Silent night --- Manowar --- 2007, special release
From a limited Christmas Edition CD single, of which only 666 copies were released (see what they did there?) it’s Batlord’s favourites doing a traditional Christmas
hymn. How could you not like it? Yes, the “Kings of Metal” themselves, Manowar, treat us to a version of “Silent night” --- a particularly inappropriate phrase to
describe their power metal --- and really do a very good job on it. It’s restrained at the beginning, pumping up in that powerful, almost orchestral and dramatic way
Manowar do so well as it kicks in properly, with a very powerful vocal from Eric Adams which even so doesn’t go over the top.
More to the point, Manowar are respectful of the hymn, failing to jazz it up (or metal it up, as it were) and playing it quite reservedly and reverentially, accepting it is a well-known and loved classic Christmas tune. They manage to put their own inimitable stamp on it, without taking it over, which is not an easy thing to do. And finally,
when they released this in December 2007, they gave it away free as a download. How’s that for a Christmas present? Nice one, lads!
And a very happy Christmas to you too!
Oh, and look! I inadvertently took my new avatar from the cover! Spooky!