JOEY DEMAIO: MANOWAR Is Working On 'Ass-Kicking' Songs For Next Studio Album

Joey DeMaio says that MANOWAR is working on "ass-kicking" songs for the band's long-awaited new studio album.

Although MANOWAR has released a couple of EPs in recent years — including "The Revenge Of Odysseus (Highlights)", which came out in June — the group hasn't issued a full-length effort since 2012's "The Lord Of Steel".

Asked in a new interview with Germany's Rock Antenne when MANOWAR fans can expect to see a new studio LP, DeMaio said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Here's the problem: the stuff that we just released ['The Revenge Of Odysseus'] was a small portion of a huge, huge, big work — much bigger than [1992's] 'The Triumph Of Steel'. And so it was kind of the appetizer. Which a lot of people didn't understand. They were, like, 'What is this shit? Classical music, narrations…' But that music was all composed the way Wagner composed; it was setting the tone for the future of what this big work would be, like a meisterwerk. So a lot of people misunderstood it. Well, while we were planning this big epic about Odysseus, the gentleman who spoke the narration as Odysseus passed away. So now we can't honor him with this huge work, because he's gone; he wouldn't be able to perform it live. So now we are going to condense that into a smaller piece that will, of course, this great Greek story and honor the life of Kostas Kazakos; he was the greatest actor in Greece. So that made us kind of shift gears. So now we're working on songs that are what people would normally expect. Instead of some big, epic, long three-, four-hour piece, now we're gonna be working on songs that I think people would expect from MANOWAR — ass-kicking stuff that will fry the hair on your balls, basically."

According to the bassist, there is a good chance that some of MANOWAR's new material will be performed live on the band's "Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour '23", which celebrates the band's over-four-decades-long career with focus on four signature MANOWAR albums and their anniversaries: 40th anniversary of "Battle Hymns", 35th anniversary of "Fighting The World", 30th anniversary of "The Triumph Of Steel", 20th anniversary of "Warriors Of The World".

"This anniversary tour, is what it is, we're gonna be playing, hopefully, all the stuff people want, but there'll be a couple of the newer tracks in there — stuff that's hard hitting and kicks ass, because the band now has a different guitar player, a different drummer," he said. "And, of course, that changes the energy structure of the band. It always happens when you have different members come in. They bring their energy to what MANOWAR is. It's still MANOWAR, but with a different personality. It's like a different girlfriend, whatever. You get more information. You mix whisky and beer; you still have a lot of alcohol, but it's a different fun."

Asked if the new MANOWAR album is "pretty much finished," Joey said: "Well, let's say some songs are pretty much finished. Because now that we have a new guitar player, all of a sudden, as I said, it changes things and ideas come: 'Let's try this and try that.'"

Conceived as a "thank you" for the steadfast and passionate support of the Greek Manowarriors, "The Revenge Of Odysseus" is MANOWAR's take on Homer's classic tale of the great hero Odysseus and his long and perilous quest to return to his wife and son, and protect his home and family.

MANOWAR played the first of two "secret" warm-up shows in June at Jovel Music Hall in Münster, Germany. DeMaio and his bandmates were billed as THE LORDS OF STEEL (performing "the music of MANOWAR") for the gig, which marked MANOWAR's debut live appearance with new drummer Dave Chedrick, who has previously played with RAVEN and KILL RITUAL, among others.

Chedrick joined MANOWAR as the replacement for Anders Johannson who announced earlier that day that he would be unable to join MANOWAR on the band's "Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour '22/'23" due to "family commitments."

Based in Los Angeles, Chedrick has been a metal addict his entire life. Early influences include John Bonham, Neil Peart and, most of all, late MANOWAR drummer Scott Columbus. An accomplished studio musician, Dave is praised for his professionalism, easy-going spirit, and willingness to always go the extra mile in the quest for the perfect sound.

Three months ago, MANOWAR announced that it had recruited metal shred legend Michael Angelo Batio to play guitar for the band on its 2023 "Crushing The Enemies Of Metal" tour. The news came in the wake of guitarist Evandro "EV" Martel's announcement that he was taking a break from touring for a while for "personal reasons".

Batio, who will play his first shows with MANOWAR starting February 2023, is a veteran both in the studio and on stage.

Voted by Guitar One magazine the "No. 1 Fastest Guitar Shredder of All Time", Chicago native Batio is an accomplished musician in many genres, but is best known for his lightning-fast metal performances. He is renowned the world over for his technical mastery of the fretboard, extremely fast picking and his invention, the "MAB Over Under" technique. His ability to play a double-necked and quad-necked guitar using both hands has earned him the respect of fans and fellow musicians alike.

"We've known Michael for many years and have always admired his work," said DeMaio. "His technique is astounding. When we invited him to come and jam with us, we played together at the speed of light. Everything fell into place immediately. We're ready for a killer tour!"

Michael Angelo Batio said: "I could not be more excited! I love metal more than anything, and it doesn't get more metal than MANOWAR! I can't wait to get on stage and play for the MANOWAR fans!"

Martel, who previously played with the Brazilian MANOWAR tribute band KINGS OF STEEL, ended up joining MANOWAR as the replacement for longtime MANOWAR guitarist Karl Logan. This past July, Logan was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for possessing child pornography.