MANOWAR's JOEY DEMAIO On Upcoming Re-Recording Of 'Sign Of The Hammer' Album: 'It's Just A Little Bit Different'

In a new interview with Elena Rozberg of Radiocast BG, MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio spoke about the upcoming re-recording of the band's fourth studio album, "Sign Of The Hammer", which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that it gives us the chance to look at the songs and keep all of the elements of the song itself that people liked — you know, the choruses and so forth, the message, the lyrics — but also improve the quality of the sound of the recording. As I listen to it today, I think everything is much more clear, a lot of excitement, a lot of energy. And, yeah, the fans who have already bought the [original] record will have that forever. And then the new version of it is a different version. It's like having two shirts or two jackets — one might be a little different, different buttons, but similar style. And that's the way it's coming across to me. I think people are going to enjoy it. And if you like the first version, I think you'll like this version. It's just a little bit different, a little something — a little something. Maybe a little magic. I don't know. We'll see. See what people think. You'll tell me once you hear it."

During the same chat, DeMaio weighed in on a debate about people using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to create music. He said:  "Well, right now I haven't delved much into artificial intelligence. I mean, of course, everybody can't help using it with e-mails and things like this. I think it's been good in the e-mails when you get spam to be able to block it; it does it automatically or it recognizes it. I think like everything else, it's a tool and I think it will find its place in everybody's life. I think some people will use it to create music, to create art and things. They've already started doing that. And I just look at it as though for somebody who doesn't play an instrument, if that's a way for them to express a musical idea, then that's their tool. I happen to be able to play a guitar, so I can do it. But for somebody that can't, they can then just say, 'Write me a song like such and such,' and that's how they will create. And who's to say — great music might come of it. I don't know. Or great art. I think it's too new to judge and see what's going to happen. But I think there will always be a place for people who really write something beautiful, whether it's poetry, whether they paint something by hand that's a beautiful painting or whether they write a song. I think there's always going to be a place for creative people that have talent. If you do something great, I think it will live forever, and I don't think it's anything to be afraid of."

In 2005, "Sign Of The Hammer" was ranked number 418 on Rock Hard magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums Of All Time".

MANOWAR played an exclusive U.S. concert on November 30 at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. The sold-out event marked the band's first live appearance in MANOWAR's home country in a decade.

In November 2023, DeMaio said in a video message that MANOWAR's concert in New York would coincide with the 40th anniversary of "Sign Of The Hammer". "It's gonna be the only show in America, unfortunately, because our recording and touring schedule won't allow for more, but it will be the full show," he said.

Prior to the Kings Theatre concert, MANOWAR's last U.S. shows were believed to have taken place in February 2014 when the band celebrated the 25th anniversary of its "Kings Of Metal" album on the "Kings Of Metal MMXIV" tour.

Back in September 2014, MANOWAR canceled its previously announced U.S. tour dates which were scheduled to take place in November of that year. At the time, the band claimed it was scrapping the shows "due to scheduling conflicts" as well as to concentrate on work on a new studio album.

The 70-year-old DeMaio and 72-year-old singer Eric Adams are the sole remaining original members of MANOWAR, which formed in 1980 in upstate New York.

Last year, MANOWAR announced "The Blood Of Our Enemies" 2025 tour of Europe. The trek will be the band's first in support of MANOWAR's next studio album, which will arrive in 2025.

In February 2023, MANOWAR released a new song called "Laut Und Hart Stark Und Schnell" dedicated to the band's loyal German fans.

"Laut Und Hart Stark Und Schnell", which translates into "Loud And Hard Strong And Fast", is an anthemic mid-tempo hymn in the vein of MANOWAR's classic "Warriors Of The World United" that invites fans to sing along and raise their hands in celebration of their favorite genre and band.

"Laut Und Hart Stark Und Schnell" was first released digitally on February 10, 2023 on all major platforms and was made available during MANOWAR's German tour.

More than two years ago, MANOWAR announced that it had recruited Michael Angelo Batio, a veteran both in the studio and on stage, 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".

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".

MANOWAR's two "secret" warm-up shows in June 2022 at Jovel Music Hall in Münster, Germany marked the band's debut live appearances 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 that same month 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."