| Iced Earth | 1991 |
| Night Of The Stormrider | 1992 |
| Burnt Offerings | 1995 |
| The Dark Saga | review #2 | 1996 |
| Days Of Purgatory (compilation) | 1997 |
| Something Wicked This Way Comes | review #2 | review #3 | 1998 |
| Alive In Athens (live) | 1999 |
Iced Earth are a 90s epic power metal band reminiscent of bands like Iron Maiden or Justice-era Metallica without so much of the constant progressive side. They're very much acclaimed and respected in metal circles for their style, and not unjustifiably, with their dual guitar attack and song structures especially.
--Nick Karn
Post your comments about Iced Earth
(reviewed by Robert Grazer)
Matthew Barlow joins the band for what fans consider to be Iced Earth's first great album. The musical greatness is here, along with some dark lyrics. Most of the music is pure thrash, although there are some slower and quieter moments in several songs. These moments don't have the power that the band's future ballads would display, but they are very good and fit in wherever they pop up. The actual quality of the songs on the album falls between Dark Saga and Something Wicked This Way Comes. There are only a few that can be called near-classic, bit none that are terrible. Burnt Offerings begins with a great title track, which has a beautiful piano intro and great vocals on the verses changing between hateful shouts and sad responses. It pounds through the solos and some guitar work in the style of Iron Maiden's "To Tame A Land" to form one of the most intense Iced Earth songs I have heard.
Nothing else quite matches up to that one, but they sure try. "Diary" has a real pounding beat to it, and "Brainwashed" is another furious entry. "Creator Failure" is one of many dark songs, and the musical mood matches up to the lyrics. "The Pierced Spirit" is a soft, short and very beautiful entry to lead into "Dante's Inferno." This closing 16-minute epic is an extremely chilling peace, and musically very impressive. The first fourteen minutes or so are some of the best thrash available. Riffs, solos, speed, power, it's got it all. Watch especially for a nice melodic guitar part a little under half way through. That's what I would have liked to hear on other speed metal albums, but apparently there are plenty of people out there who like just plain speed with not good metal behind it.
After some frightening chants, the song unfortunately ends with a long instrumental which really doesn't do a whole lot musically, or even add to the mood and atmosphere, leaving me wondering "What next?" I'm still impressed that a thrash band this early in their career could be so successful with such an ambitious piece. Be assured this is not the best epic work Iced Earth have done, but it is a very good example of what they would soon be capable of. Overall this album is better than the following release, and a good display of the band's thrash abilities. The double bass work is almost on every song, the solos are there, you know what I'm talking about. One of the best albums the genre has to offer.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(Robert Grazer's review)
After discovering the masterpiece Something Wicked this Way Comes I was ready for more Iced Earth. Dark Saga (based on the Spawn comics, in case you did not know) is much different from the 1998 album, since there is very little in the way of actual thrash, and is left as mostly a power metal album. This causes there to be less variety in the styles, since no piece is a real complete rocker (except the beginning of "Violate," which still isn't quite on the level of most thrash I've heard). This sort of holds back Matt Barlow back from all he could be doing, and since he's one of the best modern metal vocalists out there, I find that disappointing.
That aside though, most of the songs are good, some as good as those from Wicked. The memorable second track, "I Died For You," (which many will tell you is Iced Earth's best song, though I disagree) is sort of like the "Melancholy" style of ballad, and so is "The Hunter," which is probably better than "Melancholy." The chorus is very strong and powerful, with a driving force of music behind it. A problem comes alittle later in "Slave To The Dark," where verses in the song sound too similar to "The Coming Curse," and that's upsetting. "Slave" is still a good song (I prefer "The Coming Curse" overall, though) and I'm not too upset about it. But after that is "A Question Of Heaven," the best song on the album. It shows the best Barlow work on the album, and is also the most emotional song Dark Saga has to offer by far.
Dark Saga has a strong atmosphere to it (the opening to the title track is especially moody), but not enough memorable moments to make it fully recommended. I mean, there is only truly great guitar solo on here (on "Vengeance is Mine") and the band never seems to just let loose anywhere. Despite the absence of truly weak tracks this album doesn't show what the band is capable of. Get Something Wicked the Way Comes for a better look at Iced Earth at their peak.
The Dark Saga finds Iced Earth basically setting the hellish comic book "Spawn" (later turned into a movie) to music, with a strong concept album feel. The elements of the band are in place here - excellent rhythm and lead guitar work, low register vocals and obviously demonic lyrics. The arrangements aren't always really memorable (lack of striking guitar solos, melodies, etc.), and the style doesn't make for anything new, but that's not to say this release doesn't have its' share of worthwhile highlights.
"Violate" is a very strong thrash metal number that wouldn't sound out of place in the late 80s, "I Died For You" is a convincingly dark and desperate love ballad for a change of pace, and "The Hunter" is the best showcase for memorable leads mixed in with James Hetfield-like precision on rhythm guitar. The "concept" really takes over in the last "trilogy of songs", of which the 7 minute closer "A Question Of Heaven" is heavy with drama, including a fantastic "chorus of angels". Most of all, The Dark Saga serves as proof that this style can be done well in the mid 90s without coming off as recycled or generic (although a few numbers here suffer a bit from lack of ambition or creativity), making this release worthwhile, but not essential.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(Robert Grazer's review)
Well, I guess it is about time someone got up here and praised this album for the complete masterpiece it is. First, believe it or not I started out hating this band. I saw Iced Earth have the hell praised out of them by the Ultimate Metal Reviews so I took a look into them. After hearing "Melancholy (Holy Martyr)" and "1776" and Barlow I called it overrated crap and walked away. Oh man was I ever so wrong. You see, while Korn, Bizkit, Slipknot, and such are out there killing the greatest genre of music, Iced Earth are working as hard as they can to save it. I would just like to say that they are doing an excellent job. I wish I had the time to tell all you people about each and every song here, but hitting the highlights will have to do.
I look back at my first impression of this band and I wonder how I could have not liked “Melancholy.” Those harmonies are spectacular! This power metal/thrash combination comes off so well. And what was I thinking when I told myself how bad of a vocalist Barlow is? He just might be the greatest metal vocalist not named Bruce Dickinson or Geoff Tate. And instrumental “1776” is awesome as well, just a bit behind those wonderful Metallica instrumentals. But personally I think as an album this is better than anything Metallica ever did.
The other highlights (although pretty much any song on here could be considered a highlight) would be those last four. “Blessed Are You” is similar in style to “Melancholy,” which almost guarantees greatness right there. More great Barlow work comes with it, as well as some pretty strong emotion. Then we get the closing trilogy, which is absolutely astounding. MORE great vocal work is there, especially in the first part. And anyone who has heard the trilogy knows that I need not mention the chorus of “Birth Of The Wicked” is so incredibly beautiful or how intense the fury and power of “The Coming Curse” is. The Saviors of American Metal, that’s what this band is. Here I have proof that real metal is, in fact, not dead. Get this as soon as you can; it even ranks high up near Maiden’s best work, and that is a huge compliment, especially to a nineties based metal band.
Update: After listening to this a few more times I'm not quite as pumped up about it. Some of the already slightly lesser songs have become even worse for me, and even a few of the best songs on here don't hit me the way they used to. I can no longer give this a full 10. I still believe Iced Earth to be the saviors of American metal, but now I don't know if I'd call it better than Ride The Lightning or not, and I no longer think that Barlow is the third best heavy metal singer ever. He's good, but not that good. I continue to love the thrash/power metal combination, and this is an essential album for fans of classic metal. It just no longer strikes me as a ten-worthy album.
If there's any hope for modern thrash to survive in this increasingly 'new metal' world (not that some of those bands aren't perfectly solid, especially Korn, but hey, there's only so much you can do with that sound), Iced Earth is one of those acts that can certainly provide it, and they make a case for it with this album. Simply put, the spectacular dual guitar riffing (done mainly by main songwriter Jon Schaeffer), memorable power choruses, and positively convincing Matthew Barlow vocals are in full force throughout. Several songs have other great stuff going for them, like the organ break and intense, creative vocal melody of "Disciples Of The Lie", the double bass drum pounding chorus of "Stand Alone", the effectively plodding groove of "Reaping Stone", and the great contrast of the acoustic parts to haunting chorus to thrashier moments of "Consequences".
The introspective 'ballads' "Melancholy (Holy Martyr)" and "Watching Over Me" have similar sounding but strong choruses, and the emotional outpouring of the 'death of a friend' lyrics in the latter is done exceptionally well. Even better is the phenomenal instrumental "1776", which completely fits the patriotic war vibe its' song title suggests in such a convincing way - probably one of the better metal instrumentals out there. The opening "Burning Times" even works not in spite of its' simple crushing riff and overdramatic chorus vocal wails, but because of it, and "Blessed Are You" has one of the most memorable refrains here. The only weak track coming before the album's centerpiece is "My Own Savior", which sounds good while playing, but afterwards insubstantial.
That 'centerpiece' here is a three song suite under the 'Something Wicked (Trilogy)' title, which encompasses roughly the last 20 minutes of the album. To be honest, I believe it to be its' one aspect that's a bit of a letdown (though not too much). The trilogy certainly does have its' fine moments, especially in the multi-faced structure of "Prophecy" that saves its' heavy-handed political lyrics, the riffing in "Birth Of The Wicked", and the opening piano notes and choir bits in the middle of "The Coming Curse" to contrast the intense fury of the remainder of the tune, but some of it seems a little too dull, rambling, and certainly similar-sounding musically. Those shortcomings aren't enough for me to give the album a less than solid rating, though, and while the band's influences (Maiden, old Metallica) are still certainly apparent, their own approach gels together well enough to prove thrash metal is still alive and well.
Ok, so Matt Barlow isnt that bad after all. All ye few who might have stumbled on my sad little site before I moved all of my biased crap over to Nick's far better collection o' reviews might have noticed a different review of this album before. And boy, did I get on Iced Earth's vocalist something fierce. But as it turns out, Mattie's actually not too bad once you get used to him. Oh yeah, Iced Earth play some kind of power/thrash metal hybrid, so in my book, that also puts the lad up against some unfair competition like Mr. Bruce Dickinson, who in my humble little opinion, is quite simply GOD. So before I rip into the only Iced Earth album I own, or have ever heard for that matter, let me say I have come to terms with Barlow's somewhat annoying but acceptable shrieking.
In the past year or so since I actually wrote that review, I have become more and more grateful for Iced Earth. With everydamn second of pathetic soundalike (c)rap metal i hear on the radio, this feeling grows. I mean come ON! Am i the only damn person who realizes that almost none of these bands have one ounce of creativity in anything they do? Quite honestly, Korn are starting to almost look original after all these current bands that all rip each other off and use the exact same chords in all of their songs. Well, except Incubus, who basically used to rip off the Chili Peppers, but now have a pleasantly varied and creative sound. But the Deftones? Puhleeze! Every one of their songs sound exactly the same, although, they do sound a little bit different from OTHER bands. Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Limp Suckit, the list goes on and on. Play three damn chords on your super detuned guitar and jump up and down while your vocalist spews out irrelevant angst and frat boy stylings.
Sorry about that. Anyways, I guess i was trying to explain why I can appreciate this album a lot more now. Iced Earth have melody. They have Master Of Puppets style rhythm guitar and compositional style. And even a bit of Iron Maiden progressions in their song structure. None of which can be found anywhere in todays metal, which also isnt really metal at all. Getting back to the rhythm guitar, Jon Schaffer is fucking amazing. I bashed him back in the original review for playing simplistic stuff on a couple of tracks (Melancholy and Watching over Me) but it FITS, dammit. And I was a fool for complaining about it before. Besides, you want technical rhythm guitar? Listen to the AMAZING "Birth of the Wicked" and "The Coming Curse". Man. That is some amazing low E thrashing going on there.
There are a couple of poor tracks on this collection, those being the rather dumb "Burning Times" with a boring riff and horrible Barlow-shrieked chorus and "Reaping Stone" which seems to never accomplish anything in its running time. But other than that, this is a fairly enjoyable collection of power/thrash metal. Songs like "My Own Savior" and "Stand Alone" have great, anthemic choruses, slashing rhythm guitar, and powerful, controlled vocals by Mr. Barlow. And if you are mature enough to refrain from saying "Hey this guy loved his friend a little too much", the ballad "Watching Over Me" is quite moving. On a final note, the mix is kind of weird. The guitar is MASSIVELY crunchy and heavy, and in a strange final production decision, they were made HEAVIER than the drumkit, which frankly, makes no sense. Thats the only real gripe I have with the production.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
COMMENTS
[in response to the third review:]
A 7? What the hell? This stuff DESTROYS! Words can't describe the feelings I get when John Schaffer rips out kick-ass heavy meddle riff after riff in songs like "Burning Times" (which does not suck, so POO!), "Disciples of the Lie", "My Own Savior", "1776" etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. And the rest of the band ain't too shabby, either! They definitely know how to structure a song and do the double-bass drum. And WTF do you (oops I mean did) you have against Matt Barlow? I admit, sometimes he can be a bit over-the-top (like in "Prophecy" where he's practically crying; all right, I get the point!) but other than that, his voice and his singing RULE!!! How many vocalists can sound like they will kick your ass clear off your waist AND sound genuinely sensitive? Just check out the killer vocal melodies in "Melancholy", "Disciples of the Lie", "Watching Over Me", "Birth of the Wicked" and some others, too! On the production: my problem with it isn't really the drums (I don't understand what you mean when you say "the guitar is heavier than the drums", you can't compare the heaviness of different instruments. Or do you mean "the guitar is louder than the drums" in which I could kindly point out 23452343 albums that are like that), it's the lead guitar; it sound really weak and is too soft in the mix (it's not too much of a problem on the first 10 songs, but on the Something Wicked Trilogy, yeesh! What where they thinking?). Oh yeah, every song on here fucking rules, except for maybe "Reaping Stone" which is just good. Awesome riffs, awesome melodies, awesome rhythm (it's almost like Mark Prator is an official bandmember", awesome singing, brutally heavy production. 10.