Manilla Road is a power metal band from Wichita, Kansas, forming around its lead singer Mark 'the Shark' Shelton (vocals and guitar).

The band was created by Shelton in 1977 with high school friends Rick Fisher and brothers Robert and Scott Park. After playing in local bars, the group first gained attention with their Herman Hill song, inspired by the Herman Hill riot. Their first album Invasion was released in 1980 on the band's own label, Roadster Records. Between this time and their next release the band recorded material for an album to be titled The Dreams Of Eschaton, however this was not released until 2002 (under the name Mark of the Beast) as they were not happy with the sound. Shelton has been quoted as saying the music was "not metal enough" and "sounded like shit." Despite this Mark of the Beast was critically well received when it was eventually released. These early albums have more in common with progressive rock and proto-heavy metal than the band's later epic metal sound.

The next record was Metal, which began to define the future musical direction of Manilla Road. Their "classic" sound was solidified with the release of Crystal Logic in 1983.

The next five Manilla Road albums (along with a live release, "Roadkill ... (read more)