Manowar "Fighting the World" 12" Vinyl LP Album

- European Release of Manowar’s Digitally-Recorded Heavy Metal Milestone (1987)

Album Front Cover Photo of Manowar Fighting the World Visit: https://vinyl-records.nl/

“Fighting the World,” released in 1987, marked Manowar’s fifth studio album and their first to be recorded entirely using digital technology. Issued in Europe by 10 Records/Atlantic, the record explodes with anthems like “Blow Your Speakers,” “Defender,” and “Fighting the World.” It’s a bold declaration of metal defiance—loud, heroic, and unyielding—celebrating strength, rebellion, and unity in pure Manowar fashion.

Table of Contents

Album Description:

“Fighting the World” is Manowar’s fifth studio album, released in 1987 and their first to be recorded entirely using digital technology. Issued in Europe by 10 Records/Atlantic, it stands as a defiant statement of heavy metal purity, bursting with anthems that celebrate strength, rebellion, and brotherhood.

The album includes fan favorites like “Blow Your Speakers,” “Defender,” and the title track “Fighting the World.” These songs capture the essence of Manowar’s identity—loud, heroic, and unapologetically metal. Each track is built around powerful riffs, commanding vocals, and the band’s trademark larger-than-life energy.

Lyrically, “Fighting the World” revolves around defiance against mainstream trends and loyalty to the metal community. Manowar’s familiar themes of honor and valor run throughout, turning the record into both a battle cry and a self-portrait of the band’s enduring philosophy.

Musically, the album delivers a clean yet explosive sound. The digital production brings clarity to Joey DeMaio’s thunderous bass and Eric Adams’s operatic range, while Ross the Boss drives the album with sharp, melodic solos. Engineer Rich Breen helped achieve a crisp, high-impact mix that set a new sonic benchmark for the band.

Commercially, the LP reached number 83 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart—modest but respectable for a niche genre at the time. More importantly, it solidified Manowar’s cult following in Europe, where their message of metal pride and defiance resonated deeply with fans who preferred swords over synthesizers.

Production & Recording Information:

Music Genre:

American Heavy Metal Music

Collector Notes / Liner Notes
  • 1: All songs have been written by Joey DeMaio.
Label & Catalognr:

ATCO – Cat#: 790 563

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl LP Record

Year & Country:

1987 - Made in EEC

Band Members / Musicians:

Band Line-up:
  • Eric Adams – Vocals
    Founding frontman of Manowar, known for his powerful operatic range and trademark battle cries. A consistent presence from 1980 onward, Adams became the voice that defined the band’s epic heavy metal style.
  • Ross "The Boss" Friedman – Guitars, Keyboards
    Guitarist and co-founder, previously with The Dictators. His aggressive riffs and melodic leads shaped Manowar’s first six albums, before departing the band in 1988 after "Kings of Metal."
  • Joey DeMaio – Bass Guitar
    Bassist, songwriter, and band leader. A former pyrotechnics assistant for Black Sabbath, DeMaio is the creative force behind Manowar, composing nearly all of their material and driving their "true metal" ethos.
  • Scott Columbus – Drums
    Joined in 1983, known for his use of custom stainless steel drum kits to endure Manowar’s high-volume performances. Columbus was the backbone of the band’s sound during their peak 1980s era.

Complete Track-listing:

Tracklisting Side One:
  1. Fighting the World (3:46) Single
  2. Blow Your Speakers (3:36) Single
  3. Carry On (4:19)
  4. Violence and Bloodshed (3:58)
Video: Manowar Fighting the World Live 1987
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Defender (6:01) Single Guest
    The guest on Manowar's "Defender" is the iconic actor Orson Welles .
    The narration was recorded in 1982 (for their first album sessions), where Welles also voiced "Dark Avenger." Manowar re-used his original recording for the 1987 track on Fighting the World, which was released after his death. His deep voice added legendary gravity to the epic heavy metal track.
  2. Drums of Doom (1:18)
  3. Holy War (4:40)
  4. Master of Revenge (1:30)
  5. Black Wind, Fire and Steel (5:17)
Video: Manowar - Defender
Album Front Cover Photo
Front cover of Manowar’s 1987 album Fighting the World, featuring a painted fantasy scene of the four band members standing triumphantly on cracked volcanic rock. Lightning strikes behind them as storm clouds swirl over a smoky battlefield. Each member is depicted in muscular, heroic form wearing leather and metal armor, their fists raised in defiance. The bright yellow Manowar logo blazes above in gothic lettering, with the album title Fighting the World in red below, symbolizing their declaration of true heavy metal supremacy.

The front cover of Fighting the World radiates pure heavy metal mythology. Set against a storm-wracked sky, the four members of Manowar stand on shattered stone, their bodies glistening with power and defiance. Bolts of lightning illuminate their raised fists as they appear like gods of battle, ready to strike against the tides of mainstream music.

Artist Ken Kelly’s composition combines elements of comic-book heroism and classical fantasy art. Each band member is rendered in near-mythic form: bare-chested, muscular, and armed with the aesthetic of conquest—tight leather, iron gauntlets, and medieval weaponry strewn about their feet. The cracked earth beneath them glows with fire, suggesting that their music itself has split the world open.

Above this scene, the MANOWAR logo blazes in a bold golden hue, its jagged font echoing thunderbolts in the storm. Below, the scarlet title Fighting the World declares the band’s manifesto of defiance and strength. The cover fuses fantasy illustration with musical symbolism, perfectly encapsulating the band’s 1980s “true metal” identity.

Album Back Cover Photo
Back cover of Manowar’s 1987 album Fighting the World, European EEC release. The artwork depicts a fiery volcanic eruption dominating the landscape, with molten rivers of lava carving through dark, jagged mountains under a smoke-filled sky. Above the inferno, a powerful manifesto is printed in gold lettering, proclaiming Manowar’s creed against mediocrity and their war cry 'Death to False Metal.' The album’s track listing and musician credits appear below the declaration, framed by the orange glow of the eruption. The ATCO Records logo, catalog number, and 'Explicit Lyrics – Parental Advisory' warning are visible near the bottom, completing this dramatic back sleeve that mirrors the album’s theme of fire, rebellion, and eternal metal defiance.

The back cover of Fighting the World erupts with apocalyptic grandeur. Dominating the scene is a volcano mid-eruption, spewing molten fire that illuminates a scorched landscape in shades of crimson, orange, and gold. Rivers of lava wind across the black terrain while the horizon glows with the fury of creation and destruction—a perfect visual echo of Manowar’s fiery music and relentless ethos.

At the top, a golden proclamation unfurls like a sacred oath: a declaration against modern mediocrity, urging listeners to “Choose your side—Death to False Metal.” The text, set in a medieval typeface, reads as both warning and prophecy, framing the band as crusaders for authenticity in an age of compromise.

Below this manifesto lies the full track listing—ten titles spanning from Fighting the World and Blow Your Speakers to Black Wind, Fire and Steel—followed by the musician credits for Eric Adams, Ross the Boss, Joey DeMaio, and Scott Columbus. At the bottom edge rest the ATCO and 10 Records logos, the parental advisory warning, and catalog data, grounding this fiery statement in the tangible world of 1980s vinyl production. The entire back design glows like a banner of resistance, sealed in molten light.

Close-up Photo of Record Label
Close-up photo of Side One label from Manowar’s 1987 album Fighting the World, European pressing on ATCO Records. The label features a clean silver-gray background divided vertically by a pale gray band. At the top, the classic ATCO logo appears in red and gray above bold black text listing the band name and album title. Below, the song list for Side 1 includes 'Fighting the World,' 'Blow Your Speakers,' 'Carry On,' and 'Violence and Bloodshed,' all credited to Joey DeMaio. The 'GEMA/BIEM' rights box is printed to the left of the center hole, while 'STEREO' and 'Side 1' appear in black lettering at opposite sides. Fine print around the edge lists copyright, publishing, and manufacturing information, including 1987 Atlantic Recording Corporation and catalog number 790 563-1.

This close-up of Side One’s label from Fighting the World presents the polished European ATCO Records design of the late 1980s. A light silver-gray base is bisected vertically by a pale band, giving the surface a subtle two-tone metallic sheen that complements the record’s black vinyl.

At the top sits the iconic red-and-gray ATCO logo, followed by the bold black typography of MANOWAR and FIGHTING THE WORLD. The left section carries the “GEMA/BIEM” rights box and STEREO indicator, while the right lists Side 1 in equally clear text. Each song—“Fighting the World,” “Blow Your Speakers,” “Carry On,” and “Violence and Bloodshed”—is neatly aligned and credited to Joey DeMaio.

Around the outer rim, legal and production text circles the label, confirming copyright to Atlantic Recording Corporation, with distribution by WEA International. The precision layout, clear print, and understated palette typify the craftsmanship of 1980s European metal pressings, balancing clarity and authority with classic record-label aesthetics.

Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera’s flash. Images can be zoomed in or out (for example, pinch with your fingers on a tablet or smartphone).

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