Iced Earth's Reviews
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Average Rating: 8.94 out of 10)
Great, but EXTREMELY overrated. (Rated this album with 6 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Brady Eskilson
from Purgatory
Let's get one thing straight, I'm a huge IE fan and I LOVE this album, but I just can't understand why so many IE fans hail it as their best work. It has its moments, but it also has a decent handful of filler, and overall it's just "The Dark Saga 2". Let me explain:Burning Times: 7/10 - Very similar to the opener on "Dark Saga". This song has a good "rockin" quality to it, but overall its one of the weaker tracks. The chorus sucks. Melancholy (Holy Martyr): 6/10 - Essentially the same exact song as "I Died For You". The chorus gets your fist in the air, sure, but overall this song is nothing special. Disciples of the Lie: 8/10 - Track 3, the aggressive one. Can anyone say "Violate"? Yes, I think so. Otherwise it's a great song, I love the church-organ break near the middle. Watching Over Me: 7/10 - Another fist pumping, heart-lifting song--but like "Melancholy," there's simply no SUBSTANCE to this song. Stand Alone: 7/10 - Decent, fast-paced thrash track. The lyrics are lame. Consequences: 4/10 - This song just sucks. The lyrics are cheesy, the song structure is boring, and the outtro is EXACTLY THE SAME as the end of "A Question of Heaven". Listen to the endings of both of these songs and tell me "Consequences" isn't just a rehash. My Own Savior: 9/10 - One of my favorite songs on the album. Great riffs, decent lyrics, and overall just a great IE track. Reaping Stone: 8/10 - Pretty cool, though the main riff is a nearly-exact ripoff of the bass riff from Alice Cooper's "Dead Babies," and it sounds like something Geezer Butler would have written anyway. 1776: 9/10 - Another favorite, great Maiden-style instrumental reminiscent of "Losfer Words". Check out the flute part, that definitely makes the song. Blessed Are You: 6/10 - Lame. Supposed to be a tribute to the fans... that's all well and good, but this feels really forced. Boring song structure, the same type Jon Schaffer has been using forever, and more cheesy lyrics. "Something Wicked" Trilogy: Prophecy, Birth of the Wicked, and The Coming Curse: 10/10 - Since these three tracks are part of one trilogy, I'll rate them as one work. These are great songs indeed, love the bass intro on "Prophecy". The longer song times hearken back to IE's more epic tendencies, seen on earlier works such as "Dante's Inferno". So there you have it. As I said, this album has its moments, such as "My Own Savior," "1776," and the "Something Wicked" trilogy, but there's way too much filler to consider this their best work, as so many do.
Buy this album on Amazon at $14.99
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