Well, that was kinda disappointing.

Cool, didn't even have to wait for someone to upload it from that EP ^^

Eight minutes of bulk heavy metal

I don't dislike it. It's obviously not a masterpiece, but still quite enjoyable.

Decent song, but there's not enough going on in it to justify it's length... I've a feeling this one will grow on me, but I doubt it'll end up being one of their classic songs. The last album's title track was better... and Stu is still trying too hard to sound like Matt!

Very slow build up, dull main part of the song. And this is what Iced Earth think should be the first track on their album? THIS is what they think is something that should get everyone excited to listen to the album when they first put it on? An album opener needs to be either very fast/energetic (see "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due") or very atmospheric (see "Black Sabbath") to keep the audience interested. I didn't think this was either of those: it was boring, overly long and not particularly energetic (although Stu Block did a great job with his vocals, so I can't fault him there).

I really hope this isn't a sign of things to come...

Written by R Lewis on 11.10.2013 at 18:58

I don't dislike it. It's obviously not a masterpiece, but still quite enjoyable.

My first thought was that the intro should probably have been severed from the song alltogether, but I guess if you're gonna listen to the whole album anyway (which is the way to go), stuff like that doesn't really matter too much in the end(?). The last couple of choruses sounded really dark and epic. Massive goosebumps during that part. I agree with you, it's not a masterpiece (in general, I rarely find songs to be that good on the first listen). Great stuff though.

Written by Patrick. on 11.10.2013 at 19:17

My first thought was that the intro should probably have been severed from the song alltogether, but I guess if you're gonna listen to the whole album anyway (which is the way to go), stuff like that doesn't really matter too much in the end(?).

Yeah, this being the album's first track, an intro like that is ok. Maybe, in this "radio edit", it could have been cut as you said. Still hopeful though.

Written by Nemo Atkins on 11.10.2013 at 19:15

Very slow build up, dull main part of the song. And this is what Iced Earth think should be the first track on their album? THIS is what they think is something that should get everyone excited to listen to the album when they first put it on? An album opener needs to be either very fast/energetic (see "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due") or very atmospheric (see "Black Sabbath") to keep the audience interested. I didn't think this was either of those: it was boring, overly long and not particularly energetic (although Stu Block did a great job with his vocals, so I can't fault him there).

I really hope this isn't a sign of things to come...

Agreed with a lot of what you said there... but I won't judge the track too harshly right now. I remember the first time I listened to "The Glorious Burden", I was really disappointed with "Declaration Day", as after the "Star Spangled Banner" intro, I was expecting a real faceripper to come tearing out of the traps, instead, I got a pondering, slow/mid-paced number so I was let down by that song initially. After a while though, I grew to love that song, and I feel it was a victim of it's placement on the album. It's a great song, but not a great album opener... maybe this song will end up being the same. But in any case, it's too long. For a song over 7 minutes in length, there's not enough going on to justify it being that long.

Written by Angelic Storm on 11.10.2013 at 19:13

Decent song, but there's not enough going on in it to justify its length...

Agreed with this. It also takes way too long for the song to take off. There were a lot of instances where I was expecting some uptempo drums but I was left disappointed every time. Still, I'm pretty satisfied with it overall, though it obviously could have been better.

Not bad, but after that long buildup I did expect something more than a standard Iced Earth song. Pretty average overall.

Written by Angelic Storm on 11.10.2013 at 19:13

and Stu is still trying too hard to sound like Matt!

Indeed. On the first lines he sounds exactly like Barlow. Maybe Matt does guest vocals on the track?

Written by Angelic Storm on 11.10.2013 at 19:22

Written by Nemo Atkins on 11.10.2013 at 19:15

Very slow build up, dull main part of the song. And this is what Iced Earth think should be the first track on their album? THIS is what they think is something that should get everyone excited to listen to the album when they first put it on? An album opener needs to be either very fast/energetic (see "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due") or very atmospheric (see "Black Sabbath") to keep the audience interested. I didn't think this was either of those: it was boring, overly long and not particularly energetic (although Stu Block did a great job with his vocals, so I can't fault him there).

I really hope this isn't a sign of things to come...

Agreed with a lot of what you said there... but I won't judge the track too harshly right now. I remember the first time I listened to "The Glorious Burden", I was really disappointed with "Declaration Day", as after the "Star Spangled Banner" intro, I was expecting a real faceripper to come tearing out of the traps, instead, I got a pondering, slow/mid-paced number so I was let down by that song initially. After a while though, I grew to love that song, and I feel it was a victim of it's placement on the album. It's a great song, but not a great album opener... maybe this song will end up being the same. But in any case, it's too long. For a song over 7 minutes, there's not enough going on to justify it being that long.

I'll admit, I gave it another listen or two and, well, I may have been a tiny bit too harsh and quick to judge. It's too long, but it's growing on me. I just don't think this should be the track to open the album. If the tracklist was the other way around (you know, this was track 7 instead of track 1. Blimey, now I'm thinking in terms of vinyl and I've never even used a vinyl player before! ), I'd be able to go "OK, it's a bit slow, but I should be fine by the time I get to it". But the first track on the album? That's gonna be tough to cope with (especially for the people who've skipped listening to this and decided to buy the album blind). Throw in the fact most bands like to try to put their best stuff at the start of the album and, well...it's not giving me a lot of hope that the rest of the album will be much better. I'll check out what else comes out relating to the album and base my decision to get the album on that.

I seem to be in the minority here, but I thought it was a pretty great song. I agree that it does not sound like an album opener, but I am far from disappointed with it.

Written by ScreamingSteelUS on 11.10.2013 at 21:10

I seem to be in the minority here, but I thought it was a pretty great song. I agree that it does not sound like an album opener, but I am far from disappointed with it.

I'm with you. I loved it and can't wait for the entire album.

This is just...lame, like everything else after Horror Show.

I don't like how IE have basically dropped US Power Metal, and just stuck with Heavy Metal. It's just not beefy OR epic enough to be catchy. This song pretty much reminds me of a filler song off Dystopia. I just feel IE is very simplistic now. That doesn't mean bad, but for my personal tastes, simplistic is only good for ambiance or instrumentals.

Written by Angelic Storm on 11.10.2013 at 19:22

I remember the first time I listened to "The Glorious Burden", I was really disappointed with "Declaration Day", as after the "Star Spangled Banner" intro, I was expecting a real faceripper to come tearing out of the traps, instead, I got a pondering, slow/mid-paced number so I was let down by that song initially. After a while though, I grew to love that song, and I feel it was a victim of it's placement on the album.

I was the same except i still don't really care much for that song, even though it's too too bad. I think The Reckoning blew me away more as a single. I think the only crap songs on the album were 'When the Eagle Cries' and 'Hollow Man'. Not sure why the album got so much hate, it's better than all albums released after - at least it had power. I'm so sick of IE being all slow and weak. It's ok having a GOOD ballad between songs, but putting a slow ballad in the middle of mid tempo songs gets tedious.

Nothing better than I was expecting. Good, though.

Written by Nemo Atkins on 11.10.2013 at 19:15

Very slow build up, dull main part of the song. And this is what Iced Earth think should be the first track on their album? THIS is what they think is something that should get everyone excited to listen to the album when they first put it on? An album opener needs to be either very fast/energetic (see "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due") or very atmospheric (see "Black Sabbath") to keep the audience interested. I didn't think this was either of those: it was boring, overly long and not particularly energetic (although Stu Block did a great job with his vocals, so I can't fault him there).

I really hope this isn't a sign of things to come...

My thoughts exactly. I was patiently waiting when the intro was going, and was either epecting an attempt at a slow epic like that horrible "Something Wicked Part 3" song on the last album Matt was on, or a build up to something faster. I was happy for a second when the latter seemed to be the case, but when the verse kicked in, I was really bothered by the fact that the drums weren't playing at the appropriate speed. They're going on way too slow compared to the riff, and that just ruined a good deal of it for me.

I agree with you regarding "Holy Wars". That is how an opener should be. Dystopia had pretty much that effect on me. That was a "correct" opener, but this was just a classic "build your hopes up, only to get them down a little more than you had before you listened to the track" situation.

Very disappointing. Stu saves the song, again.
Jon will have to remove the hand break and bring back the crazy riffing. Drop the midtempos already...

I love this song. But I like mid-tempo stuff.

Nothing groundbreaking, but still enjoyable to an extent. Probably won't be coming back anytime soon for more, but I may check out their new album when it drops.

Same old below average Iced Earth. I don't know how they got so much attention.

Felt like it would build up to something better lol.. the chorus'll be stuck in my head for a while tho.

Hope the rest of album will be more fast and enjoinable...

Choir thing at end is kinda annoying....BUT,good song nothing new. Iced Earth is still Iced Earth.

Boring and slow. Typical of what Iced Earth offered since "The Crucible Of Man". I lost interest in this band when they lost their Power/Thrash touch.
This song is way too much 'standard Heavy Metal' for my tastes (I don't like Heavy Metal) and, as some people mentioned, way too long for the little it has to offer.