I really love Stu's vocals here, but the song itself... meh

Yeah, not sure how much I'll love the writing on this album. This song is pretty good, though. Better than the first Plagues track released, and better than many tracks on Dystopia, but I feel like I'm just waiting for Stu to get unleashed on this music. Too much restraint so far... freak out, son.

No complaints from me with this one! The title track left me pretty underwhelmed, but this one made up for it pretty well!

Written by R Lewis on 13.12.2013 at 19:02

I really love Stu's vocals here, but the song itself... meh

I think the songwriting makes Stu sound worse than what he's capable of, Dystopia simply has better songs so far. The chant section here doesn't sound very good.

I wasn't overly enthused with the title track it has to be said, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, I have to say. The chorus is wonderful, and I've never been impressed with Troy Seele's playing in Iced Earth as of yet, but his solo on this song is awesome! Definitely impressed with this song!

This isn't bad, but it's not great. I think it sounds as if they are trying way too hard to re-create Something Wicked, and that Stu Block is trying way too hard to sound like Matthew Barlow.

Stu Block still just sounds too much like Matt Barlow
There were some falsetto vocals he used here and there on Dystopia that I really enjoyed, especially in the chorus of the title track, and I'd love to see him unleash those in full force. Hell, even if he ends up sounding like King Diamond it'd at least be better than being yet another Barlow clone.

Is it just me, or is the new album going to suck?

Nice song arrangement and guitar slide solos...don't know Iced Earth stuff much but this is totally different and better sounding than older songs (with other vocal). Too much delay in guitar:)

Nice song arrangement and guitar slide solos...don't know Iced Earth stuff much but this is totally different and better sounding than older songs (with other vocal).

Nice song arrangement and guitar slide solos...don't know Iced Earth stuff much but this is totally different and better sounding than older songs (with other vocal).

Not really looking forward to the new album from these two tracks i've heard. Although Dystopia wasn't amazing, it was a welcome change from their previous two bland albums and had some pretty decent tunes. However, it completely lacked balls. This one is sounding the same. I want the Iced Earth that throws a punch back, or even some emotionally powerful songs as they have been good at writing.

Written by Dark Cornatus on 13.12.2013 at 23:27

Not really looking forward to the new album from these two tracks i've heard. Although Dystopia wasn't amazing, it was a welcome change from their previous two bland albums and had some pretty decent tunes. However, it completely lacked balls. This one is sounding the same. I want the Iced Earth that throws a punch back, or even some emotionally powerful songs as they have been good at writing.

As far as I am concerned their only 2 albums with a significant amount of punch were the first 2. I doubt they will be going back to that style any time soon. Agreed on Dystopia though, it was a definite step up from the preceding albums and had some enjoyable songs. This will likely be in the same ball park.

This is good, but I agree with everyone else. It's just a little too short of being good. Stu needs to get out of the barlow-esque style (anyone else think Schaffer is making him do this?), music needs to have a bit more variety, and things just needs to ..ldk...be less safe? Shake it up a little guys!

Well that was a big... meh.

Written by chronic-headache on 14.12.2013 at 01:46

This is good, but I agree with everyone else. It's just a little too short of being good.

It's good, but it's a little too short of being good?

Written by chronic-headache on 14.12.2013 at 01:46
Stu needs to get out of the barlow-esque style (anyone else think Schaffer is making him do this?), music needs to have a bit more variety, and things just needs to ..ldk...be less safe? Shake it up a little guys!

No, I absolutely don't think Jon is making him do it. But he certainly isn't complaining about it, that's for sure... In the case of Stu, I think he still lacks the confidence to stamp his own mark on the band. He knows how important Matt was to the band and the fans, and I think it's this that's pressuring him into trying to mimic Matt's style too closely. I could understand it for "Dystopia", but I really hoped that by now, he'd be staking his claim to the band by putting his own unique vocal mark on it. Unfortunately that still hasn't happened...

For Jon's part, I don't think he's encouraging Stu to sound like Matt, but he's surely still aware of the backlash Ripper Owens received from many fans for "not being Matt Barlow". And so I think for this reason, he's not too concerned with Stu's imitation of Matt, and is not discouraging him from doing that, which he should be doing. I actually really like the new song, but I am disappointed that Stu isn't bringing his own unique style to the table by now. He has a far greater range than he's displayed on the new songs so far, and it's disappointing that he's limiting himself so much due to lacking the confidence to just be himself vocally within the band.

I actually thought this song was quite decent. It lacks a catchy chorus (the chorus that is could work as a nice bridge), but otherwise alright.

I was bored.

Written by Mattybu on 14.12.2013 at 01:10

Written by Dark Cornatus on 13.12.2013 at 23:27

Not really looking forward to the new album from these two tracks i've heard. Although Dystopia wasn't amazing, it was a welcome change from their previous two bland albums and had some pretty decent tunes. However, it completely lacked balls. This one is sounding the same. I want the Iced Earth that throws a punch back, or even some emotionally powerful songs as they have been good at writing.

As far as I am concerned their only 2 albums with a significant amount of punch were the first 2. I doubt they will be going back to that style any time soon. Agreed on Dystopia though, it was a definite step up from the preceding albums and had some enjoyable songs. This will likely be in the same ball park.

Agree that they both are ballsy albums, but certainly Burnt Offerings has the most balls? It's like their heaviest and darkest album! Honestly though, every album up to and including The Glorious Burden had SOME balls to it. Sure TGB wasn't widely accepted as a great IE album, but it definitely had some awesome songs and i consider it one of their good albums for sure.

For me, it's like Schaffer has lost his edge with riffing. I know he often recycled the same riff over and over, but it worked. It's like telling Kind Diamond to change his vocal style - it works, leave it.

Written by Dark Cornatus on 14.12.2013 at 11:29

Agree that they both are ballsy albums, but certainly Burnt Offerings has the most balls? It's like their heaviest and darkest album! Honestly though, every album up to and including The Glorious Burden had SOME balls to it. Sure TGB wasn't widely accepted as a great IE album, but it definitely had some awesome songs and i consider it one of their good albums for sure.

For me, it's like Schaffer has lost his edge with riffing. I know he often recycled the same riff over and over, but it worked. It's like telling Kind Diamond to change his vocal style - it works, leave it.

To me Burnt Offering has it's moments and is way up there but their first two still gotta take it. It's interesting that you mention the edge with riffing cause that is EXACTLY what those two albums excelled in. It was so fast and sharp on songs like Pure Evil and When the Night Falls.

The difference now is where a whole album would have been packed with that high octane stuff, if you take Dystopia for example basically moments in Dark City rival it and that's it. They are more just a heavy metal band along the lines of Saxon or something speed wise. That thrashy bite from the earlier albums is near to extinct. I'm really not sure why, playing the old songs live is not a problem for Schaffer so it's not like it's too hard to write them so fast.

I must say I am LOVING the super multi-tracked vocals, it has a Blind Guardian feel in the chorus. Other than that, all I have to say is this song is better than the title track. Still not sure if I will be buying this album..