United States -- Manowar!" The words then flash across the screen: "The Hottest Chicks." "The Craziest Guys." (that dude is scary looking). MANOWAR: The Video. Cool.
So I kicked back and watched this tribute to five years of touring and absolute Manowar-style insanity, and in the process learned that Karl Logan's destiny with Manowar turned on a fortuitous Harley accident in a parking lot and that bare breasts should be shown at every opportunity, except for the chick with the finger-percussion things in the orchestra recording scene. They focus in, but... nah, I knew she had too much class.
Moments like "Courage," the ballad that follows, with the lighters and pianos and the whole thing: wow. Kinda painful. I mean, I guess if you're gonna watch this and enjoy it you gotta just check your critical, analytical side at the door with these guys and have some fun. Go on a five-year trip around the world with Manowar. See some bullfights, watch some Manowar, ride some Harleys. Cool. Seriously, the quick edits keep it interesting and really do teach you the important lesson that Harleys can't be contained to off-stage alone.
The making of the "Return of the Warlord" video section, the Cleveland New Year's Eve and the two lesbians exploring each other backstage footage are only a few of the parts of the video that cause me to place Hell On Earth, Part I on the raunchiest metal home video list. It gets pretty hardcore. And that's the deal throughout, pretty much. "Kiss my ass, if you don't like me, I don't care!" Bikes. Leather. Chicks. Ass Cracks. Random dudes shotgunning booze. Metal. White trash. Various international equivalents. But damn, if not a fucking great time had by all everywhere they go. Perhaps Manowar is so popular internationally precisely because they are so simple, straightforward and true. Language barriers can be disregarded when it is all about huge bikes, leather and steel. Everybody understands loud amps, big tits, and cheap beer. Painting with comic book or pro-wrestling level broad, international strokes. And that's Manowar, and that's Hell on Earth, Part I. If you are into Manowar and their whole trip as they exist today, check this out. I would have given this a mere 3 skulls simply because Manowar is just altogether way too cheesy for me to totally understand and embrace. But I'll blow off the temptation to take myself too seriously and admit that the video was fun and interesting to watch. The party scenes are pretty funny, the fans are totally crazy, the band preaches about the love and brotherhood of metal and the scenes from South America and Europe and some of the smaller towns are fascinating. You don't often get to take a world tour and check out the international metal scene. Manowar takes you to the in-stores and the meet and greets. To the backstage parties. To the local sites. On the bus. On stage. Madrid, Brazil, whatever. It's cool. It's fun. It's Manowar. End of analysis.
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