Iced Earth's Reviews
Days of Purgatory (Average Rating: 8.64 out of 10)
Cool Iced Earth fans will want this. (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Lord Chimp
from Monkey World
Days of Purgatory breathes new life into older Iced Earth songs from the self-titled debut and concept album Night of the Stormrider. Vocalist Matt Barlow adds his killer voice to the music, and one can't help but lament the fact that he wasn't with the band all along. All the songs here are re-mixed and in some cases the drums and bass have been re-recorded. Also included are three songs from the band original six-track demo, Enter the Realm. These songs are: "Enter the Realm," a brief electric/acoustic instrumental piece; "Winter Nights," a thrashy metal cut with dynamic changes; and "Nightmares," which is melodic and aggressive. "Cast to Stone" takes 98% of the music from "Written on the Walls" and replaces Adam's old lyrics with sociological/mythical ones by Barlow. The transition into the acoustic section slays me.This is a great compilation, best suited to established Iced Earth fans. Even if there was no remix, just being able to hear Barlow's take on old songs in stunning. Listen to the added viciousness his voice gives "Pure Evil" -- that'll make my case. The epic "Travel in Stygian" gets the vocal treatment it deserves, and the chorus sounds fookin' incredible with Barlow. I am slain by his singing on "When the Night Falls" -- it gives me chills. On "Angels Holocaust," he's (***) intense, baby. The chorus of "Desert Rain" sounds like it's from a different song altogether, and it's grand. What am I trying to say? Matt Barlow is a god. His massive, dynamic voice destroys the puny Gene Adam and John Greely and...well, nearly every metal vocalist alive. You're going to think I'm crazy, but I prefer the original version of the song "Iced Earth" to one in this set. It's nuts, I know, but Gene Adam's terrible singing on the original are part of why it's so good. The audio remix makes for good improvements, especially on the Stormrider songs. My biggest problem with Stormrider is that the drums sound absolutely terrible, but they've definitely got more punch here. The drums from the debut still sound like the drummer is hitting a cheese grater instead of a snare, but ah well. Note: If you get the 2CD version of Days of Purgatory, you get additional songs. Added to the bunch are "Before the Vision," and "Life and Death." Additionally, you get four re-mixed cuts from Burnt Offerings ("Burnt Offerings," "Creator Failure," "Brainwashed," and "Dante's Inferno"). The Burnt Offerings songs sound great with bigger drums and bass, and the guitars sound a bit clearer. "Burnt Offerings" itself is a bit different, because it starts with anthemic guitar lines instead of the piano. All fans should definitely want this, but I strongly recommend that newer Iced Earth fans hear the original versions of the songs first. Otherwise, hearing Barlow's awesome iterations of the same tunes will spoil your appreciation for the originals.
Buy this album on Amazon at $14.99
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