Manilla Road was created by Shelton in 1977 with high school friends Benny Munkirs, Rick Fisher and brothers Robert and Scott Park. After playing in local bars, the group first gained attention with their song "Herman Hill," inspired by the Herman Hill riot. Their first album "Invasion" was released in 1980 on the band's own label, Roadster Records. Between this time and their next release the band recorded material for an album to be titled "The Dreams Of Eschaton", however this was not released until 2002 (under the name "Mark of the Beast") as they were not happy with the sound. Shelton has been quoted as saying the music was "not metal enough" and "sounded like shit." Despite this "Mark of the Beast" was critically well received when it was eventually released. These early albums have more in common with progressive rock and proto-heavy metal than the band's later epic metal sound.
The next record was "Metal" in 1982, which began to define the future musical direction of Manilla Road. Their "classic" sound was solidified with the epic release of "Crystal Logic" in 1983.
The next five Manilla Road albums (along with a live release, "Roadkill") featured new drummer Randy Foxe, who had more of a thrash-oriented style than original drummer Rick Fisher. Along with "Crystal Logic" (1983), the new lineup's first two albums, "Open the Gates" (1985) and "The Deluge" (1986), are generally considered to be classics in the field of epic heavy metal. It was on these three albums that Manilla Road's style became fully formed. Lyrics typically feature fantastic elements from Norse mythology, Arthurian legend or other literary sources. These are often combined in one setting, the concept album "Atlantis Rising" (2001), for example, features a war between the Æsir and Cthulhu, centered around the city of Atlantis.
"Mystification" (1987) suffered from exceptionally poor production resulting, ironically, from the substandard equipment at a new studio the band hoped would improve their sound. The recent re-release has fixed this problem to a large extent. After Mystification came "Out of the Abyss" (1988), widely criticised at the time for its thrash metal influences. The band released one more album, "The Courts of Chaos" (1992), described by Shelton as "the first true Manilla Road masterpiece" before splitting up because of personal and musical disagreements between Scott Park and Randy Foxe.
In 1992 Mark Shelton recorded "Circus Maximus" with Aaron Brown and Andrew Coss. Despite having never been intended as a Manilla Road project, the album was released under this name at the record company's insistence.
Manilla Road re-formed in 1994 and released "Atlantis Rising" in 2001, again with Mark Shelton as the only original member. On this occasion, however, the sound was much more consistent with the Manilla Road of old and it was the band who decided to continue using the name. Their latest albums are "Spiral Castle" published in 2002, "Gates Of Fire", in 2005, and "Voyager" in 2008. In May 2009 they released their second live album called "After Midnight Live", which was recorded live, on the air, at KMUW radio studios, Wichita, Kansas in December of 1979 shortly before the release of their debut album "Invasion". The album "Playground of the Damned" was released in 2011, followed by "Mysterium" in 2013, "The Blessed Curse" in 2015, and what was their final release, "To Kill a King" in 2017.
Mark "The Shark" Shelton died in Germany from a heart attack at the age of 60. Manilla Road were on tour at the time of Shelton’s death; he had performed at Germany’s Headbangers Open Air Festival the previous night.
Born Upon the Soul
Manilla Road Lyrics
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For the place of magik's birth
Guided by the muses song
O'er the sands of Babylon
Through the jungle I have searched
For the place of magik's birth
I am called by what is lost
Through the mountains I have searched
For the place of magik's birth
It is not a shrine of old
Magik's born upon your soul
These lyrics from Manilla Road's song Born Upon the Soul describe a journey of searching for the birthplace of magic. The singer of the song has traveled through various terrains like the desert, jungle, and mountains guided by the muses' song. Each of these terrains has a sense of mystery and ancientness that the singer is drawn to. The search for the birthplace of magic is not just a physical one, but also a spiritual one as the singer is called by what is lost to the mists of Angkor Wat. The lyrics suggest that the search for magic is a journey that requires a spiritual connection to ancient and mystical places.
The last stanza of the lyrics makes a significant shift as it states that magic is not just a physical place, but it's born upon our souls. This shift implies that the search for magic is not a physical journey but a spiritual one. Magic is an innate quality within us, and the search for it requires looking within ourselves. The lyrics suggest that magic is not something that we can find outside of ourselves, but it's already present inside of us.
Overall, these lyrics present an interpretation of a spiritual journey in search of magic. The journey requires connection with mystical and ancient places, but the ultimate goal is to connect with the magic inside of ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the desert I have searched
I have been on a journey in search of something important
For the place of magik's birth
I'm looking for the origin of magic
Guided by the muses song
I'm following the inspiration of the muses
O'er the sands of Babylon
I have travelled over the sandy terrain of Babylon
Through the jungle I have searched
I have explored the dense forests in search of something
I am called by what is lost
I feel an urge to find something that has been lost
To the mists of Angkor Wat
I'm heading towards the hazy atmosphere surrounding Angkor Wat
Through the mountains I have searched
I've been climbing up steep slopes on my quest
For the place of magik's birth
I'm still searching for where magic was first born
It is not a shrine of old
The birthplace of magic is not an ancient temple or shrine
Magik's born upon your soul
Magic is a part of you and is born from within
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bilgenhakan
Masterpiece song and guitar solo..
George Mittas
Epic true warrior. Rip Mark!