Fighting the World

Fighting the World was the first Manowar album to be digitally recorded and mixed entirely with a 32-track digital machine at Universal Recording Studios in Chicago, Illinois.{{sfn|ATCO Records|1987}}{{cite web|url=https://chaoszine.net/i-think-ross-the-boss-out-of-manowar-was-one-of-the-biggest-crimes-in-the-music-business-exclusice-interview-with-ross-the-boss/|title=Exclusive interview with Ross The Boss |last= Syrjälä |first=Marko|website=chaoszine.net|access-date=2025-02-05|date=2023-10-13}}

The song "Defender" features a speech by American actor Orson Welles. The album was released two years after Welles died and is dedicated to him.{{sfn|ATCO Records|1987}} The recording of Welles' speech was re-used from the original 1982 demo of the song. In the album notes, Manowar reportedly had at least 195 people in their acknowledgement list, including the "ladies auxiliary" and "medical staff".{{sfn|ATCO Records|1987}}{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Rockin' '87: The Good, Bad and Ugly|last= Goldstein |first=Patrick|date=1987-12-27|page=84|quote=Heavy-metal band Manowar found space on the back of its album, "Fighting the World," to thank 195 people...}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r12381|first=Eduardo|last=Rivadavia}}

| rev2 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

| rev2Score = 9/10{{sfn|Popoff|2005|p=213-214}}

}}

Fighting the World was released in February 1987 by ATCO Records.{{cite web|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=2021-02-21|title=Swedishcharts.com – Manowar – Fighting the World|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Manowar&titel=Fighting+the+World&cat=a}} Guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman recalled that Fighting the World was a commercial success.{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/ross-the-boss-friedman-manowar-the-dictators|title=Ross "the Boss" Friedman: "The Ramones were like our brothers... |last= Bosso |first=Joe|website=Guitar World|access-date=2025-02-05|date=1 August 2022}}

Writing for AllMusic, Eduardo Rivadavia called Fighting the World a slight improvement from their preceding album Sign of the Hammer, highlighting songs like "Black Wind, Fire and Steel", "Holy War" and "Defender", but asserted that Manowar's signing into a major label made them a "sell-out" after upholding the ethos of "true metal" for the first few albums.

Writing for Classic Rock, Paul Elliott contended that while Fighting the World thrived with "gonzoid heavy metal anthems" and their "adversity", he observed that "Black Wind, Fire and Steel" may possibly influence the European style of power metal.{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/manowar-best-albums|title=The self-proclaimed heroic kings and defenders of True Metal: The Manowar albums you should definitely listen to |last=Elliott|first=Paul|website=Classic Rock|publisher=Future plc|access-date=2025-02-05|date=2024-11-19}}

Reviewing for the boxed set Black Wind, Fire & Steel – The Atlantic Albums 1987–1992, Jon Deaux writes in All About the Rock that Fighting the World is one of the albums with "metal rock anthems... guaranteed to have your fist pumping whilst wearing your spiked leather wristbands", and praised "Defender" as "an absolute monster of a track".{{cite web|url=https://allabouttherock.co.uk/manowar-black-wind-fire-steel-the-atlantic-albums-1987-1992-3cd-box-set-review/|title=Manowar: Black Wind, Fire & Steel – The Atlantic Albums 1987-1992, 3CD Box Set Review|last=Deaux|first=Jon|website=All About the Rock|publisher=allabouttherock.co.uk|access-date=2025-02-05|date=2020-11-23}}

All songs written by Joey DeMaio.

{{tracklist

| title1 = Fighting the World

| length1 = 3:50

| title2 = Blow Your Speakers

| length2 = 3:39

| title3 = Carry On

| length3 = 4:12

| title4 = Violence and Bloodshed

| length4 = 4:00

| title5 = Defender

| length5 = 6:02

| title6 = Drums of Doom

| length6 = 1:15

| title7 = Holy War

| length7 = 4:44

| title8 = Master of Revenge

| length8 = 1:34

| title9 = Black Wind, Fire and Steel

| length9 = 5:15

| total_length = 34:31

}}

Personnel per ATCO Records.{{sfn|ATCO Records|1987}}

Manowar

• Eric Adams – vocals
• Ross the Boss – guitars, keyboards
• Joey DeMaio – four- and eight-string bass
• Scott Columbus – drums
• Orson Welles – guest voice on Defender

Production

• Richard Breen – engineer, mixing, Synclavier programming
• Vince Gutman – digital programming, recording and mixing supervision
• Howie Weinberg – mastering at Masterdisk, New York
• Jason Flom – executive producer

{{certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|relyear=1987|relmonth=2|region=Germany|award=Gold|certyear=1994|artist=Manowar|title= Fighting the World|access-date=May 6, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Manowar|title=Fighting the World|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1987|certyear=2000|certref={{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/7q55521w7go6vh6/Spanish+Certifications+for+2000-2002.pdf |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=Spanish |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=Fundación Autor/SGAE |date=September 2005 |page=953 |isbn=84-8048-639-2 |accessdate=August 23, 2019}}}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

• "Fighting the World" was covered by German power metal band Mystic Prophecy as a bonus track on their album Regressus.
• "Black Wind, Fire and Steel" has been covered by Brazilian heavy metal band Immortal Choir, by Swedish punk band Venerea and by Spanish rock/punk band Reserva Dos, this last under the name "Viento negro, fuego y acero" (in Spanish).

• The cover is parodied in the Metalocalypse episode "Dethfashion". In the episode, Dethklok is visited by a sadistic fashion designer who is upset that their measurements for their fashion line were not reflective of their actual physiques. The designer used a cover of the band's previous album as a reference for his designs, and like the cover of Fighting the World, the band is standing shirtless on a pile of stones. The cover had been airbrushed to make the band members look much thinner and more physically fit than they actually were.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite AV media notes

|title=Fighting the World

|others=MANOWAR

|date=1987

|type=Album sleeve notes

|last=ATCO Records

|publisher=Atlantic Recording Corporation

|id=90563-1

|location=New York City}}

• {{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | authorlink1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = November 1, 2005 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | isbn = 978-1-894959-31-5}}

• [https://archive.today/20121209050650/http://rawrix.net/lyrics/artists/artists.php?id=29 Lyrics at Rawrix.net]
• [http://www.manowar.com/ Official artist website]

{{Manowar}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Manowar albums

Category:1987 albums

Category:Albums with cover art by Ken Kelly (artist)

Category:Atco Records albums