Manilla Road is an American heavy metal band from Wichita, Kansas, USA, for… Read Full Bio ↴Manilla Road is an American heavy metal band from Wichita, Kansas, USA, forming around its master of lead guitar Mark 'The Shark' Shelton (vocals and guitar). They are considered to one of the early pioneers of the epic metal subcategory of traditional heavy metal and one of the most influential bands in that style.

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.

Forbidden Zone
Manilla Road Lyrics

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I've traversed on my own
To the forbidden zone
The place where
All the others never dare to go

To reach beyond the norms
A fusion to all forms
To go where no one else has gone before

Open all those hidden magik doors

This is the is the place of magikal unknowns
No one can help you here inside the zone
You've got to make it happen on your own
You've got to go yourself you cannot phone

Deep in the heart
Of the forbidden zone
Here I am master of my destiny
Deep in the heart
Of the forbidden zone
Is where dreams turn into reality

Time has come to pass
I have to take the chance
Reaching out into the unknown
Throw away the fear
Let the magik appear
Inside the forbidden zone

Deep in the heart
Of the forbidden zone
Here I am master of my destiny
Deep in the heart

Of the forbidden zone
Is where dreams turn into reality

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Forbidden Zone" by Manilla Road describe an individual's journey into a forbidden and mystical world. The lyricist speaks of traversing the path alone, to reach a place beyond the norms where no one else has gone before – to unlock hidden magic doors. The place is full of magical unknowns and no one can help the traveler- the journey must be made alone. The writer also mentions that the forbidden zone is where they are the master of their destiny and dreams turn into reality. The lyrics symbolize the journey towards self-discovery and facing one's fears, making it clear that one must take risks to achieve their dreams.

The message conveyed by the lyrics can also be interpreted as a reflection of Manilla Road's musical style. The American heavy metal band had an unconventional and distinct music style with tracks that combined complex arrangements with rough and raw sound, bringing together diverse musical genres. Their music could be seen as an expression of the band's willingness to reach beyond norms and create something unique and extraordinary.

Line by Line Meaning

I've traversed on my own
I've traveled alone

To the forbidden zone
To a place deemed forbidden and off-limits

The place where
A reference to the forbidden zone

All the others never dare to go
Nobody else has the courage to go to the forbidden zone

To reach beyond the norms
To exceed expectations and common practices

A fusion to all forms
Combining all forms and types of knowledge

To go where no one else has gone before
Exploring uncharted territories

Open all those hidden magik doors
Unlocking all the secrets and mysteries of the forbidden zone

This is the is the place of magikal unknowns
A place full of unknown and mystical elements

No one can help you here inside the zone
One must rely on oneself to navigate the forbidden zone

You've got to make it happen on your own
Success in the forbidden zone requires self-motivation and determination