Think what you may of Manowar’s antiques, but they have brought us a number of classic heavy metal tunes. I’m trying to repress the memory of an endless line of live releases and DVD’s that has poured over us from one of the big money machines of the genre as I flip this double CD into player…

The four leather clad warriors are purveyors of bombast in abundance as I would have expected, and the lyrics are all a load of steel and warrior bollocks, naturally, but that’s just Manowar, and loving it despite the all-too-obvious cheesiness is hard not to do if you have any kind of feelings for this music.

What strikes me mostly is the power of the triple whammy of oldies but goldies Gloves of Metal/Each Dawn I Die/Holy War compared to newer material from the two latest albums and the yarns of the spoken passages that is insisted upon. As impressive as it probably was for the people who were there, as boring is the experience for the listener at home.

But – fear not, the sound is excellent, the band plays well, and songs like Black Wind, Fire and Steel and Warriors of the World United speak their own heavy language as does Eric Adams’ divine voice.

Oh, ye true warriors, come forth and buy by the thousands. The rest of you, just wait until Manowar releases another good studio album – without too much opera and endless slow motion tirades of true steel.