(Rated this album with 10 out of 10) Reviewed by
Darren Gray
from Louisville, Kentucky United States
I find myself searching the globe for music I can appreciate anymore. The United States music scene leaves me completely underwhelmed these days. So, when I recently discovered Iced Earth, I was a bit surprised to learn the lead guitarist and main song writer, Jon Schaffer, appears to live about one hour north of me in Indiana. I feel bad that I let this band slip under my radar screen. The Glorious Burden is a fantastic epic CD where great effort was made to tie the music in with the lyrics. You can tell that the music was written to set a mood for what the lyrics were about to teach...and I mean teach. This CD reminds me so much of the music Iron Maiden puts out. Not from a strong structure standpoint, but from a lyrical perspective. It made me think of songs like Aces High, The Trooper, Tailgunner and most recently Paschendale. I love it when musicians go to the trouble of telling a story or turning world history into poetry. This CD falls into that category. In some ways it is like reading a great novel that paints a picture in your head. The music here does much the same. Musically I think this works stands alone. With Tim Owens, formally of Judas Priest, now handling singing duties, it gives it a bit of a Priest feeling I suppose. Still, I think Schaffer has gone to great lengths to do his own thing and not copy anyone else. That I greatly appreciate. One important note about this CD. You would be making a huge mistake if you did not purchase the Limited Edition CD. This one has an extra CD with 32 minutes of additional music all based upon the Battle of Gettyburg in 1863. Not only it is a great history lesson, but musically it is my favorite piece on the CD. I recommend putting your headphones on, turning out the lights in your room and putting this CD in. It sweeps you away to another time and place in history. This is a fantastic recording. The artwork inside is also outstanding. I would love to see the bonus CD be given to every High School American History teacher in the United States to play for their students. It would be a great way to learn about the Civil War. It was for me.
