Iced Earth?

[Zamiale]

I have read several posts as of late regarding Iced Earth. Everything I have read has been nothing but positive, so I have decided to buy one of their CD's. Question is: Which one should I buy first?

Thanks

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Iced Earth?

I like most of it. Something Wicked This Way Comes, stands out nicely in my thoughts

[Leppermessiah]

Re: Iced Earth?

OMG!! you will NOT regret it. First time i heard of them was on an internet forum too, so i decided to check them out, and they are now my favorite band. I cant get enough of them. As for the first one to buy? My first was 'Horror Show', that is a kick ass album, its full of epics though, i dont know if you are into them or not, but i totally dig them. 'Something wicked this way comes' is also really good. I would say either of those two albums would be a good start. If you do like them, maybe check out their earlier stuff too, like 'Night of the storm rider'. Its a lot different from the new stuff, but its still good. The only member left from those days is Jon Schaffer, their rhythm guitarist, i guess thats why its so different. Its still good though, I love them, im sure you will too! GO NOW!

[Mr White]

Re: Iced Earth?

I got 'The Dark Saga' first and preferred that over SWTWC. Although TDS tells a story from beginning to end (the story of the cartoon character Spawn) so that may put you off. But I preferred that one...

Jamesy

[JimmyApollo]

Re: Iced Earth?

Something Wicked This Way Comes and/or Alive in Athens, which is, in my opinion, one of the finest live albums ever. I don't really care much for the rest of their stuff, especially Horror Show.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Iced Earth?

My personal favorite is "Something Wicked This Way Comes" because of the variety on it. Everything from acoustic emotional ballads to headbanging "METAL!!" metal. The final three songs comprise the "Something Wicked" theme, an epic about a prophesized antichrist that is supposedly going to be further explored in a later "Something Wicked" concept album.

I also own "Dark Saga", a concept album based on the dark story/comics of Todd Macfarlane's "Spawn". Buy this one if you're looking for dark emotional themes of betrayal, suffering, and a man selling his soul for the love of his life. The final three songs comprise the "The Suffering" trio.

I also own "Horror Show" which is based on horror movie themes. I hate the drum sound of the new drumkit ravaged by the band Death's Richard Christy, but Richard is an awesome drummer. The only song that doesn't match the horror theme is "Ghost Of Freedom" which was based on the Mel Gibson movie "The Patriot" (NOT the Steven Seagal version!). The limited double CD includes an Iron Maiden cover ("Transylvania") and a long interview with Jon Schaffer, rhythm guitarist and band leader.

"Days Of Purgatory" are "covers" of their older stuff. Not TRUE re-recordings in the sense that everyone has re-recorded their own parts again, but vocals, bass, and drums are "new". It can be thought of as mainstay vocalist Matt Barlow singing the old Iced Earth and Purgatory songs. The drum sound on this CD is nice, but the actual drumming is immensely boring.

"Burnt Offerings" is a hellish album and probably their heaviest and marks the debut of mainstay vocalist Matt Barlow who only seems to get better with each album. I didn't like this album too much, but it's apparently a lot of fans' favourite CD. The final song "Dante's Inferno" is like 16 minutes long and takes you through the nine planes of hell.

"Tribute To The Gods" is their latest release and is an album full of cover songs by their influences including Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Blue Oyster Cult, AC/DC, and KISS. Some of the covers are AWESOME, others are ho-hum and don't do the original justice. Most importantly is how Iced Earth snazzed up these songs in their own Iced Earth way. Other Iced Earth covers exist but aren't on this CD. They are on the "Horror Show" CD and the "Melancholy EP" CD. This "Tribute To The Gods" CD may be found separately or as part of the boxed set "Dark Genesis".

And then there are the two CDs I don't own: "Iced Earth" and "Night Of The Stormrider". I also don't own the "Alive In Athens" live CD set (comes in 2-CD and 3-CD versions) but everyone seems to like it. What I don't like about the "Alive In Athens" album is that the beginnings of tracks fade in and the ends of the tracks fade out. Compare it to Halford's "Live Insurrection", Judas Priest's "'98 Live Meltdown", and Iron Maiden's "Rock In Rio" which all have the crowd blended together to give a continuous concert "live feel" to it, the Iced Earth album feels like it's chopped up and pieced together and doesn't have that "live feel" for me. The songs are great quality recordings and the playing is great, though.

So, maybe you want to get "Alive In Athens" to get a taste of most of Iced Earth's career, but my personal recommendation and always-favorite will forever be "Something Wicked This Way Comes".

If you want to hear the big epic from "Dark Saga" entitled "A Question Of Heaven", the first Iced Earth song I learned on guitar and possibly one of THE easiest Iced Earth songs to play, here's my version of it:

Iced Earth cover - "A Question Of Heaven"

Not the best recording, so I'll probably re-record it sometime soon.

Enjoy Iced Earth, American torch-carriers of traditional heavy metal! [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Leppermessiah]

Re: Iced Earth?

How come some people dont like 'Horror Show'? I really loved it, and i never noticed anything bad sounding about the drums either. NOTP, I love A Question of heaven, its a good one. Good job on the recording too, be sure to let us all know when you re-record it.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Iced Earth?

Thanks Larry! I love most of the album "Horror Show", but the drum sound is horrid. The snares sound like a cross between hitting tin cans and those green plastic garbage cans. It's Jon doing most of the percussive work, espcially noticeable on "Wolf", that is left to drive the song, and it's weak. It should be a co-operative effort from the amps and the skins that create crushing, driving power to Iced Earth, not Jon left alone playing alongside the sound of tin cans. The rest of the album's snare tone doesn't stick out like a sore thumb so much. But, when you compare the drum tone on "Horror Show" to the drum tone on "Something Wicked" or "The Dark Saga", the "Horror Show" snares doesn't compare.

Yeah, all this talk about Richard's drum tone and nothing so far about Jon's huge guitar tone. Gotta hand it to the guy. That tone is very classic heavy metal sounding, yet with a modern mid-high gain twist. On some tracks more than others, it shows. Listen to the Judas Priest cover "Screaming For Vengeance" (a personal favorite of mine), "Frankenstein", or "1776" for the especially large guitar sound. It probably could be attributed to Jon using his various Gibson guitars through the same amp settings though. And who can forget the gorgeous sound of his Taylor 12-string jumbo acoustics?

Wonder who's going to replace lead guitarist Larry Tarnowski now that he's gone.

[Leppermessiah]

Re: Iced Earth?

Ill have to look back into that snare sound. At least its not as bad as the new metallica snare... [img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img]


As for guitar tone, ahhhh yes... some VERY nice tones. I just love listening to them, they have a mix of everything in their music, and its a nice blend. I cant wait for the new album...


The new guitarist, hm... I e-mailed an older gutiar friend of mine, Glenn Riley, about trying out, or sending them a tape or something. He is really one of the most amazing guitarists i have heard. He is in a local band called 'The Reagan Years', an 80's tribute band. They are really good, but he is WAYYY too good for them. He said that Iced Earth was something he would probably not pursue though, even though i know they would at least call him in for a jam. Hes just one of those guys who should be famous, but isnt. A HUGE inspiration to me. Anyway... Iced Earth rules, go buy their ****.

[Demonicon]

Re: Iced Earth?

I think the Live album Alive in Athens (make sure to get the 3 CD version) would be excellent, nothing captures a bands essence like live performance.

As far as studio albums, i'd go with Burnt Offerings first, also Night of the Stormrider but that has a different vocalist than the other CD's, but still great.

[Cryothrasher]

Re: Iced Earth?

Iced earth, one of my favorite bands. I saw them in Pittsburgh with Megadeth. they were awesome, the only complaint I have is that they only got to play 7 songs, no stormrider though.... [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

[Disco Dave]

Re: Iced Earth?

I saw them here in Indiana last year with Jag Panzer and In Flames as openers. I got my Horror Show cd sleeve signed by Jon as well. Two hours in the rain was well worth it! Very awesome band, they even played Pure Evil! which is the first Iced Earth song I ever heard. I actually downloaded, I know Jon hates that but don't worry lol. That week I got Night of the Stormrider, next week was Something Wicked this way Comes, didn't buy on of their cds for a week, then the week after got The Dark Saga and the double disc Alive in Athens. Sense then I have gotten Horror Show, Burnt Offerings, and the self titled cd. I love the songs on the self titles album but the vocals completely ruin it for me. That dude sucked SOOOOOO bad. I need to get the import version of Days of Purgatory so I can hear all those great old songs with Matt on the vocals. That dude can really belt it out. Nothing like seeing him do the Pure Evil line live, man. Pure is in one octave then when he hits Evil its just crazy. I thought it was really, really cool cuz when they first came out Jon took center stage and Matt had not come out yet. Larry, Jimmy and Richard doin a solid rhythm and Jon starts playing the national anthem. Then here comes Matt with a HUGE American flag waving it around. Then after they did that they put it in a stand in front of the drum kit. Then they kicked right into Violate. They played Wolf as well. Richard Christy is awesome on drums, I swear all I saw was his torso and head. His legs and arms were complete blurs. Buy ALL of their stuff, won't regret it.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Iced Earth?

I saw that same tour last year when all three bands came to Montreal. They didn't do anything "special" like you just described, but Montreal was the first to hear the new-at-the-time In Flames song, "System".

I actually have an MP3 recording of the whole Montreal concert and I listen to it sometimes just for the nostalgia. That was one of the best nights of my life. Just me, my buddies, and some great music. I'm sure Jon doesn't approve of me having the MP3 CD though! And no one was supposed to sneak in recording equipment either. Oh well. It was a general admission show and I was no more than six feet away from In Flames and Iced Earth at all times. Good show.

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Iced Earth?

Sweet, another person to be initiated into Iced Earth. I got into them by getting Alive In Athens, the 3 CD version. I swear it's one of the greatest live shows ever recorded, the first 6 tracks will destroy you.

[Disco Dave]

Re: Iced Earth?

I have heard the mp3 of them playing When the Night Falls live. OMFG!!! That dude is insane on rhythm guitar. I can't even play that song and I used to play all the rhythm to Dante's Inferno by heart and with the cd. I start playing When the Night Falls and my arm goes numb. But Jon has beeon playin for like 30 years or so. Anyone has the Horror Show cd with the bonus disc like I got? I think there are like 40,000 of them in the world or so. Its awesome, got like an hour long interview with Jon on it. He talks about EVERYTHING Iced Earth. How it started, details, everything. At the end the interviewer asks him questions about himself and what he likes and its more about Jon himself. I love his analogy of downloading mp3s though! lol. He says "Just because you walk into a shoe store, you think you can just take the ****ing shoes!?" Although I do agree with pretty much everything he says on there, I have mixed feelings about mp3s. I mean I downloaded an mp3 of Iced Earth and went right out and got the cds. But I have honestly downloaded whole albums and what not as well. But I understand where he is comin from in not wanting people to steal his stuff. I remember when I used to take bass lessons, when I was playing bass, at the Guitar Works in Greenwood, Indiana. I told him that I like Iced Earth and he goes "Yeah Jon buys guitars and gear from here." My jaw dropped lol. I knew he lives in Indiana and whatnot. I never did see him, but I am going to start taking guitar lessons from there again here in a couple of weeks. Maybe one day I might see him, that would be good stuff for sure.