Fighting the World
| Fighting the World | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover art by Ken Kelly | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 17, 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1986-1987 | |||
| Studio | Universal Recording, Chicago, Illinois, US | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, power metal | |||
| Length | 34:48 | |||
| Label | ATCO | |||
| Producer | Manowar, Jason Flom | |||
| Manowar chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fighting the World | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 9/10[2] |
Fighting the World is the fifth album by the American heavy metal band Manowar, released in 1987 (see 1987 in music). This was the first Manowar album to feature artwork by long-time collaborator Ken Kelly, and also one of the first heavy metal albums to be recorded and mixed entirely on digital equipment (Turbo album, by Judas Priest, was prior to that). Since Fighting The World, all Manowar album covers have been painted by Ken Kelly.
The song "Defender" features a speech by famous American actor Orson Welles. The album was released 2 years after Welles died. The recording of Welles' speech was re-used from the original 1982 demo of the song.
Track listing
All songs written by Joey DeMaio.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fighting the World" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Blow Your Speakers" | 3:43 |
| 3. | "Carry On" | 4:18 |
| 4. | "Violence and Bloodshed" | 4:00 |
| 5. | "Defender" | 6:05 |
| 6. | "Drums of Doom" | 1:14 |
| 7. | "Holy War" | 4:45 |
| 8. | "Master of Revenge" | 1:34 |
| 9. | "Black Wind, Fire and Steel" | 5:16 |
| Total length: | 34:48 | |
Cover versions
- "Fighting the World" was covered by German power metal band Mystic Prophecy as a bonus track on their album Regressus.
- "Black Wind, Fire and Steel" has been covered by Brazilian heavy metal band Immortal Choir, by Swedish punk band Venerea and by Spanish rock/punk band Reserva Dos, this last under the name "Viento negro, fuego y acero" (in Spanish).
References in popular culture
- The cover is parodied in the Metalocalypse episode "Dethfashion". In the episode, Dethklok is visited by a sadistic fashion designer who is upset that their measurements for their fashion line were not reflective of their actual physiques. The designer used a cover of the band's previous album as a reference for his designs, and like the cover of Fighting the World, the band is standing shirtless on a pile of stones. The cover had been airbrushed to make the band members look much thinner and more physically fit than they actually were.
Personnel
Manowar
- Eric Adams - vocals
- Ross the Boss - guitar, keyboards
- Joey DeMaio - 4, 8 strings bass guitars
- Scott Columbus - drums
Production
- Richard Breen – engineer, mixing, Synclavier programming
- Vince Gutman – digital programming, recording and mixing supervision
- Howie Weinberg – mastering at Masterdisk, New York
- Jason Flom – executive producer
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[3] | Gold | 50,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. Fighting the World at AllMusic
- ^ Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 213–214. ISBN 978-1894959315.
- ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 953. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 23 August 2019.