According to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Manowars’s new studio album The Lord of Steel, will first be released worldwide on June 16.
It will be available exclusively on iTunes and on the band’s own online store, The Kingdom of Steel. On the same date, U.K. magazine Metal Hammer will release a special “Steel Edition” of Metal Hammer #233, including the CD and a digital copy of the album.
The Lord of Steel has tracks called “Annihilation” and “Hail, Kill and Die!” Bassist Joey DeMaio says in the interview that fans should expect to have “their heads completely blown off. 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 track “El Gringo” will also serve as the theme song for the After Dark Action franchise movie El Gringo. It is the first time the metal veterans have written a song specifically for a movie.