They are back.... The Kings Of Metal: MANOWAR. In the 15th of April the new single will be released. At Wednesday the 18th the band will play this song in “TV Total” and in May the 27th the long-expected studio album "Warriors Of The World" will finally be available in record shops. We have talked with Karl Logan before and we were able to extract some more information from him after the press-conference in February...

Hi Karl, how are you?
Hi, good, had a couple of interviews today, but aside from that everything ok.

I wanted to thank you first for the invitation to your listenings session in Belgium. It was really cool.
Hey, no need to thank us. Manowar always try to keep near their fans.

I think that’s what makes Manowar what it is. Ok, when you compare your new work "Warriors Of The World" with "Louder Than Hell", where are the differences in your opinion?
I think there’s nothing similar between the two aside the fact that both are Heavy Metal albums. Everything’s different, both from a textual and musical point of view. The production itself went in a totally different way. But still, it is a Manowar album.

There’s this song "Nessun Dorma" in which Eric’s voice rises to opera heights. Has he learned how to do it?
That’s a question you’d better pose to Eric, because I’m not sure how or what he’s trained. We made the track to show what an innovative and versatile singer Eric is, that he can also step forward in classic opera.

Do you think this song can also be played live? Will you?
Yes, we’re definetly playing this song. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you when or where. We played this song first live at the Gods Of Metal Festival in Milan, as a “thank you” to all our italian fans.

Ok, then please tell me a story of one or two songs which you especially liked.
"Call To Arms" is a classic Heavy Metal song which is always part of Manowar´s belief. "Swords In the Wind" tells the story of a dying warrior and his wish to come to Valhalla, the burial place of the vikings. There, where the bodies are taken to in a ship through the open sea.

Did actual events such as the attack at the WTC influence your songwriting in any way?
Hm, this may sound kinda stupid now, but it really is strange: "Fight For Freedom" had been completely written before the 11th September 2001 but you can somehow relate the song to such an event. But Manowar isn’t a band that writes about political things. And then there’s also "An American Trilogy", an original from Elvis Presley that concerns itself about the american Civil War. We had been wanting to make the song for quite a while and now seemed the right time to do it.

Were you also involved in the songwriting?
Yes, Joey and I compose the core of a song, but the other bandmembers contribute in the rest.

Do you have a favorite song in "WotW"?
Not really, no. I think all songs are good, they’re all great. I believe in this album. These songs are like our children and we just can’t pick one out and say: this one’s the best.

Is there a Manowar tour planned?
Yes, we are concentrating on a tour in Autumn, something like September or October. We also want to play in some Summer Open Airs in Europe.

Will you have a support band, or will it be “just” Manowar?
Those are all things we’ll only be able to answer when the tour is confirmed. It also depends on who has the time for it when it comes.

"Louder Than Hell" is 5 or 6 years behind. What have you done during this time? Were there some side-projects or were you just travelling?
Many people think of it as travelling, but it’s wrong. It didn’t take us 6 years to make a new album. During this time we made all these videos and the double live album. We’ve also toured quite a lot, playing at the biggest, most important festivals in Europe. We were really busy all that time. It actually took us about 2 years to make the new album. We can only say that in two years there will be a new Manowar album. We have already written some songs and we have a lot of ideas. We want to do it for the fans.

So, as it sounded, there was no time for any side-projects?
Joey has a small label with a couple of other bands. But what he truly commits himself to is of course Manowar. Maybe there will be some projects in the future, but Manowar will always be the most important. Personally, I won’t have any side-project. I want to save all of my energy for Manowar.

How does it look like, your free time, that is, when you’re not at songwriting or on tour? Do you keep in touch with each other?
Each of us has his own life, of course. We were 4 years together on tour. Every man needs some time for himself. I believe that freshens creativity and energy up. But the priority is always Manowar.

When we were in Belgium, you showed us some parts of the new DVD "Hell On Earth 2 + 3". Do you know when they’re coming out?
Well, I can’t really tell you that right now. That’s a “business” decision and it depends on when we go on tour and so on. Those are all facts we don’t really know for sure.

Ok, how do you feel about the Internet?
Personally, I haven’t yet found a use for the Internet, but neither do I own a computer.

What other bands do you listen to besides Manowar? Maybe non-Metal bands?
That’s a tough question. Of course I also hear other Metal bands. And there are also non-Metal bands I like, but I can’t really tell you which. If I said now, for example, I like this band and that, there’s always people who will put you in this specific “closet”, even when it isn’t so. I like every kind of “true” music, true to its own form, people who write their own songs and stay true to them. I could care less for stuff like Backstreet Boys and the like. And I also have something against people who always have to go with the trend, and I hate Hip Hop and Rap.

Are you interested in american Underground Metal?
Not really. We only really have an Underground Hardcore Scene. And Hardcore isn’t Metal. Heavy Metal is music with good songwriting and much talent. Also singers who can sing and guitarrists who can play the guitar. Hardcore is people who learn a bunch of tones and make noise. I’ve heard some of those bands, but they’ve all left me cold.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?
I think this Manowar Album will surprise some people and I believe we went a step back to our roots, but at the same time a forwards step towards the evolution of Manowar. Steel yourselves for our killer-tour.

Ok, thank you for the interview.
Thank you. Take care Brother.

Published by : metal-inside.de