Forget Bruce from Asbury Park - - Ross is the Boss. Ross Friedman’s band’s new album snarls, kicks, gnashes, sneers, bites, wails, foams at the mouth, rips, slashes, and tears.
He’s been out of Manowar for over 3 decades, but for many, it’s those halcyon early years that have most defined his career and legacy, and what earned his induction into the Metal Hall of Fame. . . .
Until now. . . ?

There are certainly touches of Manowar in the material on “Born of Fire,” but this is nowhere near a retread of those past glories. Its musical brethren would be more like Overkill, the Exodus family, Metal Church, Annihilator, and maybe little bits of Slayer and Testament. The riffs are pointedly uncomplicated and in-your-face, built for maximum efficiency and impact.
Much of what makes “Born of Fire” so effective must be attributed to Marc Lopes on the microphone. He spits all of the venom and attitude to match and sometimes even surpass the guitars, with little evocations of Bobby Blitz (Overkill), David Wayne (Metal Church), Steve Souza (Exodus), Cody Souza (Hatriot), and yes, sometimes Eric Adams (Manowar).
True to his history, Ross Friedman tosses the occasional Blues licks in amidst the chugging carnage. With Kenny “Rhino” Earl (formerly of Manowar) beating the drumkit and Mike LePond (Symphony X, Mike LePond’s Silent Assassins) on bass, it’d be hard for this lineup to fail.
Seriously, Ross “The Boss” Friedman’s past with Manowar should always be revered and cherished. They’re one of Metal’s icons, and his role in their history is substantial. But life and circumstances rarely reward nostalgia in excess. Ross is living in the present and blazing into the future.
“Fight the Fight,” “Shotgun Revolution,” “Denied by the Cross,” and “The Blackest Heart.”