Just when you thought heavy metal had either died or mutated into dissonant alternative music, along comes Manowar to prove once again that straight-ahead guitar crunch, powerhouse drumming, and histrionic vocal yowls can be far more potent than the latest Nirvana clone band--and far more amusing. On Louder Than Hell, Manowar guard the heavy metal torch with unintentionally hilarious lines like, "The Gods made heavy metal and they saw that it was good/They said to play it louder than hell, we promised that we would." This never-say-die spirit, along with muscular, audacious riffs, razor-sharp hooks, and strong, simple songwriting keeps Manowar's flame burning, even when they resort to violin-laden power ballads like "Courage." --Jon Wiederhorn