Iced Earth's Reviews

The Dark Saga

Conceptual Metal Masterpiece Based on "Spawn"

Lord Chimp describes IE as "melodic power thrash," and I believe that's an accurate description of the band's sound. They combine the melodic guitar harmonies of Iron Maiden with the speed and intensity of '80s thrash metal and throw in some epic power metal arrangements in for good measure. That's not to say they're derivative, however. Iced Earth has a potent sound all their own and it really shines brightly on this release.

The real standout here is lead singer Matt Barlow. I don't believe there's any other metal vocalist that sounds quite like him. I was kind of put off by his vocals on the first IE song I heard called "Wolf," but as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. Barlow manages to sound thoughtful, passionate, angry, desperate, and intense throughout the whole disc, frequently changing his voice around to fit the characters. Kind of like James LaBrie only less operatic. Barlow deserves all the praise he's getting.

Now, onto the album. THE DARK SAGA is a concept album based on Todd McFarlene's popular comic book "Spawn." It tells the story of a government agent who gets killed (and betrayed) by people he trusted and his spirit gets sent to Hell for having done bad deeds on Earth. He longs to see his wife Wanda, so in exchange for his soul, he agrees to become Satan's Hellspawn and unleashes his army of terror against Heaven. Spawn goes back to Earth, only to discover that Wanda is now remarried to his best friend Terry and they are the proud parents of a little girl. Devastated, Spawn struggles to do good, follow his conscience, and lift the curse, but he soon realizes that there's no turning back. The decision has been made.

THE DARK SAGA is unique for a concept album as well as a unique metal record. For one thing, the total running time for the album is a mere 43:49, breaking the rule that concept albums have to be 60+ or 70+ minutes. Lead guitarist Randall Shawver isn't your typical metal guitarist. He actually takes his time doing his solos and that brings out more emotion in songs that are already so emotional.

I can't pick a favorite song since every track on here is excellent and it's tough to pick the best out of a concept album where every song is linked. The highlight of the album for me is the final trilogy of songs at the end entitled "The Suffering." It begins with the haunting, Sabbath-esque "Scarred" (track 8), leads right into the explosive "Slave to the Dark" (track 9), and ends beautifully with the 7-minute ballad "A Question of Heaven" (track 10). "A Question of Heaven" by itself is worth buying the album alone. Kate Barlow, Matt's sister-in-law (not his wife--sorry!), supplies the angelic backing vocals that make the song all the more powerful.

In conclusion, THE DARK SAGA is a seamless blend of thrash, power, and melodic metal filled with great riffs, incredible double-bass rhythms, stellar playing, powerful vocals, and meaningful lyrics. I can't wait to hear more by this band.

Buy this album on Amazon at $13.99