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.

Isle Of The Dead
Manilla Road Lyrics

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Across the seas of nevermore
There lies the ancient bloody shore
Where living dead still walk the land
Demon warriors of the damned
The fires burn blood red
Upon the Isle of the Dead
The mariners still tell the tale
Of the island gate to Hell

Where sinners of the seven seas
Live out the curse of blasphemy
The fires burn blood red
Upon the Isle of the Dead
Black gate to Nifleheim
The Bells of Hell still chime
Judgement beyond the grave
Condemns their souls to burn in flames

The fires burn blood red
Upon the Isle of the Dead

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Manilla Road's song Isle Of The Dead describe a dark, eerie place where the living dead still roam the land. It is an ancient bloody shore that is steeped in damnation and curse. The Isle of the Dead is where demon warriors reign, and the fires burn blood red, signifying the horror of this place. The mariners who have visited this place tell the tale of the island gate to Hell, where sinners of the seven seas are cursed to blasphemy. The Bells of Hell still chime, signaling the fact that there is no escape from the judgment beyond the grave that condemns their souls to burn in flames.

The lyrics use vivid imagery to create an atmosphere of horror and despair. The Isle of the Dead is a place where hopelessness and damnation reign supreme, and there is no escape from the eternal torment that is inflicted upon the souls of sinners. The lyrics evoke a sense of fear and dread, as the listeners are drawn into the world of the living dead, where chaos and horror are the norm.

Line by Line Meaning

Across the seas of nevermore
Over the vast and unknown oceans

There lies the ancient bloody shore
Where an old and violent history took place

Where living dead still walk the land
Where the undead roam freely

Demon warriors of the damned
Warriors who have been cursed to eternal damnation

The fires burn blood red
The flames are a deep red color

Upon the Isle of the Dead
On the island where the dead reside

The mariners still tell the tale
Sailors still recount the story

Of the island gate to Hell
About the island entrance to the underworld

Where sinners of the seven seas
Where the wicked from all over the world

Live out the curse of blasphemy
Suffer the punishment for their sacrilegious acts

Black gate to Nifleheim
A dark entrance leading to the Norse underworld