Iced Earth - Plagues Of Babylon

Power/Thrash Metal
Century Media
2014








1. Plagues Of Babylon
2. Democide
3. The Culling
4. Among The Living Dead
5. Resistance
6. The End?
7. If I Could See You
8. Cthulhu
9. Peacemaker
10. Parasite
11. Spirit Of The Times (Sons Of Libery cover)
12. Highwayman (Jimmy Webb cover)
13. Outro

Iced Earth's last album Dystopia was one I enjoyed more than I expected to really. With how disastrous the switch to Tim Owens on vocals was I really didn't expect much, but I was pleasantly surprised by a much better effort. With my interest in the band somewhat rekindled I was hoping for a good second effort here. My only concern was that the band would drift away from the material that seemed like it was made for a Barlow-esque sound and into something different. Perhaps something more reminiscent of Stu Block's time in Into Eternity vocally.

Nothing of the sort happens here though I must say. The sound really doesn't drift at all as Jon keeps making the kind of songs he makes and Stu does well fitting into a familiar Iced Earth mold. I had thought maybe Jon might be tempted to try some new things with Stu's voice, but that just doesn't happen much. This is not a complaint at all as the material here is just the kind of stuff I want to hear out of Iced Earth. Plagues Of Babylon is pretty much the prototypical Iced Earth album for better of for worse. Personally, I'd say for the better. After Tim Owens' Halford cover band screaming took the band into unfamiliar waters, I'm still pretty ok with this band getting back towards the formula that made them the most successful.

The songs here are pretty much out of the Dark Saga/Something Wicked mold as there is a mix of the typical mid paced heaviness, tracks that lean on a thrashier approach, and some ballads. Pretty balanced overall and that helps to keep the album interesting. The vocal performances throughout are pretty spot on for the material and is also a highlight. I was unsure of Stu Block when I first heard he was taking over, but he can keep making me eat those doubts. That's perfectly fine by me. This new incarnation of Iced Earth seems to really understand what the bulk of their fans want. Personally, I've always favored the Dark Saga - Horror Show run and Plagues Of Babylon fits in pretty comfortably with that sound. This might not be the blast of aggression and riffs that fans of earlier Iced Earth want, but for the more middle era fans like me, this is just about right.

In terms of the songs, I find most of the tracks here pretty damn satisfying. The mid paced stuff with the epic choruses tend to be some of the more memorable and I do love an epic feel in my music. Tracks like Plagues Of Babylon and The Culling establish themselves early in this mold. The best stuff is still to come though. Cthulhu is a different one and probably my favorite track on the album. It starts off with a moody intro, but shapeshifts throughout the track between slower and faster moments. The variation is key here and makes for kind of a deeper experience. The song also reminds me of something that wouldn't be out of place on Horror Show. I have to say that I appreciate the lyrical influence as well, even if it's nothing new to metal. I've been reading a lot of HP Lovecraft lately and have become a fan of his work. Back to the music though, Peacemaker is probably the most surprising track here and one of the best. This track sounds like southern rock given the metal treatment and is also one of the best takes on this I've ever heard. I really dig the old westy feel this one conjures up. Kind of impressive considering all the bands who have tried this with mixed results at best such as Megadeth or Sinner. This riffs here are extremely memorable and a total success. Also worth noting is a version of Spirit Of The Times from Schaffer's other band Sons Of Liberty. I dig this one and it's cool to hear a version of it in Iced Earth

Overall, this album doesn't deviate too much from the formula of mid-era Iced Earth or even the last album, but the songs do have enough variation within the album to keep it interesting. Overall, I think this is a bit better songwriting session than on Dystopia and that helps this one. Some critics may bring up the old criticism of the familiarity of Schaffer's riffs, but right now I'd consider the band just reestablishing themselves as consistent to be progress and this is a highly enjoyable album. I have no complaints about getting back to the core of what made Iced Earth good and Stu Block, as well as the songwriting, make a solid case that Iced Earth is back to stay.

Highlights: Cthulhu, Peacemaker, Plagues Of Babylon, The Culling

Rating - 4.0/5

Iced Earth - Dystopia

Power/Thrash
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

Iced Earth - The Crucible Of Man

Power/Thrash
SPV

2008

1. In Sacred Flames
2. Behold the Wicked Child
3. Minions of the Watch
4. The Revealing
5. A Gift or a Curse
6. Crown of the Fallen
7. The Dimensional Gauntlet
8. I Walk Alone
9. Harbinger Of Fate
10. Crucify The King
11. Sacrificial Kingdoms
12. Something Wicked (Part 3)
13. Divide And Devour
14. Come What May
15. Epilogue

First off lets mention two things... one that most people care about would be that this is the return of Matt Barlow to Iced Earth. Certainly, this did get me excited as he does happen to be my favorite metal vocalist of all time and Iced Earth is one of the bands that got me started on metal beyond the mainstream of Iron Maiden, Ozzy, and the like. The second thing I have to mention, which nobody I know of seems to care about but Jon Schaffer, is that this is the second part of the Something Wicked story. I for one have no idea what he sees as so special about this except perhaps that it's his own attempt at making something more of the lyrics. From what I've seen though I've gotta say... keep mining for stories in Spawn or something if that's the kind of album you want to make. Blackie Lawless you are not.

Well now that the return of Barlow is here I can safely say my predicted reaction is what it is. Yes the music sounds more like the Iced Earth that made them popular and Barlow brings that distinctive frontman presence back to the band that they needed to make them not sound like a bunch of generic halford worship screaming. The big But here would be that this, as predicted, does not mean the music has suddenly skyrocketed in quality back to their glory days. Or perhaps it's even more or less the same quality, but tired and we've heard it before. Let me say that this is by no means a bad album, but it's undeniable to me that there is just nothing surprising and in the end this will go down as a safe album.

I suppose this sort of formula album makes sense right now with Barlow just coming back to the fold and Schaffer wanting the second part of Something Wicked to be more what fans wanted/expect. This is the problem though as The Crucible Of Man doesn't really reach outside of the box at all to try to find that 'new classic'. Not many tracks here jump out at me and I'm sure none of these will find it's way to the top of the heap of Iced Earth songs in my mind. Besides being safe this album is often plodding with chuggy riffs too and it doesn't help in the feeling that this band is going through the motions. I just don't hear a lot of fire in this for the most part and the songs with a bit more of it tend to be the standouts. For instance, the number one song for me here would be the single, I Walk Alone. At first I was luke warm on this track because of the plodding nature of the guitar, but the venom in Matt's voice and the big memorable chorus I can't help singing along with wins me over in the end. The song just has a good feeling to it, if not a technical marvel of guitar wizardry. Other standouts include Behold The Wicked Child which manages to have quick paced energy, but also uses some dark atmosphere in the background and The Revealing which is somewhat typical, but screams along well with heaviness and doesn't overstay it's welcome. On the other side of the coin, I will say that this being the safe album that it is makes for no big valleys in the same way it makes for no big peaks. There are no real bad tracks to be found and it's a consistent listen if nothing else.

The Crucible Of Man is an album I will own and one I will listen to, but it will rank lowest among the Barlow albums for me and probably below Night of the Stormrider as well. I can accept this for now, but I do hope for more in the future. What happened to that big and different approach I started to hear in riffs and mood with Horror Show is what I would like to know. It's time for Iced Earth to try something not so familiar.

Highlights: I Walk Alone, Behold The Wicked, The Revealing

Rating - 3.5/5

Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon

Power/Thrash
Steamhammer

2007

1. Overture
2. Something Wicked pt. 1
3. Invasion
4. Motivation of Man
5. Setian Massacre
6. A Charge to Keep
7. Reflections
8. Ten Thousand Strong
9. Execution
10. Order of the Rose
11. Cataclysm
12. The Clouding
13. Infiltrate and Assimilate
14. Retribution Through the Ages
15. Something Wicked pt. 2
16. The Domino Decree
17. Framing Armageddon
18. When Stars Collide (Born is He)
19. The Awakening

Iced Earth return now with the concept album Jon Schaffer has been jerking off to the idea of for some time now and Tim Owens' second effort with the band. The Glorious Burden was pretty much a love or hate album so I figured the same out of this one and I was personally on the 'hate' side of that coin. The one thing that gave me a bit of interest and hope in the album is that this album was specifically written for Owens where as on The Glorious Burden the music was already written and he was something of a last minute fill in.

The fact that this album was written with Owens' in mind ends up striking me as both it's strength and it's weakness. If you want the bottom line up front then yes I think this is better than The Glorious Burden. All in all, it seems less awkward and none of the songs offend my ears like Hollow Man and When The Eagle Cries where Owens tried incredibly unsuccessfully to mimic the emotive qualities of Matt Barlow. What this albums songs sound like are pretty much direct power metal in the vein of bands like Cage who worship at the altar of Priest.

The negatives come in the form of the fact the songs don't strike me as too inventive. Some would say this has always been a problem with Iced Earth, but really I'd say this album is their most straight forward sounding effort as most all of the songs are to the point and heavy 4 - 5 minute tracks. Also, none of the songs really try to capture any of the emotive qualities of past Iced Earth albums except the one epic length track, The Clouding, which is a bit more than half ballad oriented. This may be a good thing since Owens' isn't really capable in this regard, but it's still something I miss from old Iced Earth albums and where some of the track to track variation used to come from.

Another thing that seriously drags this album down is the poor execution of the conceptual side of things. Apparently Jon Schaffer's idea of epic is throwing in an occasional backing choir deal to compensate for Owens' inability to sound epic and packing the album full of interludes that are ownly partly musical. Some of the interludes are really just inserted sound effects like Cataclysm which is storm noises and Invasion which sounds like gun shots and shit. Yes... this is exactly what I want in the middle of a music experience. There are a total of 8 tracks which are intros, instrumental, and/or interludes and they basically serve as one big annoyance. Some seem like parts of songs that should have been finished and others are filler to the highest degree. I would have expected more than these half assed ideas of epic from a band that used to be so good at it and where this is Jon Schaffer's idea of the band's crown jewel. Really I'd say the best this album manages to be in terms of songwriting and epic qualities is Something Wicked Pt 1 which sounds like a reimaginging or another part of the original Something Wicked trilogy.

In the end I'd consider this passable if somewhat bland Priest metal which tries unsuccessfully to be bigger and more epic than the material itself really is. If you liked the last Iced Earth album with Owens' than it's probably worth a shot and those who were unsatisfied with The Glorious Burden will probably continue to remain so with this one.

Highlights: Something Wicked Pt 1

Rating - 2.0/5