Visiting a Manowar concert is like watching a recent Clint Eastwood movie. You know the world has moved on to other (possibly better) stuff, but in this particular genre it’s the best you’re ever going to get.

Opening act Bludgeon was okay. They played a mix of Slayer riffs and early eighties death metal. Very blunt, very repetitive an perhaps even a bit boring. Nothing special. The people from Bludgeon do know how to play their instruments though. And maybe in a few years time I would go watch them as headliners, but not just yet.

Fortunately, the headliners of this evening were much better. The band started off with the trademark song “Manowar”, which immediately put the audience in a good mood. What can I say, the band members looked like they were truly enjoying themselves.

These barbarians sure know how to put on a good show. Because of a terrible cold I wasn’t exactly in a dancing mood, but that didn’t stop me from having a really good time.

Manowar is probably still the loudest band in the world. My god, the decibels were grinding my poor aching head to a pulp. They played one classic after another. Highlights were “Kill With Power”, “Brothers Of Metal” and of course “Kings Of Metal”.

When they started playing my personal favorite “Hail And Kill”, well, it just made my day. The acoustic set that followed came as a pleasant surprise. Eric Adams still has one of the finest voices in metal music. I was really surprised to hear that both the songs and his voice were able to survive this acoustic approach. Especially “Master Of The Wind” sounded really great.

After that, all hell broke loose. The PA loudly voiced that terrible Mariah Carey Christmas song and a Mrs. Santa Clause appeared onstage. The road crew had apparently hired a neatly shaven female (thank god for that) stripper. She took her kit off and rubbed on some body lotion or yogurt of some kind.

Although this was a nice intermezzo, it simply lasted too long. And besides, it diverted all the attention away from the two, less strikingly beautiful, female fans who jumped onto the stage topless.

When the band members drove their bikes onstage, the show got started again. They played their encores, and Joey Demaio thanked the entire crew, after which he made a comment about the terrible sound in the IJsselhallen complex. “Goodbye Holland. We’ll be back. But not in this venue.”

All in all, a very nice show. Although next time I hope to see Manowar before closing night, I still went home cheerfully singing “Brothers Of Metal…”.

(Review & Pics: Martin van der Linden)