I'm fairly new to Iced Earth. I haven't listened to their entire discography, but what I've heard has been great. My question is: What is with people always wanting Barlow back with Iced Earth? Does Tim Owens not do a good job? Are their styles very different?
Iced Earth... Barlow.. Tim Owens..
- Thread starter Cheiron
- Start date
Bear
Got Shred??
To me Barlow is the voice of Iced Earth, the signiture style that made that band,like Jon's guitars. He is a hell of a cool cat too. everyone after even as good as Ripper is, he's not Barlow.
Bear
Bear
General Zod
Ruler of Australia
Very different. Ripper is an excellent vocalist. Everything he does on disc, he pulls off live. His work on the "Gettysburg" trilogy gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. However, to many, he's merely a Halford clone. And perhaps even more importantly, he's not Barlow. Consequently, he gets unfairly criticized.Cheiron said:
Barlow, had a very unique voice and that voice became integral to Iced Earth's sound. He sang with more passion and feeling than anyone I've ever heard. He had range and power. He could go from heartbreaking, smooth lows to ear-shredding shrieks at the drop of a hat. Short of Tate, he's the finest Metal vocalist ever (IMNSHO).
To hear each singer at their best I'd recommend the following songs:
Barlow - Dracula (off "Horror Show")
Owens - High Water Mark (off "The Glorious Burden")
By the way, if you're new to Iced Earth, simply go buy everything from "Dark Saga" to present day and thank me later.
Zod
JenniferLynn
AKA Irish
To be honest, my intro to Iced Earth was 'Glorious Burden' and instantly loved them because of Ripper's vocals... (not selling the guitar work short, I'm just partial to kick ass singers)
I do have some of the old IE stuff and Barlow does have a very very unique voice (at times the way he sings he sounds so much like Paul Stanley), however, I do like Ripper better 'cause it's just my taste..
And that Gettysburg trilogy is f'n genius... I'm a bit of a Civil War buff and I thought that was just amazing...
I do have some of the old IE stuff and Barlow does have a very very unique voice (at times the way he sings he sounds so much like Paul Stanley), however, I do like Ripper better 'cause it's just my taste..
And that Gettysburg trilogy is f'n genius... I'm a bit of a Civil War buff and I thought that was just amazing...
guardian26
Mike the Cop
I loved Barlow and I was worried with the vocal change, but the Gettysburg disc is so great. Gives me the chills when I hear it.
yardleybates
Chick Wrangler
Zod stated it great. Barlow just has a vocal style that is unequaled. I agree that Ripper did an amazing job on Glorius Burden and I'm excited to see what the new album will sound like as it will be written for Ripper. I do feel that he is very Halford sounding and I am hopeful that he will come up with a more personal sound on the next album. Yippee and I saw them live with Ripper and he did an awesome job on the songs old and new.
Yes I wish I had seen Barlow with TE I saw tim on Glorious Burden and was one of my all time favorite shows!!!!! Doing Gettysburg and Something Wicked Trilogy in same concert it was a GREAT METAL moment!!!!!!! Ripper is also just class guy all the way around!!!!!! Also saw Ripper do Edge of Thorns with Chris Caffery in Cleveland at Alice Coopers!!! during BWBK III!!!AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
Yippee38
Living the dream!
TBJ
Member
General Zod said:
I totally agree with you, only, you forgot Burnt Offerings on your recommentations. That's the darkest Iced Earth disk to date and I love it for that same reason.
Barlow has one of the best voices in all metaldom, period.
Bryan316
METAL... nuff said!
Barlow was THE most evil voice in all of heavy metal. No one can do the ending of Dante's Inferno and sound as demonic as him. His voice is brutal, his vocal attack is always aggressive and precise, and yet he can sing Melancholy with heart-ripping passion and pain.
Owens is the only person I can think of who could replace Barlow. There's nobody out there that I think could do a better job. The change in style is significant, but once I heard him sing Pure Evil live, I knew he fit in perfectly. I do not think of him as being a Halford clone, because that's just unfair. Yes he can do Halford's job like no one else, but he's also tremendous when NOT sounding like Halford. Gettysburg is amazing.
No, I can't get Barlow back. But I'm damned glad Owens is his replacement. I'm beyond excited to hear how he sounds when Shaffer writes songs with his voice in mind. THAT will prove things are they way they should be.
Jenn, Cheiron... just go get Alive In Athens to see why everyone loves Barlow so much. It's better than a Greatest Hits album. It's the definitive sound of Iced Earth. Live, brutal, and three hours of whupass.
AND DON'T BUY THE TWO DISC VERSION! Get all three!
Owens is the only person I can think of who could replace Barlow. There's nobody out there that I think could do a better job. The change in style is significant, but once I heard him sing Pure Evil live, I knew he fit in perfectly. I do not think of him as being a Halford clone, because that's just unfair. Yes he can do Halford's job like no one else, but he's also tremendous when NOT sounding like Halford. Gettysburg is amazing.
No, I can't get Barlow back. But I'm damned glad Owens is his replacement. I'm beyond excited to hear how he sounds when Shaffer writes songs with his voice in mind. THAT will prove things are they way they should be.
Jenn, Cheiron... just go get Alive In Athens to see why everyone loves Barlow so much. It's better than a Greatest Hits album. It's the definitive sound of Iced Earth. Live, brutal, and three hours of whupass.
AND DON'T BUY THE TWO DISC VERSION! Get all three!
Bryan316
METAL... nuff said!
General Zod said:
I'd say, Pure Evil and Blessed Are You from Alive In Athens. ESPECIALLY the ending of Blessed Are You. I've tried to reach that note. Fuck that. NOT happening!!!
edgeofthorns
24 Hours Ago...
I'm curious about something. Why is it when a singer sings in a low range with a little gruffness people tend to say that he sings with a great deal of passion? The "ball squeezer" vocalists, as I like to refer to them, don't really get that said about them. Why is that?
BlackenedDawn
Member
There is nothing wrong with Ripper. He was great in Judas Priest, he does the job in Iced Earth and is amazing on his own with Beyond Fear. But Matt Barlow IS the not only the voice, but the heart and soul of Iced Earth. IE may be John's band, but no matter how fast you can gudge the same note, Barlow always comes out as the best. His voice is untouchable, not many people can convey such emotion in their words and voice (Not counting Englund, of course 
.) Iced Earth pretty much died when Barlow left the band. I'll always be a fan of IE, but Barlow will always be one of my absolute favorite vocalists, ever. COME BACK TO US, BART MARLOW! LOL
.) Iced Earth pretty much died when Barlow left the band. I'll always be a fan of IE, but Barlow will always be one of my absolute favorite vocalists, ever. COME BACK TO US, BART MARLOW! LOL
Bryan316
METAL... nuff said!
Not true.
General Lee's conversation with Longstreet is a prime example of a screamer being incredibly emotional. He is truly ANGRY in that argument late at night in a tent near a battlefield. Awesome.
And I'd say Luppi was ALL kinds of emotional and passionate on VD's two albums and on stage.
General Lee's conversation with Longstreet is a prime example of a screamer being incredibly emotional. He is truly ANGRY in that argument late at night in a tent near a battlefield. Awesome.
And I'd say Luppi was ALL kinds of emotional and passionate on VD's two albums and on stage.
booB
Señor Member
Part of the reason that many people didn't like Ripper on The Glorious Burden was because most of the music was written specifically with Barlow's voice in mind. I liked the disc, but I think the next one will sound much better, being written for (and partly BY) Ripper.
General Zod
Ruler of Australia
I knew someone would say that. While I agree that "Burnt Offerings" is a classic, it is theor most unique disc and not something that would necessarily be a blind buy for someone who likes the other stuff.TBJ said:
Zod
sinerchris
Everythin is never enough
General Zod
Ruler of Australia
Probably for the same reason that people say guitar players who play fast aren't emotional. It seems to me, that when a singer hits those really high notes, he loses the nuance he had in his lower, more natural ranges.edgeofthorns said:
Zod
...kinda funny...i have seen ripper with judas priest and with iced earth...but never with the rob halford or matt barlow.......
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