Manowar
was formed by ex-
Dictators
and
Shakin' Street
guitarist
Ross the Boss
. The original lineup included vocalist
Eric Adams
, bassist
Joey DeMaio
, and drummer
Donnie Hamzik
. The group's kitschy approach was designed to be the raw, primal, macho antithesis of classic rock. Their music was based on raw, aggressive riffs, and their lyrics were mostly about fighting, violence, and death. The group dressed in animal skins in concert to underline the point. Their first album featured a solo bass arrangement of the "William Tell Overture," and the press branded the group as a joke. The band tried to become even more extreme with each album and usually ended up dropped from their labels. They tried to take a more commercial direction in the late '80s, but this approach failed too, and
Ross the Boss
quit in disgust in 1988; undeterred,
Manowar
continued recording into the next decade, issuing records including 1992's
Triumph of Steel
, 1994's
Hell of Steel
, and 1996's
Louder Than Hell
. With each release and subsequent tour,
Manowar
began to build a devoted fan base, especially in Europe, where the group regularly sold out stadiums. A flurry of live DVDs followed, each boasting hours of music, interviews, and Viking machismo. The band returned to the studio in 2002 for
Warriors of the World
, followed by the
Sons of Odin
EP in 2006 and
Gods of War
in 2007.