Manilla Road - The Courts Of Chaos (1990)

Artist: Manilla Road

Release Title: The Courts Of Chaos

Release Type: Full Length

Release Year: 1990

Artist Genre: Heavy/Power Metal

Artist Origin: U.S.A.

Track Listing:
1. Road To Chaos 2. Dig Me No Grave 3. D.O.A.(Bloodrock cover) 4. Into The Courts Of Chaos 5. From Beyond 6. A Touch Of Madness 7. (Vlad) The Impaler 8. The Prophecy 9. The Books Of Skelos
Total playing time 52:14

As the 80's progressed Manilla Road and Mark Shelton's love for Metallica and Thrash began to seep more and more into the Manilla Road sound and they follow on from the furious "Out Of The Abyss" with another thrash infused heavy/power metal disc on "The Courts Of Chaos". There's few songs that focus on a overtly "fast" tempo however, they're mostly mid paced affairs but with a very definite vicious guitar sound which in some way owes royalties to the scalliwags in the Bay Area scene and it's disciples. Along with showing his love for thrash, Mark Shelton also tries his hand at more progressive displays on the record revealing his appreciation for prog rock, by utilising Randy Foxe on keyboards to create epic suites and enhances the epic moods the band have always tried to perfect.

Highlights include the title track, as always with Manilla Road records, which has some nice majestic melodies, "(Vlad) The Impaler", "Dig Me No Grave" and the stunning closer "The Books Of Skelos" which utilises a melodic riff similar to the one in Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper" to great effect, definitely one of the band's best numbers. 

So another quality outing from the band making it 6 in a row after "Crystal Logic" in my opinion. "Courts Of Chaos" tends to get overlooked a little compared to the earlier records as it shifts away from their raw, acid rock tinged sound with the use of keyboards and drums which I believe are probably programmed but the general core of Manilla Road in the quirky experimentation and vocals are still at the top of it's game along with yet more killer riffs.