MANOWAR: 'The Lord Of Steel' Final Cover Artwork Unveiled

A short audio clip of MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio talking about the song "Manowarriors" from the band's twelfth studio album, "The Lord Of Steel", can be streamed below.

The retail edition of "The Lord Of Steel", originally scheduled for September 28, will now hit the stores on October 19 on CD, limited-edition picture vinyl and as digital album.

"The Lord Of Steel" was made available earlier this summer as a limited-edition pre-release as the "Hammer Edition" in collaboration with U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine.

The retail edition of "The Lord Of Steel" will feature different mixes and mastering, an additional song, spectacular new art by fantasy artist Ken Kelly, and other surprises.

"MANOWAR have always dared to do things differently. You have to look at these two versions like a movie that comes out in alternate versions; a director's cut or alternate endings or stories even told from different perspectives," explained Joey DeMaio. "For those of you who enjoyed the first taste of 'The Lord Of Steel', meaning the Metal Hammer version, I can tell you that the forthcoming 'The Lord Of Steel' release on Magic Circle Entertainment will be even more unique and yes, more brutal," he continued.

Described by the press as "a brutal and unstoppable force of molten metal" and "flawlessly heavy," "The Lord Of Steel" is a raw-to-the-bone production, merging vintage elements with the trademark sound MANOWAR have developed over the years.

"When you have to make room for literally hundreds of other instruments such as orchestras, choirs, marching armies on 'Gods Of War', for example, you have to create sonic space for that. The fewer instruments you have the louder they can be individually. As an artist you want to give your audience new experiences. This is not 'elevator music.' This is an album that hits you hard right between the eyes and does not let up," said Joey DeMaio.

For their twelfth studio album, MANOWAR have tapped into the world of action heroes and their stories, writing their first song specifically for a Hollywood movie, "El Gringo", and another one, "Expendable", inspired by Sylvester Stallone's action movie franchise "The Expendables". The band has meanwhile confirmed their next movie project, "Soldiers", for "The Expendables 2" star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

From the furious title track and the pumping "Black List", to the power ballad "Righteous Glory" and the Ennio Morricone homage "El Gringo" — "The Lord Of Steel" is full of surprises.

"The Lord Of Steel" (retail edition) will be mixed and mastered by longtime collaborators, mixing engineer Ronald Prent and two-time Grammy-award-winning mastering engineer Darcy Proper.

Coinciding with the release of the album, MANOWAR will kick off "The Lord Of Steel" world tour, with first shows in October and November, in Europe and the United States.

DeMaio was interviewed on the September 28 edition of Eddie Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

"Manowarriors" description + audio snippet:

"Touch The Sky" description + audio snippet:

"Friday Night Rocks" interview with Joey DeMaio: