The sound quality of this disc is stunning and can even make a bad sound system sound good (before the speakers are blown to hell!) Manowar self-produced this CD and if they ever lay down the swords should seriously consider becoming guns for hire. These songs are so good they are worthy to be included amongst the bands greatest songs such as “Blood Of My Enemies”, “Bridge Of Death” and “Defender”. The final 4 tracks of the CD rank among the finest songs Manowar has ever recorded, include the first single “Warriors Of The World Unite”, “Hand Of Doom”, House Of Death” and “Fight Until We Die”. “Nessum Dorma”, which is sung in Italian and dedicated to Eric’s late mother, is a monumental song in terms of overall ability displayed by the band. This theme all carries on into “An American Trilogy”. “The Fight For Freedom” is a patriotic song dedicated to those who suffered loss on September 11th. The pure power heroics of “Call To Arms” open the CD and immediately assure the listener that this is the same Manowar that has delivered consistent releases for 20 years. Manowar mean it when they sing about the "House of Death" and how they will "Fight Until We Die," and that's why you should love them, warts and all.Manowar returns with a new label (Metal Blade) and a new CD in Warriors Of The World that is destined to be one of the top metal releases of 2002 and possibly one of the finest moments of their legendary career. Fortunately, the disc has enough tracks that do reach higher decibels, including the last four and disc-opener "Call to Arms," that are more indicative of what made Manowar great, namely heavy riffs and heavier attitude that, even when embracing an ethos that many would be embarrassed about, still comes off sincere. In fact, too much of this disc relies on similar cheeseball balladry that, try as it might to be gallant and heroic, really comes off as self-parody. No matter how big a fan of the band someone might be, it's hard to take the operatic "Nessun Dorma" and succeeding power ballad "Valhalla" seriously, as they sound like something Spinal Tap would have thought up when not worrying about amps that went to 11. Like most latter-day Manowar outings, Warriors of the World is a mixed affair rife with all of the clichés that make Manowar either Gods or an amusing joke, depending on what side of the inner circle you reside on.
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