I'm fucking jealous of you New Yorkers, because I've read the setlist from that show, and you guys not only got Pure Evil, but also The Coming Curse.
I agree with Zod on Barlow not being quite up to snuff with the Ripper stuff...they're just two different vocalists, and Barlow's range probably isn't completely right for the vocal lines that Ripper laid down on the songs on his two albums. That being said, I'll take that notion a step further and say how epicly disappointed I am that so much of their set this tour (and hell, PROG POWER) has been dedicated to songs that Barlow never sang on record. I mean...I understand that there are people that really love the Gettysburg trilogy and all...but I've seen that piece live before...on the tour for that album, with the singer it was intended to be performed with. Gettysburg is a long piece, and to take so much set time to try and perform it with Barlow (and not even with The Devil to Pay, which I think is the best of that particulary trilogy)...was a poor choice.
How many people are in each Iced Earth audience that either have never seen Barlow perform before (which included me) or who prefer him and couldn't fucking wait to hear him perform classics once again? I'd say a shit ton. Their encore set was solid (two from Something Wicked, one from the s/t), and I don't disagree with including some Ripper tracks (and I think Dec. Day and 10,000 Strong are great choices) and some new tracks (hell the album just came out...support it a little bit). However, I've seen this band play for well over 2 hours, and they could use a similar time to include tracks that I heard when I saw them with Ripper, that would have owned to finally see Barlow sing them. The Hunter, Pure Evil, Disciples of the Lie, Burnt Offerings, Angel's Holocaust, Travel in Stygian, Slave to the Dark, Violate, something from the original Something Wicked trilogy, Frankenstein, etc. etc. etc. There's so many great songs from their back catalogue that I think would have owned at ProgPower or on this tour...that I have been psyched at the possibility of seeing since Barlow decided to rejoin. I waited all day on Saturday at ProgPower hoping and praying that they weren't going to continue with the subpar setlist I'd seen on the tour dates prior, but when that became obvious and they weren't going to deviate from their plan, I left during Gettysburg (which didn't excite me at all with Barlow) and sat up in a chair during the rest of their set.
I don't know what it was about this topic that allowed me to decide on going on a rant like that...wonder if there's anyone out there that agrees with me.
But, I doubt I'm the ONLY one! lol That cd is awesome & so is Ripper's band!!!!!
