Manilla Road

Manilla Road was an American heavy metal band formed in 1977 in Wichita, Kansas. The group was founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark "The Shark" Shelton, along with high school friends Benny Munkirs, Rick Fisher, and brothers Robert and Scott Park. Manilla Road is considered one of the pioneering bands of the epic metal subgenre, blending traditional heavy metal with fantasy-themed lyrics and progressive influences. The band began performing in local venues and gained initial recognition with the song "Herman Hill Read more on Last.fm …read full bio

Manilla Road was an American heavy metal band formed in 1977 in Wichita, Kansas. The group was founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark "The Shark" Shelton, along with high school friends Benny Munkirs, Rick Fisher, and brothers Robert and Scott Park. Manilla Road is considered one of the pioneering bands of the epic metal subgenre, blending traditional heavy metal with fantasy-themed lyrics and progressive influences. The band began performing in local venues and gained initial recognition with the song "Herman Hill," which was inspired by the Herman Hill riot. Their debut album, "Invasion," was released in 1980 on their independent label, Roadster Records. During this period, the band recorded material intended for an album titled "The Dreams of Eschaton." However, they were dissatisfied with the sound and shelved the project. It was eventually released in 2002 under the name "Mark of the Beast" and received positive critical response despite its earlier rejection. These early recordings showcased a sound more aligned with progressive rock and proto-metal than the epic metal style the band would later develop. The 1982 album "Metal" marked a transition in Manilla Road’s sound, leading to the 1983 release "Crystal Logic," which solidified the band’s signature epic metal style. This period is often considered the band's classic era. Lyrical themes during this time frequently drew from Norse mythology, Arthurian legend, and literary sources. Following "Crystal Logic," the band released five studio albums and one live album, "Roadkill," with new drummer Randy Foxe, who brought a more aggressive, thrash-influenced style to the group. "Open the Gates" (1985) and "The Deluge" (1986), along with "Crystal Logic," are regarded as defining works in the epic metal genre. The 2001 album "Atlantis Rising" continued this tradition, presenting a concept narrative involving a war between the Æsir and Cthulhu in the mythical city of Atlantis. The 1987 album "Mystification" was criticised at the time for its poor production, which was due to inadequate recording equipment at a new studio. A later reissue improved the sound quality. In 1988, the band released "Out of the Abyss," which drew mixed reactions due to its heavier thrash metal elements. Their final album before their first disbandment, "The Courts of Chaos," appeared in 1992 and was described by Shelton as the first true Manilla Road masterpiece. The band split due to personal and creative differences between bassist Scott Park and drummer Randy Foxe. In 1992, Shelton recorded the album "Circus Maximus" with musicians Aaron Brown and Andrew Coss. Although it was not originally intended to be a Manilla Road release, the label issued it under that name. Manilla Road officially re-formed in 1994. In 2001, they released "Atlantis Rising," with Shelton as the only original member. The release marked a return to the band’s established sound and the decision to continue using the Manilla Road name. Subsequent albums included "Spiral Castle" (2002), "Gates of Fire" (2005), and "Voyager" (2008). In 2009, the band issued its second live album, "After Midnight Live," recorded at KMUW radio studios in Wichita in 1979. This was followed by a series of studio albums: "Playground of the Damned" (2011), "Mysterium" (2013), "The Blessed Curse" (2015), and "To Kill a King" (2017), which became their final studio release. Mark Shelton died of a heart attack in 2018 while on tour in Germany. He had performed the previous night at the Headbangers Open Air Festival. His death marked the end of Manilla Road, a band widely recognised for its influence on epic and traditional heavy metal. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.

…shrink me down again