“Mountains” feels like a rare moment of introspection as its hazy atmosphere and building chorus carry lyrics devoted to exploring a sense of purpose and one’s place in the world with hope in place of hubris. The band’s token epics also have an almost profound air to them, executed with decidedly slower tempos and measured moods compared to their usual bombast. Even the hard rock regression of “Animals” injects some serious speed into its rough and tumble setup. “Thor (The Powerhead)” and the title track pair upbeat riffs with some especially soaring hooks rife with splendid backing choirs while “The Oath” features some of their most breakneck chugs and vocals delivered with rapid fire menace. While this attitude could’ve resulted in an unexceptional stopgap, it ends up offering its own set of quirks and personality.įor starters, Sign of the Hammer might be the fastest album under the Manowar banner. While the mid-tempo bravado on the opening “All Men Play on 10” suggests more of the band’s usual arrogance, the other songs have an almost understated demeanor that feels like they wanted to keep their heads down and just focus purely on their craft for once. Released a mere three months after Hail to England, Sign of the Hammer might be the most overlooked album of Manowar’s classic era.
