Manowar was formed by ex-Dictators and Shakin Street guitarist Ross the Boss. Its original lineup included vocalist Eric Adams, bassist Joey DeMaio, and drummer Donnie Hamzik. The group′s kitschy approach was designed to be the raw, primal, macho antithesis of classic rock. Their music was based on raw, aggressive riffs, and their lyrics were mostly about fighting, violence, and death. The group dressed in animal skins in concert to underline the point. Their first album featured a solo-bass arrangement of the "William Tell Overture," and the press branded the group as a joke. The band tried to become even more extreme with each album and usually ended up dropped from their labels. They tried to take a more commercial direction in the late ′80s, but this approach failed too, and Ross the Boss quit in disgust in 1988; undeterred, Manowar continued recording into the next decade, issuing records including 1992′s Triumph of Steel, 1994′s Hell of Steel and 1996′s Louder Than Hell. (Author: Steve Huey)

DISCOGRAPHY: (not including compilations, box sets or DVDs)
1982 Battle Hymns
1983 Into Glory Ride
1984 Hail to England
1985 Sign of the Hammer
1987 Fighting the World
1988 Kings of Metal
1992 The Triumph of Steel
1996 Louder Than Hell
1998 Secrets of Steel
1999 Hell on Stage Live
1999 Hell on Wheels Live
1999 Live in France
2002 Warriors of the World