Century Media
2011
1. Dystopia
2. Anthem
3. Boiling Point
4. Anguish Of Youth
5. V
6. Dark City
7. Equilibrium
8. Days Of Rage
9. End Of Innocence
10. Soylent Green (Bonus Track)
11. Iron Will (Bonus Track)
12. Tragedy And Triumph
13. Anthem (String Mix)
Well, we're back to Barlow-less Iced Earth again. Considering how this went the last time (to these ears at least) I had considerable worry going into this album. Not that Barlow's return was that remarkable in the results, but it at least sounded more like Iced Earth should. The songwriting was just uninspired. Now going into Dystopia we're attempting a vocalist swap when the songwriting was teetering on the edge of utter mediocrity. Pardon me if I couldn't muster that much excitement going in to hear this album.
Listening to Dystopia there is at least one thing that went better than expected immediately and that was my reaction to Stu Block singing for Iced Earth. He sounds oddly appropriate and manages to capture a lot of what Barlow brought to the band. I'm not sure I'd say as good (tough one to live up to), but he does a pretty solid job. The deep voiced, melodrama is there and so is the mid ranged aggression and the screams. I never would've expected it listening to him in the rather crappy Into Eternity, but credit where credit is due.
In terms of sound/songwriting I found the album on whole pretty enjoyable. Certainly, this sounds like something modeled after the Dark Saga/Something Wicked kinda sound. There are some epic notes to the vocals, etc but the music stays pretty grounded in a somewhat typical power/thrash mold. I don't hear a lot of balls out thrashing, but more that mid-paced crunch blend with some soaring vocals. There are tracks like Boiling Point and Days Of Rage which lean a bit on the heavier/thrashier side, but they're the exception and not the rule. Pretty much what I'd expect of Iced Earth at this stage in their career really.
Maybe the problem with Iced Earth these days is that they're so damned predictable though. None of these songs manage to have that certain something for me. You know what I'm talking about... that intangible quality... or even strong hooks... maybe an unforgettable chorus. None of these songs quite capture that. It's the same problem I had with the last Iced Earth album and it persists. I can say that this one is probably a little bit better based on the fact it's not bogged down in concept, but it's still not a home run. The closest the album comes is the strong, if maybe a bit one note, anthem qualities of (of course) Anthem. The song is pretty good at what it obviously gos for. I also enjoyed the melodramatic Anguish Of Youth and the smooth roll of the bonus track Iron Will. That one really should have made the regular album IMO as it outshines many tracks that did.
In the end, this album is better than I expected it to be and that's something. It is nice to know I can still listen to Iced Earth's new stuff and enjoy it. The band has certainly found a better frontman than Tim Owens and a more reliable one than Matt Barlow. Certainly, that is a bonus for anyone seeing them live in the future. Does this really bolster the Iced Earth catalogue with some new hit songs though? I wouldn't say so and my expectations going forward have to be tempered a bit. Dystopia may be a pretty good fix for fans, but it's not quite up to the standard previously set. I've certainly come to doubt whether Iced Earth can ever really hit their stride again. At this point they're making decent music, but I do believe their best days are a thing of the past. My predication is that Iced Earth is one of those bands that will probably live off their glory days a bit going forward as many bands eventually end up doing.
Highlights: Anthem, Iron Will, Anguish Of Youth
Rating - 3.5/5
2. Anthem
3. Boiling Point
4. Anguish Of Youth
5. V
6. Dark City
7. Equilibrium
8. Days Of Rage
9. End Of Innocence
10. Soylent Green (Bonus Track)
11. Iron Will (Bonus Track)
12. Tragedy And Triumph
13. Anthem (String Mix)
Well, we're back to Barlow-less Iced Earth again. Considering how this went the last time (to these ears at least) I had considerable worry going into this album. Not that Barlow's return was that remarkable in the results, but it at least sounded more like Iced Earth should. The songwriting was just uninspired. Now going into Dystopia we're attempting a vocalist swap when the songwriting was teetering on the edge of utter mediocrity. Pardon me if I couldn't muster that much excitement going in to hear this album.
Listening to Dystopia there is at least one thing that went better than expected immediately and that was my reaction to Stu Block singing for Iced Earth. He sounds oddly appropriate and manages to capture a lot of what Barlow brought to the band. I'm not sure I'd say as good (tough one to live up to), but he does a pretty solid job. The deep voiced, melodrama is there and so is the mid ranged aggression and the screams. I never would've expected it listening to him in the rather crappy Into Eternity, but credit where credit is due.
In terms of sound/songwriting I found the album on whole pretty enjoyable. Certainly, this sounds like something modeled after the Dark Saga/Something Wicked kinda sound. There are some epic notes to the vocals, etc but the music stays pretty grounded in a somewhat typical power/thrash mold. I don't hear a lot of balls out thrashing, but more that mid-paced crunch blend with some soaring vocals. There are tracks like Boiling Point and Days Of Rage which lean a bit on the heavier/thrashier side, but they're the exception and not the rule. Pretty much what I'd expect of Iced Earth at this stage in their career really.
Maybe the problem with Iced Earth these days is that they're so damned predictable though. None of these songs manage to have that certain something for me. You know what I'm talking about... that intangible quality... or even strong hooks... maybe an unforgettable chorus. None of these songs quite capture that. It's the same problem I had with the last Iced Earth album and it persists. I can say that this one is probably a little bit better based on the fact it's not bogged down in concept, but it's still not a home run. The closest the album comes is the strong, if maybe a bit one note, anthem qualities of (of course) Anthem. The song is pretty good at what it obviously gos for. I also enjoyed the melodramatic Anguish Of Youth and the smooth roll of the bonus track Iron Will. That one really should have made the regular album IMO as it outshines many tracks that did.
In the end, this album is better than I expected it to be and that's something. It is nice to know I can still listen to Iced Earth's new stuff and enjoy it. The band has certainly found a better frontman than Tim Owens and a more reliable one than Matt Barlow. Certainly, that is a bonus for anyone seeing them live in the future. Does this really bolster the Iced Earth catalogue with some new hit songs though? I wouldn't say so and my expectations going forward have to be tempered a bit. Dystopia may be a pretty good fix for fans, but it's not quite up to the standard previously set. I've certainly come to doubt whether Iced Earth can ever really hit their stride again. At this point they're making decent music, but I do believe their best days are a thing of the past. My predication is that Iced Earth is one of those bands that will probably live off their glory days a bit going forward as many bands eventually end up doing.
Highlights: Anthem, Iron Will, Anguish Of Youth
Rating - 3.5/5
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