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.

The Ram
Manilla Road Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Seven-eyed wonder
Mystery to man
Riding the thunder
On God's command
Beyond the mountains
Lost in the sand
The golden statue
Of The Ram

Look for the lost and you just might find
That the cost is your mind
Ride the Serpent and make your stand
Cast no doubt to The Ram
Lost in confusion
Time slips away
Inside the illusion
Hear them say
Fight fire with fire
Give hell to the damned
Long live desire
Long live The Ram
Look for the lost and you just might find
That the cost is your mind

Ride the Serpent and make your stand
Cast no doubt to The Ram

Overall Meaning

The song "The Ram" by Manilla Road is a poetic journey that discusses the elusive seven-eyed wonder and how riding on it is mysterious but done on God’s command. The Ram is a powerful symbol that signifies strength and stamina; it continues its journey beyond the mountains, lost in the sand. The golden statue of The Ram is a representation of something valuable that is daunting to obtain. The lyrics encourage people to search for what is lost and in doing so, one may find that the cost of the search is their minds.

As the lyrics continue, we begin to see how the journey becomes even more complex, with time slipping away and one finding themselves lost in confusion. Despite this sense of confusion, there is a call to action to fight fire with fire and to give hell to the damned. It is a rallying cry for people to live with desire and embrace the power of The Ram. The song suggests that The Ram has a purpose, and it's up to individuals to embrace it wholeheartedly.

In conclusion, "The Ram" is a beautifully written song that has deep meaning behind its words. It is a call to action for people to find their inner strength and to embrace the power of The Ram. Some people may find this song ambiguous, but those who appreciate its poetic nature will be able to extract its deep meaning.

Line by Line Meaning

Seven-eyed wonder
A remarkable being with seven eyes

Mystery to man
This being is unknown to humans

Riding the thunder
Travelling on lightning bolts

On God's command
Doing so under divine instruction

Beyond the mountains
Travelled far beyond any known peaks

Lost in the sand
Disappeared in a desert

The golden statue
An idol made of gold

Of The Ram
Depicting this seven-eyed wonder

Look for the lost and you just might find
Searching for something missing could lead to a discovery

That the cost is your mind
This discovery may come at a cost to one's sanity

Ride the Serpent and make your stand
Take control and fight against the odds