Iced Earth's Reviews
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Average Rating: 8.94 out of 10)
Something Good This Way Comes... (Rated this album with 8 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Joe White
from Layton, Utah United States
I like Iced Earth. Their brand of Iron Maiden/Metallica inspired power metal combines everything good about no-nonsense 80s heavy metal. In many ways, they are the true heirs to the Iron Maiden and Metallica thrones especially taking into account that Iron Maiden hasn't released a meaningful album since Seventh Son (Brave New World notwithstanding) and many think that Metallica gave up the title of heavy metal kings when they released Load (or the so-called "Black Album", depending on your point of view). Either way, Iced Earth is arguably the best thrash-inspired, Iron Maiden influenced band around today and even though they aren't as technically intricate as Metallica once was or as melodically brilliant as Maiden used to be, Iced Earth almost always delivers a solid album. Something Wicked This Way Comes is no exception.1. "Burning Times" - This is the best of the heavy, thrashier songs on the disc. This song reminds me of some of the stuff off of Iced Earth's 1996 disc The Dark Saga. Good song and it rates an eight out of ten.
2. "Melancholy (Holy Martyr)" - The best song on the CD, "Melancholy (Holy Marty)" begins the slow verses/fast chorus songs that make-up half of the disc. This discs emotional impact is stunning as vocalist Mathew Barlowe delivers a heart wrenching performance. This song is most definitely a ten!
3. "Disciples of the Lie" - "Disciples of the Lie" is too thrashy and fast for my taste. Normally, this isn't a problem, but the vocal melodies are too harsh and aggressive. My least favorite song on the disc. It only rates a five out of ten.
4. "Watching Over Me" - Much like track two, this is another stunning song that delivers emotional, ballad-like verses with a powerful chorus. The song is about the death of a close friend of guitarist Jon Schaffer. The subject matter alone makes one pause, but the music is so inspired and compelling it makes the song standout even more. This song is a perfect ten.
5. "Stand Alone" - A thrasher that never lets up, "Stand Alone" is an unrelenting and powerful tune that features vocalist Mathew Barlowe at his most aggressive which makes this song one of the best thrash numbers on the disc. This song ranks an eight out of ten.
6. "Consequences" - Another song that ha a ballad-like verse coupled with a heavy chorus like that of tracks two and four, "Consequences" doesn't quite deliver like two and four did. Still, it's a decent tune with plenty of power in the heavy parts and adequate melody lines in the slower parts. A seven.
7. "My Own Savior" - Iced Earth's greatest strength is also their greatest weakness: Their aggressiveness can sometimes result in over aggression. Many Iced Earth fans will disagree, but this over aggressiveness can sometimes hurt the song as it does here. This tune gets a seven.
8. "Reaping Stone" - Starting off slow, this tune picks up at the chorus with Barlowe's powerful vocals and Iced Earth's brutal guitar riffs. It rates an eight.
9. "1776" - An instrumental, "1776" is an engaging and domineering track that is both brutal and inspiring. This one showcases some interesting runs and riffs and even a flute! Good stuff and it rates a nine.
10. "Blessed Are You" - The slow verse/heavy chorus theme continues here on one of the albums best tracks. The vocal melodies are particularly powerful and the guitar parts sound like the were lifted off of Metallica's album ...And Justice For All. I give it a nine (out of ten).
11. "Prophecy" - The first song in the "Something Wicked" trilogy breaks the pattern that was present in the first ten songs as it follows the recipe used on the slower, even numbered tracks. When it finally does turn heavy, it's as aggressive as most of the odd numbered songs on the CD. A good tune that I give an eight to.
12. "Birth of the Wicked" - A steady heavy rocker, "Birth of the Wicked" is a solid song that features dynamic vocal melodies and punishing riffs. An eight. 13. "The Coming Curse" - A quiet piano opens "The Coming Curse", but it quickly shifts into all out speed and power. Good track even if I've heard it's like earlier on the CD. Some of the instrumental passages are very engaging and there are even some haunting female and male Gregorian chants later on in the song. I'll give this one a seven only because it is a bit too over the top for me. Something Wicked This Way Comes, as many before me have noted, alternates from heavy thrash to slower semi-ballad rockers with every song: The odd numbered songs tend to fall into the first category, the even ones in the latter. Some fans were slightly annoyed by the up and down nature of the song order. I think it's a good way to order the songs and I like the breather in between the thrashers. Iced Earth delivers another solid album of classic-styled power metal in the vein of their 1996 CD The Dark Saga. The rhythm guitar parts are especially good as Jon Schaffer is clearly from the James Hetfield (Metallica) school of rhythm guitar. Mathew Barlowe is one of metal's most versatile and powerful singers and sounds like a cross between former Savatage singer Zak Stevens and Metallica front man James Hetfield. Something Wicked This Way Comes is another solid American power metal release.
Buy this album on Amazon at $14.99
|
