Iced Earth

Written by [user id=1017] on 04.11.2006 at 16:35

Written by Dam3k on 04.11.2006 at 15:20

Written by Hellish Star on 04.11.2006 at 06:00

Written by Dam3k on 04.11.2006 at 01:00

Written by [user id=1017] on 04.11.2006 at 00:36

Written by Dam3k on 04.11.2006 at 00:12

Written by Susan on 03.11.2006 at 23:25

Written by Dam3k on 03.11.2006 at 16:34

Ye I know they needed a replacement but for sure Tim Owens is not the man dude, Matt is almost a gothic vocalist with high pitched moments so u need a dynamic vocalist... Tim Owens it's just all about high pitched

Completely agree with that. One of several reasons that IE became a legendary band is Barlow's engaging, dynamic, and unique voice. He didn't just scream/sing high like all the other guys out there. He was DIFFERENT and he was good at it. Tim may be good at what he does but it's just the same as everyone else. Bad choice for a replacement IMO.

(And I agree that IE is well classified simply as "US Power Metal" but if you want to get nitty-gritty and specific then they're just a hyrid of power, heavy, thrash and a bit of prog. That's way too complicated tho )

It's always cool find people who share my opinion but one thing.. US power metal? c'mon, first what's the difference btw power metal and us power metal... :S? and second does a double bass drum make a band power metal ?

US power metal combines parts of prog, speed and thrash metal with a traditional heavy metal base. Prominent bands: Helstar, Jag Panzer, Metal Church, Liege Lord, Vicious Rumors, etc.
Old Iced Earth is the same category: US power/thrash (up to Burnt Offerings)

I'm anti pointless-tags anyway I'll check that bands out and try to analize and see if they are that different from the "main styles", in order to don't need to use another tag... =)

with all respect but isn't there a change older guys can be right for just once? Believe me: US power metal is a different style from power metal as you guys know it; Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Helloween, etc.... Both genres have a different history and sound different and both are official metal genres. LISTEN TO IT !!!!!!!!!!!

Could u plz give an explanation?why sound different? differences, points etc of us power metal thx

Compare Helstar - Nosferatu and Stratovarius - Fright Night, both from 1989. You'll see. No need of further descriptions. US power metal has other roots than the European (melodic) one and is even by today's standards very different. (I mean some genres transcend into each other, you can find very rarely bandst to play purely x or y genre, and mark, US power metal is a combination already).
If you cannot find Helstar, PM me, and I'll send you an album. Or any band I mentioned above.

KK I'll try when I would have time I'll check that out then I'll get a conclusion =)))

@dam3k

Well, we discussed about this before (it were very hard discussions ) in other threads but it seems you weren't there. If you don't believe me about the diffrence; contact ozman of jeff about it. There are also websites who clearly make this difference as well, unfortunatly I'm not the only one...

This weekend I was at the keep-it-true festival in Germany (specialised in US (heavy/power and thrash) metal and NWOBHM). I talked to a German promotor of the Brazilan underground metal scène. He doesn't understand neither that the young fans don't seem to care about US power metal but it's obvious because of a lack of promotion by the big labels. Just as I am he's convinced that if those bands would have more promotion the younger metalfans would love them. Talking about keep-it-ture festival; next edition in april will be with Laaz Rockit, Sabbat, Lethal, Piledriver; Destructor, Twisted Tower Dire,...

Let's give it a shot about the difference between both styles:
Euro power metal: is based on NWOBHM, especially and maybe exlusive by Iron Maiden. Helloween was propably the first Euro power metal band and they started this genre with "Keepers of the seven keys - part I". The albums before this album were traditional / speed metal. Other bands followed but in the eighties this genre wasn't that popular, the succes started in the ninetees. Most famous bands nowadays are Helloween, Stratovarius, Dragonforce, Sonata Arctica,... The music is pretty heavy, with a lot of double bass drums and very melodic riffs and chorus-lines. Also KEYBOARDSS are important. A lot of these bands sing about dragons and wizards, the vocals are mostly high pitched and 'happy'.

US power metal is based on different genres;
-US thrash metal like old Metallica, Agent Steel, Forbidden,...
-old progressive metal (old Fates Warning, old Queensryche, Heir Apparent, Lethal,...)
-traditional metal (especially Judas Priest, Cirith Ungol,...) and NWOBHM like Iron Maiden, Satan,....
This kind of music is darker than euro power metal an as a matter of fact it has nothing to do with Euo power metal. It's less brutal than thrash metal but heavier than traditional metal. The riffs are very thrashy, very progressive, shredding guitars are often used. The vocals are often high pitched, even falsetto but also stronger than the European singers. Talking about James Rivera (Helstar, Vicious Rumors,...) Ski (Deadly Blessing), Harry Concklin (Jag Panzer, Titan Force),.... But not all singers are high pitched! Speed isn't the most important, variation and pure power is. US POWER METAL DOES NOT USE KEYBOARDS (not even Iced Earth) ! The lyrics are about all kind of subjects; suïcide, war, metal, politics, God, ancient stories,... A lot of songs are MID-TEMPO. Bands who started this genre are bands like Helstar (starting with' Remnants of war', Liege Lord, .... The first Iced Earth albums were pure US power metal.

I hope this will make it clear. So, don't make the mistake to mix US power metal and Euro power metal. Even in the USA there are bands who play Euro power metal like Kamelot and Cellador but also the oppsite is a fact: European bands who play "US" style power metal like Brainstorm, Shadowkeep, Mystic Prophecy,...

Try to look at google: just write US power metal and you'll discover other bands than the bands you used to know.

I'm convinced you will discover awesome bands but soon you'll see this genre is so god damned underrated. The only band who's popular, although they're not typical US power metal anymore, is Iced Earth.

There's a lot of US power metal, even nowadays. Besides the "oldies" like Helstar, Jag Panzer, Overlorde, Deadly Blessing, Steel Prophet,Final Axe, Attacker, Winters Bane, Vicious Rumors, .... there's also a new generation like Ravensthorne, Outworld, Crescent Shield, Dark Arena, Cresent, Seventh Calling,....

On myspace.com you can learn more about most of these bands....

Has anyone heard Matt Barlow sing with the First State Force Band? Im curious to hear his voice with the band.

Oh and I got Outworld's CD (Self-Titled)...its killer.

Written by Hellish Star on 05.11.2006 at 18:56

US POWER METAL DOES NOT USE KEYBOARDS (not even Iced Earth)!

Angels Holocaust
Pure Evil
Travel In Stygian
Burnt Offerings
Dante's Inferno

All use Keyboard/synths in some form or another. I believe what you meant to say is that 'US Power metal does not use keyboards as more than a VERY minor supporting role'.

Written by RavenLord on 06.11.2006 at 20:42

Written by Hellish Star on 05.11.2006 at 18:56

US POWER METAL DOES NOT USE KEYBOARDS (not even Iced Earth)!

Angels Holocaust
Pure Evil
Travel In Stygian
Burnt Offerings
Dante's Inferno

All use Keyboard/synths in some form or another. I believe what you meant to say is that 'US Power metal does not use keyboards as more than a VERY minor supporting role'.

Well, if you understand it, why asking it... It is a fact these bands use (very rarely) keyboards but only for some effects or some backgrounds but not as a real instrument.... Not as Sonata Arctica, not as Helloween, not as Warmen, not as Stratovaiurs...

Capito???

the drummer is among the best in melodic metal i have ever heard

@ cursed: which of all the drummers?? Iced Earth has had more than 5 drummers

oh fuck
well, maybe the one that plays on the phantom opera ghost-near the end, there's this lightning fast bass drum interlude that lasts about half a minute and that guy played at such an amazing speed i was almost shocked
plus the video with tim the ripper and the rest of the guys in this warehouse and in the instrumental parts, ripper starts to punch in the air while holding the mic with his other hand...metal or what? had also wonderful drumming
and when i started first to listen to them i started with "to curse the skies" and i wasn't impressed at all,i thought it was just a thrash band playing slower
but now i got the real essence of the band
edit: well,now i found out that the drummer who played for death on "the sound of perseverance" is the same guy on the phantom opera ghost..needless to say he's one of the best i've heard so far

I like them pretty much
Dark Saga is great album, and songs like Melancholy, I Died For You and A Question of Heaven are fantastic!

I had aways considered Iced Earth a rather weak band, and I found "The Glorious Burden" a totally disgusting album (musically, leaving behind the lyrics), but I still think Alive In Athens is the most superb live album ever released in Metal...

I agree with you!
Alive at Athens is great album... I'm sad I'll never get the chance to see them live in old line up

dammit man where did jon shaffer find those fucking drummers?1?!?!!
ALL 5 are among the best drummers i have ever heard
and dante's inferno is almost a masterpiece, how the fuck can you play the guitar for 16 minutes with so few stops?! and do it perfectly(like it says in the review) in alive in athens?

I hadn't given "Burnt Offerings" a chance till yesterday.Wow it is better than the "Dark Saga" and every other album,except "Night Of The Stormrider",my favorite.Has lots of slow moments,which is great,a perfect balance of heavy and mellow.I also wanted to see what people thought about the re-issue cover art,I dont know I have been thinking about paying $15 to $20 more for their first 3 albums,just cuz the cover art is so much more epic and creative.Even the inserts and cds are differnet,the original NOTSR has pentagrams and is black,looks way cooler.Which brings me to another question,it almost seems old Iced Earth was slightly anti-religous,being their first album's cover had an angel being constricted by a serpent,symbolic of the devil?song titled "Curse The Heavens" and their second effort having pentagrams on the cd,as with the inserts.Just curious?

Happy birthday to Jon Schaffer

it took me a lonnng ass while! lol, but I seriously like this band! Very unique sound which is for me an aquired taste, but great band nonetheless. I like their song, "I Died For You" .

Written by [user id=160] on 15.03.2007 at 01:26

it took me a lonnng ass while! lol, but I seriously like this band! Very unique sound which is for me an aquired taste, but great band nonetheless. I like their song, "I Died For You" .

Why did it take you that much dude??

"I died for you" isn't only my favorite balad but my favorite song by them.

Written by Bitch Boy on 15.03.2007 at 03:12

Written by [user id=160] on 15.03.2007 at 01:26

it took me a lonnng ass while! lol, but I seriously like this band! Very unique sound which is for me an aquired taste, but great band nonetheless. I like their song, "I Died For You" .

Why did it take you that much dude??

"I died for you" isn't only my favorite balad but my favorite song by them.

i don't know, i always liked the guitar riffs. Just the vocals of Barlow didn't seem high pitched enough for me. But after a while I realised, that's okay .

Written by Mega-Slayer on 17.12.2006 at 02:03

Which brings me to another question,it almost seems old Iced Earth was slightly anti-religous

Jon Schaffer has never been a fan of organized religion...I'm of the same mindset, it causes more grief in the world than it's worth IMO.


btw...new update from Jon...

ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer has sent the following update to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"I just wanted to give you an update of what's happening in ICED EARTH world.

"We just finished mixing and mastering the [new] single, which will be titled 'Overture of the Wicked' and should be released in late May or early June. The four songs that will be featured on this are as follows:

01. Ten Thousand Strong
02. Prophecy
03. Birth of the Wicked
04. The Coming Curse

"'Ten Thousand Strong' will be the song that we will be filming a video for in the following months, most likely in June right around the Sweden Rock festival.

"I'm very happy with the results of our efforts. We've been really working hard on delivering something special to you guys and this single is just a hint of things to come, and it's freakin' awesome.

"We will be finishing the rest of production for Part 1 over the course of the next few weeks, with plans to mix in the early part of May. The title of the full release is 'Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)' and should be out in the late August/September time frame. The 'Framing Armageddon' tracklist will appear as follows:

01. Overture
02. Something Wicked (Part 1)
03. Invasion
04. Man's Motivation
05. The Setian Massacre
06. A Charge to Keep
07. Reflections
08. Ten Thousand Strong
09. Execution
10. Order of the Rose
11. The Clouding
12. Infiltrate and Assimilate
13. Retribution Through the Ages
14. Something Wicked (Part 2)
15. The Domino Decree
16. Framing Armageddon
17. When Stars Collide (Born is He)
18. The Awakening

"The working title of Part 2 is 'Revelation Abomination Something Wicked (Part 2)' and the tracklist is as follows:

01. The Sacred Flames
02. Behold the Wicked Child
03. Minions of the Watch
04. A Gift or a Curse
05. I Walk Among You
06. Harbinger of Fate
07. Ancient Rage of the High Priest
08. A Gathering Threat / Time Marches On
09. Sacrificial Kingdoms
10. Something Wicked (Part 3)
11. Divide Devour
12. Conspiracy / Pilgrimage In Guile
13. Come What May

"The final tracking and mixing for Part 2 will take place between the festivals and world tour and will have a targeted release in February/March of 2008.

"Due to family health issues, Bo Wallace will not be able to be involved with ICED EARTH. I played the bass guitar parts on the single and we will be bringing Dennis Hayes, who worked with Tim [Owens, vocals] on his BEYOND FEAR side project, in to play on parts of the remainder of the recording. He will be doing the live shows as well."

Written by Iced Dog on 18.03.2007 at 05:00

Written by Mega-Slayer on 17.12.2006 at 02:03

Which brings me to another question,it almost seems old Iced Earth was slightly anti-religous

Jon Schaffer has never been a fan of organized religion...I'm of the same mindset, it causes more grief in the world than it's worth IMO.


btw...new update from Jon...

ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer has sent the following update to BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

"I just wanted to give you an update of what's happening in ICED EARTH world.

"We just finished mixing and mastering the [new] single, which will be titled 'Overture of the Wicked' and should be released in late May or early June. The four songs that will be featured on this are as follows:

01. Ten Thousand Strong
02. Prophecy
03. Birth of the Wicked
04. The Coming Curse

"'Ten Thousand Strong' will be the song that we will be filming a video for in the following months, most likely in June right around the Sweden Rock festival.

"I'm very happy with the results of our efforts. We've been really working hard on delivering something special to you guys and this single is just a hint of things to come, and it's freakin' awesome.

"We will be finishing the rest of production for Part 1 over the course of the next few weeks, with plans to mix in the early part of May. The title of the full release is 'Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)' and should be out in the late August/September time frame. The 'Framing Armageddon' tracklist will appear as follows:

01. Overture
02. Something Wicked (Part 1)
03. Invasion
04. Man's Motivation
05. The Setian Massacre
06. A Charge to Keep
07. Reflections
08. Ten Thousand Strong
09. Execution
10. Order of the Rose
11. The Clouding
12. Infiltrate and Assimilate
13. Retribution Through the Ages
14. Something Wicked (Part 2)
15. The Domino Decree
16. Framing Armageddon
17. When Stars Collide (Born is He)
18. The Awakening

"The working title of Part 2 is 'Revelation Abomination Something Wicked (Part 2)' and the tracklist is as follows:

01. The Sacred Flames
02. Behold the Wicked Child
03. Minions of the Watch
04. A Gift or a Curse
05. I Walk Among You
06. Harbinger of Fate
07. Ancient Rage of the High Priest
08. A Gathering Threat / Time Marches On
09. Sacrificial Kingdoms
10. Something Wicked (Part 3)
11. Divide Devour
12. Conspiracy / Pilgrimage In Guile
13. Come What May

"The final tracking and mixing for Part 2 will take place between the festivals and world tour and will have a targeted release in February/March of 2008.

"Due to family health issues, Bo Wallace will not be able to be involved with ICED EARTH. I played the bass guitar parts on the single and we will be bringing Dennis Hayes, who worked with Tim [Owens, vocals] on his BEYOND FEAR side project, in to play on parts of the remainder of the recording. He will be doing the live shows as well."

I agree with you as well,and it sounds like good news from the Iced Earth camp.

For me Iced Earth existed till Mat Barlow was in the band. And I think that owning Alive in Athens an Iced Earth fan is actually covered...

Written by Anathemani@c on 25.03.2007 at 23:42

For me Iced Earth existed till Mat Barlow was in the band. And I think that owning Alive in Athens an Iced Earth fan is actually covered...

I respect your opinion but I don't agree with either of these statements. Owens is also a very good vocalist, I'd said a good choice to "fill" Matt's vocals. And, "Alive in Athens" can be compared with the whole discography, but imo it's a good album.

Quote:

Quote:

I respect your opinion but I don't agree with either of these statements. Owens is also a very good vocalist, I'd said a good choice to "fill" Matt's vocals. And, "Alive in Athens" can be compared with the whole discography, but imo it's a good album.

I agree and believe that Owens is a preety good singer, but his voice cannot follow Iced Earth's heavy riffs. John Schaffer was always stuck-imo- to that cind of singers. Barlow was the ine for me cause his voice was over the music. I dont know if you get my point..

Written by [user id=17698] on 10.11.2006 at 19:23

I agree with you!
Alive at Athens is great album... I'm sad I'll never get the chance to see them live in old line up

Me too. I would give anything to see them live again with Mat Barlow and Steve Digiorgio on stage.

where can i get the original 100% real set list for the alive in athens show?

Written by Anathemani@c on 28.03.2007 at 11:20

I agree and believe that Owens is a preety good singer, but his voice cannot follow Iced Earth's heavy riffs. John Schaffer was always stuck-imo- to that cind of singers. Barlow was the ine for me cause his voice was over the music. I dont know if you get my point..

I do, and I have to say I agree with you in this one. I especially think his performance in Alive in Athens was just asskicking.

Written by Valentin B on 28.03.2007 at 14:10

where can i get the original 100% real set list for the alive in athens show?

Try a bootleg from the 'Something Wicked...' tour. If you can find a trading site, I'm sure they'd be happy to tell you the tracklisting (although I suspect that as the shows in Athens were 'special', you'd have to find a listing for that specific bootleg, rather than one from the tour as a whole).

Personally, I really don't like Owens' voice. It's nothing personal against the guy - I've tried to like his vocal lines, but they just annoy me more often than not. Looks like the new IE will be another 'try before you buy' this year...

i love ripper's voice. the high-pitched stuff sound so vicious and flesh-cutting(especially on my fav live album, 98 live meltdown), not like rob halford's "extra-clean" (especially on "unleashed in the east") high vocal style, though they're both doing their job fantastically.
i think though that the last IE album, the glorious burden, had waaay too much emphasis on vocals, and thus made ripper's voice sound bad. i don't have a problem with the shrieks, the gettysburg trilogy doesn't have almost any impossible notes, but the over-layered choruses are sometimes just too damn cheesy(it's hansi kursch messing with schaffer's brain i suppose XD)

@ravenlord: try "rapid fire", "electric eye", "diamonds and rust", "the sentinel" and "a touch of evil" from the 98 live meltdown album, they're simply the best stuff owens has to offer. if you don't like these songs, you might as well leave it as is, it's the ripper in his prime, his voice can't get any better than on those discs.

but i am EXTREMELY curious as to how the new album will sound. will it be "night of the stormrider 2", "something wicked: rehashed" or will it be "the glorious burden: the return"? or, in the typical jon schaffer style, will it be YET ANOTHER radical shift in style?

@ RavenLord: I always do the "try and then buy" thing if the album isn't that good, I only download it.

Written by Bitch Boy on 31.03.2007 at 23:16

@ RavenLord: I always do the "try and then buy" thing if the album isn't that good, I only download it.

As Bruce Dickinson said in Sweden, '03....

'We're going to do a new song now, so I want you all to get out your mp3 players, mobile phones, whatever, and record it [Wildest Dreams]. I want you to send it to as many friends as you like, because - we're not like Metallica. There's an awful lot of music out there that is so shit I wouldn't pay any money for it. But, I want to ask you to do one thing. If you download the new album, when it comes out, and you like it, and you think it's worth the money...I really want you to go out and buy it. It's, what, 15 Kroner, so if you think it's worth three beers, go out and buy it. And if you don't like it...well, do whatever the fuck you like, I don't care!'

Written by RavenLord on 31.03.2007 at 23:30

As Bruce Dickinson said in Sweden, '03....

'We're going to do a new song now, so I want you all to get out your mp3 players, mobile phones, whatever, and record it [Wildest Dreams]. I want you to send it to as many friends as you like, because - we're not like Metallica. There's an awful lot of music out there that is so shit I wouldn't pay any money for it. But, I want to ask you to do one thing. If you download the new album, when it comes out, and you like it, and you think it's worth the money...I really want you to go out and buy it. It's, what, 15 Kroner, so if you think it's worth three beers, go out and buy it. And if you don't like it...well, do whatever the fuck you like, I don't care!'

hahaha that was a very cool message. There are very good albums that are worth paying their price, but there are some others than are just worth having a couple of songs in the PC or the mp3 player.

Sorry for the off-topic, but was this just after that Lars and Napster catfight?