Sign Of The Hammer  by Manowar

Sign Of The Hammer is the fourth studio album by Manowar and was released on October 15, 1984, by 10 Records (a subsidiary of Virgin Records). It is considered one of the band's most iconic albums, as it cemented their epic style and introduced the globally recognized "sign of the hammer" logo.

The album falls within the heavy metal and power metal genres, with strong epic elements. It stands out for the dynamic vocals of Eric Adams and the characteristic bass playing of Joey DeMaio. The lyrics deal with Norse mythology (e.g., Thor (The Powerhead)), self-empowerment (Mountains), and the true story of the mass suicide of the Jonestown cult (Guyana (Cult of the Damned)). The album's recording took place in two phases: In November 1983 at Phase One Studios in Toronto, Canada (during the same sessions as "Hail to England") and in 1984 at Manor Studios in Oxford, England, a former hunting lodge owned by Virgin Records. The majority of the songs were written by Joey DeMaio, while the track "Thunderpick" was co-created with guitarist Ross "The Boss" Friedman.

In the United Kingdom, the album reached No. 73 on the UK Albums Chart, remaining there for two weeks.