Manilla Road is the forefathers of Epic Metal. They are also probably the most underrated band of the 1980’s metal scene. They would have deserved to be up there on the big stages with Judas Priest, Accept, Iron Maiden etc, Mark Shelton is also my #1 metal vocalist, and the band probably have the longest streak of awesome albums. Longer than early Black Sabbath, King Diamond or Iron Maiden. From "Crystal Logic" (1983) to "The Court of Chaos” (1990).
They came out of Wichita, Kansas, US in 1977. Ben Munkirs and Shelton came up with the name Manilla Road while drinking one night at the kitchen table watching Monty Python’s Flying Circus. For unknown reasons, to them, it meant the Road of Light.
Contrary to popular belief, Manilla Road was only split up between 1992-1994. The band reformed in 1994 and continued to play local shows until Mark was contacted by the Bang Your Head festival in 2000.
Mark Shelton started a new project called The Circus Maximus in 1992. This project created one album which the record label released under the Manilla Road name in order to sell more copies.
On July 27, 2018, a week before the band was booked to perform at Wacken 2018, band founder Mark Shelton died in a German hospital the day after the band played in the Headbangers Open Air festival the previous night. The cause of death was attributed to a heart attack having been precipitated by severe heat exhaustion. A GoFundMe campaign established to help fund Shelton's body repatriation to the United States and subsequent funeral expenses was met with quick success with over US$40,000 raised in less than 48 hours. A memorial service in his honor was held on September 22, 2018, at the Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita, Kansas.
The remaining members played a Mark Shelton Tribute Show at the Keep It True Festival 2019 and formed Sentry in the same year.
So if you’re new to the band, watch this YouTube documentary and then immediately start with ”Crystal Logic” on high volume.
You can read an interview here on Old School Metal Maniacs webiste