To be a real artist you have to commit to the type of art you are doing. It does not matter what your art is, visual, musical, written or spoken. It does not matter how weird or ridiculous people might think your art is, or even if they consider what you are doing as art. If you believe and dedicate every cell of your body to improving your art in all its aspects, you can call yourself an artist and you have my utmost respect. In regards to music, being in a band with a high level of theatrics and costumes takes a lot of effort, investment and perseverance. However  the music has to be always in the forefront otherwise it becomes a parody. Good music with bad or no theatrics, still good music. Good theatrics with bad music, bad everything. And not many bands can get it right.

MANOWAR is one band that I love. When I got Battle Hymns in 1982 I could not believe my ears. Metal Daze, Shell Shock, Dark Avenger... every song of that album is killer and to this day, I believe Eric Adams' voice is one of the best ever in metal. Their love for metal expressed in every song pours through the speakers...Then, I looked at the band's pictures and I said WTF? A group of Conan the Barbarians making metal? The following albums were also great but I never cared much about the band's visuals. Years later I had the privilege to go to a MANOWAR concert and then, I understood it all. When the music is good, the theatrics will pump the already good music to an even higher level. In that concert I felt that I was part of an army of brothers and sisters from an enchanted kingdom getting ready for battle.

VIRGIN STEELE, BLIND GUARDIAN and RHAPSODY OF FIRE came next to cement the style with less or more theatrics and today, the genre has great bands spread around the world. A welcome addition to the epic metal genre is the band ALL FOR METAL with their debut album Legends. A German-Italian collaboration introducing a new kingdom to the metal world. And they are ready for battle. The first song already tells you how it is going to be. The self entitled "All For Metal"(and metal for all!) invites you to sing along a catchy chorus. The band has an interesting dynamic with 2 singer warriors. The first one is Tim "Tetzel" Wagner who is the size of a closet, sings with a lower register, and sometimes acts like the storyteller of the band. Imagine that you are a viking in 987 AD, covered in blood and battle scars, surrounded by vicious vikings from your army in a field full of dead bodies waiting for the enemy under the cold rain, and suddenly, one of them starts to sing. That's Tim. You can see his size and great performance on this song's Youtube video.

Then comes "Goddess of War" keeping the energy high with a great melody and chorus. Speaking of Goddesses, the band has 2 excellent guitar players. Jasmin Pabst and Ursula Zanichelli that present us with creative riffs and solos complementing each other. And the fact that they are not only great musicians, but also great to look at, is a bonus for the band, the audience and the show. The third metal tune is "Born In Valhalla" that delivers another creative riff and chorus. All the songs so far were made for thousands to sing along in concerts around the world. With epic passages, the tune tells you the history of Odin's warriors, sons of the ethereal land of Valhalla getting ready to defend Asgard. It doesn't get more epic than this. Check the video on Youtube.

We reach "Raise your Hammer" dedicated to the god of thunder Thor as advised by Tim throughout the song. With a great solo and small classic innuendos from the medieval period, the song is another great listen for metal warriors around the world. The band shows that a great effort was put into the composition and recording of this album. You can check this song on Youtube as well. The album also has a good production and is very well mixed. This is felt in every song and "Hear the Drum" is no different. The drums of war are beating and this is the sign to strike. Speaking of drums, this band has a solid drummer on Leif Jensen that has full control of the instrument with creative tempo changes and fills. An army with good drums is always stronger. Another Youtube video to check.

We pass the halfway point with "Run". This song is traditionally used when the army is losing the battle. I'm joking. Or maybe not. With an out of the box riff and melody, the song is about fear and actually advises you that it is better to run because the big guys are coming. Every song is well arranged and a different adventure is told in each one of them. The mysterious "Prophecy of Hope" starts with a prelude to an adventure. A dramatic orchestration unveils the birth of the savior. The 7th son of the 7th son (not Jesus). Narrated by a lady with a mysterious voice, the short story can be used live as a recording to set the stage to any song of the album. And also to give the band a break during concerts for that necessary hydration.

"Mountain of Power" comes next and is another banger. The band explores very well all the facets of the epic metal style. Great performances from all the band members which I have 2 more to cover. So don't go anywhere. There is MANOWAR sprinkled all over this song. Good solo as usual and this is the 5th song of this album that you can find an official video on Youtube. But there is more. We start to approach the end of our journey with the great "Fury of the Gods". For me, the best song of a very hard to choose album. Epic in every aspect, this song performed live will make you lose your voice singing. I also would like to bring up the competent work of bass player Florian Toma that glues the bass lines with the drum beat constantly covering empty spaces and sometimes dictating the riff. Every band member performs as a mythical character and Florian's is the one that will catch your eye. Youtube video again.

The album slows down a little on "Day of Hammerfall" that raises the level of drama. Is the more accessible song to the general public due to its very catchy chorus and melody in my opinion. Great performance overall  but with a clear more commercial intention. Is not a ballad but has some of its elements. Good tune though. The adventure ends with "Legends Never Dies". This is the song that I felt was missing in the album (well, not anymore). They left it for last and rightfully so. With a fairy tale mood and a great guitar solo duo, the band shows that their capacity to create great melodies backed by great musicianship is limitless. Bringing you to a more calm conclusion to the album, the song still manages to take you on an adventure warning that legends never die and I hope the same happens with their creativity. And another great video to check.

Ok. I did not forget the missing member of the band, the Italian singer Antonio Calanna. I left him for last on purpose. The guy's voice is just phenomenal and a match made in heaven for this metal style. With impossible high registers ala Eric Adams, I had to check a live performance on video to confirm if he is really capable of reproducing the high melodies live as it sounds in the album and I was not disappointed. The guy has a powerhouse on his throat and knows how to use it like a trained professional. Together with the lower register of Tim Wagner, the band brings something different to the genre and is worth checking for sure.

Great production and attention to detail as well. The band has a good website and social media presence. A variety of songs to choose from with cool videos available. You can see that ALL FOR METAL is serious about their art and it shows. Last thing. Keyboards are everywhere in the album as it should. Where is our keyboard warrior?