Review - Metal CD Ratings - 4,5/5

Nanowar did it! They have successfully created a masterpiece of over the top silly anthems. All shall love this mass menagerie of side-splitting surprises sure to satisfy any fan of Manowar or Rhapsody of Fire. If you have a taste for the near prurient and/or ridiculous humor in your music, then this is the band for you! Fans of Beatallica, Massacration, Weird Al, and even Steel Panther take note of these 5 homely mettlesexuals from Italy who play with their instruments in a manner sure to satiate any fan of true metal.

The most important fact to realize is that this merry band of gay and happy metal-la-la-laughter makers have made their new CD entirely available as a free download from their website. If you have not seen the video for the song "Nanowar", I highly recommend that you do so with haste. This song, replete with some of the most whimsical lyrics ever, is pure fun. Then, the ever raging "Stormlord of power" follows with its own climatic conclusion. This plowed metal fisting fury is sure to keep your mouth agape.

If it was not clear enough, Nanowar love classic Manowar. Personally, I have grown weary of the band and all the Manowar imitators. This once inspirational act have lost their momentum. Joey's tired and rude band is now re-recording 'Battle hymns', and why did they cover "Heaven & hell" as a tribute to Dio? Let us not even get into how badly Magic Circle Music screwed over Rhapsody! Thankfully new Ross the Boss and Virgin Steele both no longer sound like Manowar!

"The nanowarrior's prayer" aptly begins with, "Grandfather tell me a story...". This even flow triumphantly becomes absorbed by "Blood of the queens" a parody which will surely seal the deal, fill the hole, and stop the blood flow. Even though the CD title is clearly a play on the 'Into glory ride' suggestion, the music is much more along the lines of my favourite Manowar release - 'Kings of metal'. The lyrics for "Blood of the queens" are some of the funniest words I have read:

"For the Power, for the Glory,
For the movie "Toy Story"
For the "Hell On Stage Live"...
Our metal is true, and true metal wins
Leads us to fly on absorbent wings:
166 Tampax are drowned in the blood of the queens"

166 is clearly a reference to their spoof song "Number of the bitch". Just like their many war idols, these masters of pizzazz are careful to splice in several references to other past song titles and lyrics for good measure.

"Surprise love" is a little ditty sure to entice fans of glam and all who let their hair grow long, down there. This sweet crying game, trains ye heart and mind to keep one eye open for any stray chickens who claim to be dames in distress, or is it cross-dress?

"RAP-sody" is nothing more than a club mix of Rhapsody's own "Emerald sword" - a song where Nanowar previously practiced heightened raillery with brilliant persiflage in the song "Emerald fork" - thus commenting on the folly of the fast food industry. Obviously, they have not learned their lesson to avoid all these fatty foods, lipids, polysaccharides, and excrescence; because, they have written a 2-part ode to indigestion with "Karkagnor's song" thus creating their very own Bard's swansong of reverse peristalsis and gastrointestinal evacuation. Those fu*king Happy Meals have cursed them again!

I should let you know that Nanowar like to mix many styles of music in their songs, and the DJedi interstitials all throughout, may annoy some. Given their mettle milieu, though I can see why they would want to do this. Once again they have songs in their native language, as well.

On their live CD 'Made in Naples' they had the song "Countrycycles of steel", a Country/Western take on Queen. In the middle of "Odino & Valhalla", they break into Pink Floyd's "The wall" with a direct quote from their underground train conductor leading them to Valhalla - an actual destination en route.

I recently interviewed the band for Metal Covenant, and they truly have a sense of mirth, and do not take much too seriously. As Gatto Panceri 666 plainly states: "Five jerk-offs from Rome once realized that they could combine the two things they loved most - Heavy Metal and Fun - into a single project called "Nanowar of Steel". If you do not get it, well, then there is a thick body of psychiatric literature on the consequences of having a low IQ."

There you have it, so why not triumphantly treat yourself to some true miraculous metal, and flourish with the essential minerals. For these are more than words of wisdom, they are the legacy of powerful minds. There is no need to digitally steal, because with these epicene warriors everything is about freedom. 

ORIGINAL LINK