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.
Helicon
Manilla Road Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of music and light
Muse of all vision,
Grant us the Waters of Life
Seeking the mountain,
Apollo's sacred realm,
Where the Muses dwell,
Inside the Crystal Well
Songs of the brave
Chidren of Delos,
Guarding the mystical gate
Magik the knowledge,
Of the ancient gods
I must carry on,
Seeking Helicon
I've crossed many wastelands,
And sailed to all shores,
In search of the mountain,
Written in ancient lore
And the in my dreaming,
The Lady came unto me,
To show me destiny,
The path I was to lead
Then came the logic,
Truth of all life
The gateways of Magik,
Are centered inside the mind
Power and wisdom,
Knowledge and eight fold law,
The music of the gods,
Lives on Helicon
The Veils of Existence,
Gateway to the sphere
Triad of justice,
A riddle sung to the ear
Darkness and Chaos,
Bow before thy might
Blessed be the light,
That burns away the night
Pegasis flying,
Across emerald skies
Warrior-Bards fighting,
To open the gates of the mind
An inner existence,
Possessed by us all,
Who fight till the fall,
Here on Helicon
War at the Gates
Guardians of light,
Defend The Fates,
Into the battle, storm this night
The song "Helicon" by Manilla Road is an epic ode to the ancient Greek mountain of the Muses, Helicon. The lyrics speak of the seeker's journey to find the mountain and gain access to the wisdom, music, and magic that lie within. The singer has traveled far and wide across lands and seas, driven by the promise of the mystical knowledge that can change lives. In the dream, the Lady appears to guide the seeker on the path to find the mountain, and he learns that the gateways to magic are within the mind. The power of music and of the gods is concentrated in Helicon, and the singer fights fiercely to access that inner existence that is possessed by all.
The song is steeped in mythological imagery and symbolism. The mountain of Helicon was a real place in ancient Greece, believed to be the residence of the Muses, the goddesses of inspiration and creativity. The crystal well mentioned in the lyrics was said to be the source of the poetic muse. The Lady who appears in the dream could be interpreted as the goddess Athena or another divine figure who guides the seeker towards his destiny. The lyrics also mention the triad of justice and eight-fold law, which could refer to the laws of the universe or the principles of magic.
This song is a tribute to the power of creativity, knowledge, and music that can be achieved through perseverance and dedication. It speaks of a heroic journey that can lead to great rewards and personal transformation. The sense of adventure and wonder that permeates the song is meant to inspire listeners to embark on their own journey of self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Mountain of wisdom,
Of music and light
Helicon is a majestic mountain full of music and light where wisdom can be found.
Muse of all vision,
Grant us the Waters of Life
The Muse residing on Helicon can grant one insight and inspiration that are vital for a fulfilling existence.
Seeking the mountain,
Apollo's sacred realm,
Where the Muses dwell,
Inside the Crystal Well
Helicon is the sacred realm of Apollo where the Muses reside and the Crystal Well is the magical place where their inspiration can be found.
Forest that echos,
Songs of the brave
Helicon's forest is full of echoes from tales of the brave, who have sought the mountain and triumphed over their challenges.
Chidren of Delos,
Guarding the mystical gate
The descendants of Delos guard the mystical entrance to Helicon, preventing those who are not worthy to cross over.
Magik the knowledge,
Of the ancient gods
The ancient gods possess knowledge that allows for magic to exist, which can be learned from Helicon's teachings.
I must carry on,
Seeking Helicon
The journey towards Helicon is not complete and lovers of wisdom and knowledge must continue seeking it out.
I've crossed many wastelands,
And sailed to all shores,
In search of the mountain,
Written in ancient lore
To reach Helicon one must traverse different lands and journey across seas as it is written in ancient tales.
And the in my dreaming,
The Lady came unto me,
To show me destiny,
The path I was to lead
While dreaming, the Lady, a part of Helicon's mystical universe, revealed the path that must be taken to fulfill one's destiny.
Then came the logic,
Truth of all life
After understanding the mystical aspects, the logical truth of life becomes clear.
The gateways of Magik,
Are centered inside the mind
The gateway to understanding and learning magic or any art is through one's mind.
Power and wisdom,
Knowledge and eight fold law,
The music of the gods,
Lives on Helicon
Power and wisdom come from a knowledge of the eightfold law, which exist in Helicon where the music of the gods resides.
The Veils of Existence,
Gateway to the sphere
Triad of justice,
A riddle sung to the ear
The Veils of Existence act as gateways to different spheres or consciousness, possessing a riddle sung to the ear, unlocking their secrets.
Darkness and Chaos,
Bow before thy might
Blessed be the light,
That burns away the night
Darkness and Chaos cower in the might of those who possess insight and the light that illuminates knowledge, weakening their influence.
Pegasis flying,
Across emerald skies
Warrior-Bards fighting,
To open the gates of the mind
Flying Pegasi mark the struggles that Warrior-Bards wage to open the gates of the mind to allow for the pursuit of knowledge.
An inner existence,
Possessed by us all,
Who fight till the fall,
Here on Helicon
An inner universe is present within us all, and those who continue to fight despite the obstacles face the struggle here on Helicon.
War at the Gates
Guardians of light,
Defend The Fates,
Into the battle, storm this night
The Guardians of light defend the Fates as they are threatened by the War at the Gates, and must spur into battle during this dark time.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Omen Grindowar
Mountain of wisdom,
Of music and light
Muse of all vision,
Grant us the Waters of Life
Seeking the mountain,
Apollo's sacred realm,
Where the Muses dwell,
Inside the Crystal Well
Forest that echos,
Songs of the brave
Chidren of Delos,
Guarding the mystical gate
Magik the knowledge,
Of the ancient gods
I must carry on,
Seeking Helicon
I've crossed many wastelands,
And sailed to all shores,
In search of the mountain,
Written in ancient lore
And then in my dreaming,
The Lady came unto me,
To show me destiny,
The path I was to lead
Then came the logic,
Truth of all life
The gateways of Magik,
Are centered inside the mind
Power and wisdom,
Knowledge and eight fold law,
The music of the gods,
Lives on Helicon
The Veils of Existence,
Gateway to the sphere
Triad of justice,
A riddle sung to the ear
Darkness and Chaos,
Bow before thy might
Blessed be the light,
That burns away the night
Pegasus flying,
Across emerald skies
Warrior-Bards fighting,
To open the gates of the mind
An inner existence,
Posessed by us all,
Who fight till the fall,
Here on Helicon
War at the Gates
Guardians of light,
Defend The Fates,
Into the battle, storm this night
Omen Grindowar
Mountain of wisdom,
Of music and light
Muse of all vision,
Grant us the Waters of Life
Seeking the mountain,
Apollo's sacred realm,
Where the Muses dwell,
Inside the Crystal Well
Forest that echos,
Songs of the brave
Chidren of Delos,
Guarding the mystical gate
Magik the knowledge,
Of the ancient gods
I must carry on,
Seeking Helicon
I've crossed many wastelands,
And sailed to all shores,
In search of the mountain,
Written in ancient lore
And then in my dreaming,
The Lady came unto me,
To show me destiny,
The path I was to lead
Then came the logic,
Truth of all life
The gateways of Magik,
Are centered inside the mind
Power and wisdom,
Knowledge and eight fold law,
The music of the gods,
Lives on Helicon
The Veils of Existence,
Gateway to the sphere
Triad of justice,
A riddle sung to the ear
Darkness and Chaos,
Bow before thy might
Blessed be the light,
That burns away the night
Pegasus flying,
Across emerald skies
Warrior-Bards fighting,
To open the gates of the mind
An inner existence,
Posessed by us all,
Who fight till the fall,
Here on Helicon
War at the Gates
Guardians of light,
Defend The Fates,
Into the battle, storm this night
Antony M
so true,so epic..just great..!!!!The classics never fade..!!!
Neo Void
After The Deluge this is their best album, every song kills it
Thara Ak-Var
This song is insane, no other words needed.
D W
Something about the guitar sound in this, menacing, grandiose and minimal
Adamos Adamou
R.I.P., you are eternal
Rafal Krzystof
Music of the gods
skelos4XX
RIP
Π Κ
Έπος λέμε. ....
Fp79
Mark fly high