Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings - review
Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings - review
Tracklist
01. Burnt Offerings02. Last December
03. Diary
04. Brainwashed
05. Burning Oasis
06. Creator Failure
07. The Pierced Spirit
08. Dante's Inferno
A review by
Sephiroth September 18, 2003
And so he came. Mattew Barlow was immediatley accepted, the perfect voice for IE's songs, and probably the best metal singer (and not only metal) on the scene. He added his fantastic and versatile voice to Jon's compositions to create an absolute masterpiece. These two "metal monsters" were supported by the able drummer I've already mentioned, the guitarist Randall Shawver, whose riffs perfectly accompany Jon's rytmic gallops and bassist Dave Abell, both in the line-up from the debut album.
I'm realizing now that I have to define the genre of IE to help those who haven't heard them yet, so do they do power metal? Not at all I think. I can say that they have the speed of a power metal band, the heaviness of a trash metal band, that they can build atmospheres of a good gothic band and finally that they have the perfect metal voice. Barlow's singing can be melancholic to make you cry, heavy to make you scream, and evil to frighten you. He takes low notes as well as high ones not limited to very high power metal singing nor to continuous death growling. I think there is nothing he can't do with his voice.
Take tour CD, look at the fantastic artwork (the illustrations of Gustave Dore' for the Divine Comedy) put the disc in and be caught by the opening song, the title track, the first of 8 masterpieces. Who thinks that evil and satanic feelings can only be carried by Black Metal have probably never heard this song beginning with a spectral piano intro followed by a phrase taken from the movie "Bram's Stoker Dracula", that leads you to a world of human sacrifice in wich Satan reigns in blood. This song has probably the best guitar riff I have ever heard it catches you and drags you down. Throughout the album Jon Schaffer hurts you with his precise and heavy guitar working, showing the world that he is one of the greatest rythmic guitarist ever. What makes this album the best IE album is also the complexity of the songs, you will not find the scheme strophe-chorus-strophe but slow parts that shine simply in virtue of Matt's vocal abilites are followed by a gallop of Jon with his guitar and then a solo interrupted by another but diverse slow part?nothing is foreseen. I will not describe all the songs of this album but I have to talk about the two last tracks to make you understand why this is a masterpiece.
The only slow song Schaffer wanted to put in his album, is "The Pierced Spirit",a very short (1:54) acoustic interlude, a little jewel, a chant of melancholy and sadness, emotions broken out by Matt's deep and emotional voice. It introduce us into the infernal world of "Dante's Inferno" epic song which bases itself on the Dante Alighieri's first part of his masterpiece: the Divine Comedy. Its useless to try to describe how Jon Schaffer/Virgil leads you to a 16:29 minute travel through the infernal plains,creating one of the best metal songs ever. Read the poem, press "Play", close your eyes and sink into a world of pain and fear. So, that's it, no need to say more, I think. If you don't know this wonderfull band from Florida, this is the moment, and this is the album to begin with.
Written by Sephiroth | September 18, 2003
Comments
Comments:
17
Visited by
206 users
| Seventh Son
Account deleted |
|
 Posts: 4792 |
Posts: 4792
Best Iced Earth album. And My all time favorite melodic Metal album. I completely agree with the note. 
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 704  |
Posts: 704
^^ ouuuuu yeahh  awesome! IMO burnt offerings > ALL "Spill ur blood ofer me a goood ooooommeen" extremly miscievous =)
Loading...
|
 Posts: 715 |
Posts: 715
Great review  This is my favorite Iced Earth album and you stated why: 8 masterpieces. My favorite song is Dante's Inferno and I shouldn't have to explain why, because enough has already been said about the song. Burnt Offerings (the song) is another damn great song too.
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 102 |
Posts: 102
Greatest heavy metal album of all time. No contest. Not even "7th son..." or "Painkiller" UP THE ICED! 
---- After each game, the king and the jester go in the same box.
Loading...
|
| Ereinion
Account deleted |
|
|
Posts: 180  |
Posts: 180
For some reason I just cant get into this band. My friend has some of the albums including his one, but I really dont care for them. I dont know, Barlow's voce mabey isnt my cup of tea, its too deep for my taste. Also all of the songs sound a lot alike on this album because I think most of em have acoustic guitar at the begining and then get heavy. Definanty not the best heavy metal album, in my opinion anyway.
Loading...
|
| The Thrasher
Account deleted |
|
|
Posts: 229  |
Posts: 229 Written by Tron on 08.08.2007 at 20:11 Totally agree with you!.There's only ONE Band that can be compared whit the Priest and Maiden Greatness. And that´s Iced Earth
Loading...
|
 Posts: 2955 |
Posts: 2955 Written by IronBlackZepp on 05.04.2008 at 22:52 I'm with you on this. This is a good album, but not 9.9 good. And yes, the songs sound very alike.
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
Loading...
|
 Posts: 376 |
Posts: 376
Love this album but Something Wicked This Way Comes is my favorite
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 180 |
Posts: 180
Well I am now starting to understand why this is such a great band, I did not like Barlows voice before, but now that I have gotten used to him I thing he is great, one of the best metal singers. In fact one of the best bands in all of metal.
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 349  |
Posts: 349
Great review! My favorite Iced Earth album, it has everything: diversity and heavy as hell at times as well as very ballady at times... 
---- 
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 119  |
Loading...
|
 Posts: 64433 |
Posts: 64433
Nice review, just listening and sad band ar not capable do something like this anymore ;( sad
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
|
 Posts: 3433 |
Posts: 3433
Yes, great review The last two songs create a phenomenal atmosphere - and the vocals are truly magical 
Loading...
|
| Posts: 3433 |
Posts: 3433
Returned to this review again after many listens... and I agree 100% with the review here! Especially: Quote: My first and still my favorite Iced Earth album The songs that I return to the most are: "Last December ", "Burning Oasis", "Creator Failure", and "Dante's Inferno "
Loading...
|
Hits total: 14969 | This month: 26