Manilla Road
| Manilla Road | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
| Genres | Heavy metal, power metal |
| Years active | 1977–1990 2001–present |
| Labels | Iron Glory, Black Dragon, Leviathan, Roadster, My Graveyard Productions, Monster, Cult Metal Classics, Dragonheart, Underground Symphony, Sentinel Steel, Battle Cry, New Iron Age |
| Website | www |
| Members | Mark Shelton Bryan Patrick Neudi Neuderth Phil Ross |
| Past members | Vince Goleman Cory Christner Rick Fisher Scott Peters Randy Foxe Mark Anderson Josh Castillo Scott Park Harvey Patrick |
Manilla Road is an American heavy metal band from Wichita, Kansas, founded by lead guitarist Mark 'the Shark' Shelton (vocals and guitar) (born December 3, 1957, Wichita, Kansas, United States).
Manilla Road was created by Shelton in 1977 with high school friends Benny Munkirs, Rick Fisher and brothers Robert and Scott Park. After playing in local bars, the group first gained attention with their song "Herman Hill," inspired by the Herman Hill riot. Their first album Invasion was released in 1980 on the band's own label, Roadster Records. Between this time and their next release the band recorded material for an album to be titled The Dreams Of Eschaton, however this was not released until 2002 (under the name Mark of the Beast) as they were not happy with the sound. Shelton has been quoted as saying the music was "not metal enough" and "sounded like shit." Despite this Mark of the Beast was critically well received when it was eventually released. These early albums have more in common with progressive rock and proto-heavy metal than the band's later heavier speed/thrash metal sound.
The next record was Metal, which began to define the future musical direction of Manilla Road. Their "classic" sound was solidified with the release of Crystal Logic in 1983.
The next five Manilla Road albums (along with a live release, "Roadkill") featured new drummer Randy Foxe, who had more of a thrash-oriented style than original drummer Rick Fisher. Along with Crystal Logic, the new lineup's first two albums, Open the Gates and The Deluge, are generally considered to be classics in the field of heavy metal. It was on these three albums that Manilla Road's style became fully formed. Lyrics typically feature fantastic elements from Norse mythology, Arthurian legend or other literary sources. These are often combined in one setting, the concept album Atlantis Rising, for example, features a war between the Æsir and Cthulhu, centered on the city of Atlantis.
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