Manilla Road was an American heavy metal band from Wichita, Kansas, founded by Mark "The Shark" Shelton (vocals, guitar) and Scott "Scooter" Park (bass). Formed in 1977, the band initially played a mixture of hard rock, psychedelic rock and progressive rock before gradually developing a heavier sound. This stylistic shift became more pronounced with the release of "Crystal Logic" in 1983.
The band achieved moderate recognition in the mid-1980s with albums including "Crystal Logic" (1983), "Open the Gates" (1985) and "The Deluge" (1986). Mark Shelton's distinctive nasal vocal style and eclectic songwriting contributed to their identity, with lyrics frequently drawing on fantasy themes and mythological material, including references to works by Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft.
Following a breakup in 1992, Shelton reformed Manilla Road in the mid-1990s without co-founder Scott Park and without label support. During this period the band performed mainly at underground Midwestern shows and did not release new studio material. After appearing at the Bang Your Head festival in 2000, the band attracted renewed attention in the metal scene, which led to a new record deal and the releases of "Atlantis Rising" (2001) and "Spiral Castle" (2002). This second phase of the band continued until the death of Mark Shelton in 2018, which occurred the day after the band had performed at an outdoor festival in Germany.
Manilla Road was formed in 1977 by Mark Shelton alongside Scott Park, drummer Benny Munkirs and rhythm guitarist Robert Park. The band name was reportedly chosen during a drinking session while the members were watching Monty Python's Flying Circus. Early performances in Wichita bars led to local attention for the song "Herman Hill", inspired by the Herman Hill riot. After the death of the band's sound and lighting engineer in an accident, Munkirs and Robert Park left the group. Munkirs was replaced by Myles Sype on drums. In 1979, the band recorded a three-song demo titled "Manilla Road Underground", which was distributed locally on cassette.
Sype was later replaced by Rick Fisher, a high school friend of Shelton. With this lineup the band released its debut album "Invasion" in 1980 on their own label, Roadster Records. Material recorded in 1981 for a planned album titled "Dreams of Eschaton" was not released at the time due to Shelton's dissatisfaction with the recordings, which he later described as "not metal enough" and said it "sounded like shit". The material was eventually released in 2002 under the title "Mark of the Beast" by Monster Records and was later reissued under the original title "Dreams of Eschaton". Alongside "Invasion", these early recordings were more closely associated with progressive and space rock than the band's later heavy metal style.
The album "Metal" was released in 1982 and marked a shift toward a heavier direction, which was further established with "Crystal Logic" in 1983. The album's reception contributed to increased attention in Europe and led to a recording contract with the French label Black Dragon Records.
Following "Crystal Logic", Rick Fisher left the band due to differences in musical direction. He was replaced by Randy Foxe, whose ability to perform double bass drumming aligned with the band's developing sound. This lineup recorded several albums, including "Open the Gates", "The Deluge", "Mystification" (1987), "Out of the Abyss" (1988) and "The Courts of Chaos" (1990), along with the live album "Roadkill" (1988). These releases were associated with early epic heavy metal, with lyrics increasingly drawing on mythology and literary sources.
"Open the Gates" received notable promotional support from Black Dragon Records, and reported sales increased significantly in the months following its release. "The Deluge" continued this period of relative European visibility. However, Black Dragon Records later experienced financial and distribution difficulties, which affected several of its artists. During the recording of "Mystification", production quality was affected by the recording conditions. Later reissues addressed some of these issues.
"Out of the Abyss" was released through Leviathan Records in North America due to distribution issues with Black Dragon Records. It sold more strongly than "Mystification" but received mixed contemporary reviews, partly due to its thrash metal influences, though it was later reassessed more positively by some listeners. "The Courts of Chaos" was released in 1990 through both Black Dragon Records in Europe and Leviathan Records in North America, with the latter credited to Mark Shelton due to distribution complications. It featured a return to a more traditional Manilla Road style but drew some criticism for the use of programmed drum elements. It was the final album of this period to feature Randy Foxe and Scott Park.
In 1991, internal tensions and ongoing distribution problems contributed to a hiatus. Shelton then formed The Circus Maximus with Andrew Coss and Aaron Brown. Although intended as a separate project, the resulting material was released in 1992 in Europe under the Manilla Road name by Black Dragon Records, a decision that caused disagreement among the band members. The release received a negative reception from critics and fans, and Shelton subsequently reduced his recording activity for several years.
Shelton continued live activity with members of The Circus Maximus until the group ended in 1994. He then reformed Manilla Road with Randy Foxe on drums and Harvey Patrick on bass. The band performed primarily at local venues without securing a new record deal. Harvey Patrick was later replaced by Mark Anderson on bass.
In 2000, Manilla Road performed at the Bang Your Head festival in Germany, leading to renewed interest and a new record deal with Iron Glory Records. After the performance, the lineup changed again, with Scott Peters joining on drums and Bryan Patrick contributing additional vocals. This lineup released "Atlantis Rising" in 2001, a concept album combining elements of Lovecraftian themes with Greek and Norse mythology.
"Spiral Castle" followed in 2002 and was similarly well received within the metal community. Bryan Patrick became more prominent as a co-vocalist during this period. Further lineup changes occurred over the following years, with Scott Peters and Mark Anderson leaving and being replaced by Cory Christner and Harvey Patrick returning on bass. "Gates of Fire" was released in 2005, followed by the Viking-themed "Voyager" in 2008, although Bryan Patrick did not participate in that recording. The band signed a new deal with My Graveyard Productions for "Voyager".
"Playground of the Damned" was released in 2011 on Shadow Kingdom Records, with additional lineup changes occurring during its production. Bryan Patrick returned, while Harvey Patrick left and was briefly replaced by Vince Goleman, who was later replaced by Josh Castillo during recording due to health issues. Andreas "Neudi" Neuderth joined as drummer for touring following Scott Peters' departure and also contributed to remastering earlier releases.
In 2012, the band signed with Golden Core, and released "Mysterium" in 2013, which included a title track based on the story of Ludwig Leichhardt, a relative of Mark Shelton. The double album "The Blessed Curse" followed in 2015 and became the band's longest studio release. A reissue of "Mark of the Beast", combined with earlier demo and live material, was released in 2016. Phil Ross later replaced Josh Castillo on bass.
The band released its first single, "In the Wake", in 2017, followed by the studio album "To Kill a King". Mark Shelton died in July 2018 in Germany, shortly after a festival performance. His death was attributed to a heart attack associated with severe heat exhaustion. A fundraising campaign supported the repatriation of his body and funeral costs, and a memorial service was later held in Wichita, Kansas.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manilla_Road
Studio albums
Invasion (1980)
Metal (1982)
Crystal Logic (1983)
Open the Gates (1985)
The Deluge (1986)
Mystification (1987)
Out of the Abyss (1988)
The Courts of Chaos (1990)
Atlantis Rising (2001)
Spiral Castle (2002)
Mark of the Beast (2002) (recorded in 1981 as "Dreams of Eschaton")
Gates of Fire (2005)
Voyager (2008)
Playground of the Damned (2011)
Mysterium (2013)
The Blessed Curse (2015)
To Kill a King (2017)
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…shrink me down again