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.
Cage of Mirrors
Manilla Road Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I've lived in silent search of the Mirrored Cage
I could summon Lucifer and his Warriors
With the Necromancer's Cage of Mirrors
I found the Castle on the hill where is said to be
The Necromancer's Gate to Hell, a Cage of Sorcery
Mirrored bars that show us all the Pathways through the Mind
To the Other Side of Hell where Demon Warriors ride...
The Cage appears before my eyes, I feel I'm in a dream
To the Other Side of Hell I cast my Spell and scream
I summon Lucifer and his Warriors
I... I found the Cage of Mirrors
With Magick Book I cast the Spell of the Trinity
To open up the Gates of Hell and blacken all the Seas
The Griffon with his eyes of blood searing through my Soul
Demanding Virgin Sacrifice, how was I to know
How was I to know... I couldn't know...
Not ever possibly... What did I do...
Blasphemy... Ha! Ha! Ha!
Take me back the way I came, I don't want to see
The Evil that awaits my name, I live in agony
I would send back Lucifer and his Warriors
But I'm trapped in a Cage of Mirrors
The lyrics of Manilla Road's "Cage of Mirrors" are a tale of a dark journey into the spiritual realm. The singer, who has been on a lifelong quest for some sort of revelation, comes across a "Necromancer's Cage of Mirrors" and is able to summon Lucifer and his warriors with this powerful tool. He is led to a castle on a hill where he believes he will find an entrance to Hell - the Cage of Sorcery. The mirrored bars of the cage are said to hold within them pathways through the mind and to the other side of Hell, where demon warriors ride.
Enraptured by his experience, the singer casts a spell of the Trinity with his Magick Book, which opens the gates of Hell and blackens all the seas. However, he soon realizes that he has gotten himself into more than he bargained for. The Griffon demands virgin sacrifice, a request that the singer cannot fulfill. His journey turns into his worst nightmare as he is trapped in a "Cage of Mirrors," unable to turn back the way he came and unable to send Lucifer and his warriors away.
"Cage of Mirrors" is steeped in symbolism, with the mirrors in the song representing the singer's search for truth and the revelation of his innermost desires. The cages are a representation of how he is trapped in his own thoughts, unable to escape the darkness he has summoned.
Line by Line Meaning
On the drest of Eternity, a Bell for every day
Every day that has passed throughout Eternity is marked by the tolling of a bell
That I've lived in silent search of the Mirrored Cage
In silence, I have been seeking the Mirrored Cage
I could summon Lucifer and his Warriors
I possess the power to call upon Lucifer and his army
With the Necromancer's Cage of Mirrors
The means by which I may summon them is through the use of a Necromancer's Cage of Mirrors
I found the Castle on the hill where is said to be
I have located the rumored Castle atop the hill
The Necromancer's Gate to Hell, a Cage of Sorcery
This is the Necromancer's Gate - a sorcerous Cage that unleashes the horrors of Hell
Mirrored bars that show us all the Pathways through the Mind
The bars of the Cage reflect the many pathways within the mind
To the Other Side of Hell where Demon Warriors ride...
These paths will take us to the Other Side, where the Demon Warriors terrorize the land...
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Hahaha!
The Cage appears before my eyes, I feel I'm in a dream
The Cage manifests before my eyes, and I can scarcely believe it's actually happening
To the Other Side of Hell I cast my Spell and scream
I cast my Spell and scream, hauling myself to the Other Side of Hell
I summon Lucifer and his Warriors
I call upon Lucifer and his warriors
I... I found the Cage of Mirrors
I have found the Cage of Mirrors
With Magick Book I cast the Spell of the Trinity
Using the Magick Book, I cast the Spell of the Trinity
To open up the Gates of Hell and blacken all the Seas
The Spell will unlock the Gates of Hell and bring darkness upon the Seas
The Griffon with his eyes of blood searing through my Soul
The Griffon looks upon me with fiery, blood-soaked eyes that pierce my soul
Demanding Virgin Sacrifice, how was I to know
It demands a Virgin Sacrifice, but how could I have known?
How was I to know... I couldn't know...
I... I couldn't have possibly known...
Blasphemy... Ha! Ha! Ha!
Blasphemy... Hahaha!
Take me back the way I came, I don't want to see
Take me back to where I began - I can't bear to see what lies before me
The Evil that awaits my name, I live in agony
The Evil that bears my name awaits... and I live in agony
I would send back Lucifer and his Warriors
I would send Lucifer and his Warriors back if I could
But I'm trapped in a Cage of Mirrors
But I'm trapped in this Cage of Mirrors with no means of escape
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Harold Johan Ortegón
On the drest of Eternity, a Bell for every day
That I've lived in silent search of the Mirrored Cage
I could summon Lucifer and his Warriors
With the Necromancer's Cage of Mirrors
I found the Castle on the hill where is said to be
The Necromancer's Gate to Hell, a Cage of Sorcery
Mirrored bars that show us all the Pathways through the Mind
To the Other Side of Hell where Demon Warriors ride...
Where Demon Warriors ride... Ha! Ha! Ha!
The Cage appears before my eyes, I feel I'm in a dream
To the Other Side of Hell I cast my Spell and scream
I summon Lucifer and his Warriors
I... I found the Cage of Mirrors
With Magick Book I cast the Spell of the Trinity
To open up the Gates of Hell and blacken all the Seas
The Griffon with his eyes of blood searing through my Soul
Demanding Virgin Sacrifice, how was I to know
How was I to know... I couldn't know...
Not ever possibly... What did I do...
Blasphemy... Ha! Ha! Ha!
Take me back the way I came, I don't want to see
The Evil that awaits my name, I live in agony
I would send back Lucifer and his Warriors
But I'm trapped in a Cage of Mirrors
CHRISTOS ok
On the drest of Eternity, a Bell for every day
That I've lived in silent search of the Mirrored Cage
I could summon Lucifer and his Warriors
With the Necromancer's Cage of Mirrors
I found the Castle on the hill where is said to be
The Necromancer's Gate to Hell, a Cage of Sorcery
Mirrored bars that show us all the Pathways through the Mind
To the Other Side of Hell where Demon Warriors ride...
Where Demon Warriors ride... Ha! Ha! Ha!
The Cage appears before my eyes, I feel I'm in a dream
To the Other Side of Hell I cast my Spell and scream
I summon Lucifer and his Warriors
I... I found the Cage of Mirrors
With Magick Book I cast the Spell of the Trinity
To open up the Gates of Hell and blacken all the Seas
The Griffon with his eyes of blood searing through my Soul
Demanding Virgin Sacrifice, how was I to know
How was I to know... I couldn't know...
Not ever possibly... What did I do...
Blasphemy... Ha! Ha! Ha!
Take me back the way I came, I don't want to see
The Evil that awaits my name, I live in agony
I would send back Lucifer and his Warriors
But I'm trapped in a Cage of Mirrors
Fp79
The best band epic metal all of time... Long live manilla... Rest in peace mark
Harold Johan Ortegón
On the drest of Eternity, a Bell for every day
That I've lived in silent search of the Mirrored Cage
I could summon Lucifer and his Warriors
With the Necromancer's Cage of Mirrors
I found the Castle on the hill where is said to be
The Necromancer's Gate to Hell, a Cage of Sorcery
Mirrored bars that show us all the Pathways through the Mind
To the Other Side of Hell where Demon Warriors ride...
Where Demon Warriors ride... Ha! Ha! Ha!
The Cage appears before my eyes, I feel I'm in a dream
To the Other Side of Hell I cast my Spell and scream
I summon Lucifer and his Warriors
I... I found the Cage of Mirrors
With Magick Book I cast the Spell of the Trinity
To open up the Gates of Hell and blacken all the Seas
The Griffon with his eyes of blood searing through my Soul
Demanding Virgin Sacrifice, how was I to know
How was I to know... I couldn't know...
Not ever possibly... What did I do...
Blasphemy... Ha! Ha! Ha!
Take me back the way I came, I don't want to see
The Evil that awaits my name, I live in agony
I would send back Lucifer and his Warriors
But I'm trapped in a Cage of Mirrors
Manny Ruiz
Killer. Great album. In an alternate universe this would be Rush's second album. Obviously the vocal is nothing like Geddy's but it just sounds so 1974 ( that's a compliment).
smrgn645
Still have my original copy on vinyl. This is one of their greatest songs in my opinion.
Juan Covarrubia
Agree!! Keep true metal alive!!!
Juan Covarrubia
Gran canción!! Excelente disco!! Y banda Epicaaaa!!!! Hail to Manilla Road!!!
OrnluWolfjarl
This is the best song of all time, thank you for playing it in Cyprus!
BatSkink
rediscovered this after smoulder covered it, gods this album gave me so many great memories, RIP Mark, this song really does conjure energy like its summoning the legions of hell and all of lucifer's warriors
Steven Scharmer
Thanks for the Smoulder mention. I just checked them out, and they're great! And their Cage of Mirrors cover is excellent, I'm sure Mark would like it.
Fernando Araujo Literatura sempre
Manilla Road rules forever!!!