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.
Up From the Crypt
Manilla Road Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mortus in flesh
Corpses that kill
Living off death
With this crimson
Sacrifice
All the dead
Shall live and rise
Contorted limbs
Tis blood they crave
The right begins
Amongst the graves
With this human
Sacrifice
All the dead
Shall live and rise
Up From The Crypt
Demons Gate
Opened Wide
Nightmares Fate
Lives to die
Mortified
Flesh from Hell
Comes to life
For the kill
Red mist and gore
Cover the earth
Virgin flesh torn
Death given birth
With this infant
Sacrifice
All the dead
Shall live and rise
Up From The Crypt
The song "Up From the Crypt" by Manilla Road is a dark and eerie portrayal of death, sacrifice and the rise of the dead. The lyrics depict the disciples of hell who live off death and kill with corpses. The sacrifices made in crimson give life to the dead who rise up from the crypt. The corpses are depicted as contorted limbs, craving for blood which signifies their hunger for life once again. The cycle of life and death is portrayed as the right beginning amongst graves.
The Demons Gate is opened wide, signifying the gateway to hell where nightmares fate lives to die. The flesh from hell comes to life and is mortified for the kill. The scene is depicted with red mist and gore covering the earth, and virgin flesh torn giving birth to death. The infant sacrifice is made to bring life back to the dead who rise up from the crypt.
The lyrics paint a very disturbing picture of death, sacrifice and the rise of the dead. It speaks of the eternal cycle of life and death and how it's necessary to sacrifice human lives to bring back the dead. It also shows how death has given birth to something new which is painted in red mist and gore, signifying the rise of the dead.
Line by Line Meaning
Disciples of Hell
Those who follow or worship evil
Mortus in flesh
Dead bodies in physical form
Corpses that kill
Dead bodies that have come to life to cause harm
Living off death
Being sustained by the death of others
With this crimson sacrifice
Using blood as an offering or sacrifice
All the dead shall live and rise
Dead bodies will come back to life
Up From The Crypt
Refers to the resurrection of the dead
Contorted limbs
Twisted or distorted body parts
Tis blood they crave
They have a strong desire or need for blood
The right begins amongst the graves
The act of resurrecting the dead starts in the cemetery
With this human sacrifice
Using a living person as an offering or sacrifice
Demons Gate opened wide
The entrance to the demonic realm is now open
Nightmares Fate lives to die
The fate of those who are destined to live in a nightmare is death
Mortified flesh from Hell comes to life
Dead bodies that come from Hell are brought back to life
For the kill red mist and gore cover the earth
The aftermath of the resurrected dead is a scene of bloody violence
Virgin flesh torn death given birth
Refers to the sacrifice of a virgin resulting in the resurrection of the dead
With this infant sacrifice all the dead shall live and rise
Using a baby as an offering or sacrifice will result in the resurrection of all the dead
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michał G
Rips harder than 90% of actual thrash metal bands <3
Nate Oraide
Sounds kinda like a power metal version of Slayer
Ispamorbus
Indeed
brandon whitson
Rare classic metal. Love it, lots of bands got influence from these guys. I can hear some grave digger in this track, a very unique band full of originality
Guerrero Luz
Recently ¨discovered¨ them! Wow! Those guitar solos and riffs! Man, the whole songs are metally unique!!!
BrecMadak
just badass !!!!