Iced Earth's Reviews
Night of the Stormrider (Average Rating: 9.50 out of 10)
Possibly my favorite Iced Earth CD! (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Bill Murphy
from Kentwood, MI United States
I've been listening to Iced Earth for a number of months now. And I'd have to say my favorite CD was probably Something Wicked This Way Comes......until I heard Night of the Stormrider. Holy cow! This CD blew me away from the very first track. I LOVE the vocalist! This guy has a style that ranges from growling metal-esque to soaring and very clean. The guitars are powerful and riff-heavy in classic Jon Schaffer style, but they're more focused than punchy than on the first (self titled) album. The first Iced Earth album was competent, but on this -- their sophomore effort (released in 1992) -- they vaulted to whole new level. This is amazing music. Night of the Stormrider rocks, but with an incredible sense of melody and composition and drama that I find captivating. And the vocals -- oh, my word. I was expected another dose of Gene Adam (their first vocalist), but was immediately (and pleasantly) surprised to hear John Greely belt it out. He has the growl of Matthew Barlow (IE's current vocalist), but -- to my ears -- with a much more pleasing sound and range. (No "ahh" tacked onto the back end of every word.) Standout tracks for me are "Angel's Holocaust"..."Before the Vision" (excellent acoustic guitar intro and soaring vocals!)..."Mystical End"..."Desert Rain"...and "Pure Evil." All of these songs offer creative arrangements, killer riffs, soaring vocals, and amazing musicianship from all concerned. (I just noticed I picked five of the album's nine tracks...which goes to show you how much I like this album. There's not a bad track on the album!) If you'd like to hear American metal at its best, you need to be listening to Iced Earth's Night of the Stormrider!
Buy this album on Amazon at $14.99
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