Eric Adams (singer)
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Eric Adams has been the singer of the heavy metal band Manowar since 1980.
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[edit] Voice and musical style
He is known for holding high note screams for over 40 seconds at Manowar shows. He can change the timbre of his voice so as to embody different characters and express different feelings (particularly remarkable is his interpretation of Achilles and Hector in Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts, from The Triumph of Steel [1992]. About his own artistic influences, Adams declared that as a young man he used to go to every show of Deep Purple's, because he loved Ian Gillan's voice [1]. Afterwards, he worked to create his own, personal style.
A considerable part of Manowar's production implies the intent to optimize and underscore Adams's vocal skills (for instance, the whole album Into Glory Ride [1983], where the singer "makes the difference").
As a singer and showman, he has gained respect and appreciation even from critics who do not express particular esteem for the band (recently, Adrien Begrand, Blood and Thunder: Fight or Flight: The Dichotomy of Manowar ["PopMatters", 26 March 2007][2], has written about him: "They (Manowar) have one of the most likeable, charismatic frontmen in the genre").
[edit] Discography
For the main list see Manowar Discography
- Battle Hymns (1982)
- Into Glory Ride (1983)
- Hail to England (1984)
- Sign of the Hammer (1984)
- Fighting the World (1987)
- Kings of Metal (1988)
- The Triumph of Steel (1992)
- Louder Than Hell (1996)
- Warriors of the World (2002)
- Gods of War (2007)
[edit] Performances out of metal genre
Although he essentially devoted his artistic life to metal, Adams can sing other genres too. One of his most interesting and unusual exploits was singing the aria "Nessun Dorma" (from G. Puccini's opera Turandot) live in Milan (1999) as a tribute to the Italian Manowar fans, and later recording the event for the "Warriors of the World" album (2002). The same album also contains "An American Trilogy", which Adams first performed at the popcom gala in Koeln (2002) as a tribute to Elvis Presley.
During a recent tour in Europe, he sang with Maria Breon (of the band HolyHell) the famous duet from Andrew Lloyd-Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera. The song has been included in HolyHell's first studio disc, Apocalypse (Magic Circle Music). Adams has also sung the Christmas carol "Silent Night, Holy Night" [3].
In addition to performing with Maria Breon, he has also performed in various musicals on Broadway in New York City, NY. Most notably Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and most recently A Tale of Two Cities.[citation needed]
On June 30 2007 Eric Adams sang the Bulgarian National Anthem during Manowar's concert in Kavarna (Bulgaria) as a tribute to the Bulgarian fans. It was recorded for the Magic Circle Festival DVD.
[edit] Others
Adams is an accomplished bowhunter. Together with Chester Moore, he produced, and featured in, the outdoor DVD "Wild Life and Wild Times"(2006). The soundtrack has been composed by Adams himself, who also plays guitar and keyboard [4]. He was also featured in several hunting radio shows and magazines.
