Iced Earth - Box of the Wicked

[nomisofsiman]

I thought he said he wasn't going to release this. Now that I see all that it includes, I personally think he should've left it at that. There really is nothing special here if you didn't buy those discs, and from what it sounds like, it doesn't sound like it's an impressive package either. Just my two cents.

"ICED EARTH's "Box Of The Wicked" will be released in Europe on April 26 (three days earlier in Germany) and May 18 in the U.S. via SPV/Steamhammer Records. The set is limited to 10,000 copies worldwide.

While ICED EARTH's 1998 album "Something Wicked This Way Comes" provided a general overview of the story guitarist/songwriter Jon Schaffer has been conceptualizing for well over a decade, the saga was fully brought to life with the release of the back-to-back conceptual albums "Framing Armageddon" and "The Crucible of Man". The albums provided answers to mysteries the previous releases created, and the timeliness of the story in today's world were guaranteed to keep people thinking and guessing. Schaffer's ability to convey the central themes and events of the story without always revealing exactly "why" characters' decisions are made and "how" events come to pass will keep fans of the saga coming back as future mediums for the "Something Wicked" storyline are revealed.

The whole saga is now included in this high-quality hardcover boxset (height 13 cm, depth 4.5 cm, width 14.5 cm) featuring the original digipak CDs "Framing Armageddon" and "The Crucible Of Man" as well as the original digipaks EPs "Overture Of The Wicked" and "I Walk Among You". In addition, the boxset includes a bonus cardboard CD with one song from "Framing Armageddon" now sung by Matt Barlow and three previously unreleased live tracks from the Belgian Graspop Metal Meeting festival in 2008, also featuring Barlow on vocals. The boxset will come with a full-color A1 poster and a 12-page booklet with previously unseen photos and liner notes.

Digipak CD - "Framing Armageddon"

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

Digipak Single - "Overture Of The Wicked"

01. Ten Thousand Strong
02. Prophecy (re-recorded version of the original from 1998 with Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals)
03. Birth of the Wicked (re-recorded version of the original from 1998 with Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals)
04. The Coming Curse (re-recorded version of the original from 1998 with Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals)

Digipak CD - "The Crucible Of Man"

01. In Sacred Flames
02. Behold The Wicked Child
03. Minions Of The Watch
04. The Revealing
05. A Gift Or A Curse
06. Crown Of The Fallen
07. The Dimension Gauntlet
08. I Walk Alone
09. Harbringer Of Fate
10. Crucify The King
11. Sacrificial Kingdoms
12. Something Wicked (Part 3)
13. Divide Devour
14. Come What May
15. Epilogue

Digipak Single - "I Walk Among You"

01. I Walk Alone
02. Setian Massacre (re-recorded version of the "Framing Armageddon" track with Matt Barlow on vocals)
03. The Clouding (re-recorded version of the "Framing Armageddon" track with Matt Barlow on vocals)

Bonus CD (cardboard sleeve)

01. A Charge To Keep (re-recorded version of the "Framing Armageddon" track with Matt Barlow on vocals)
02. Dark Saga (previously unreleased, Live At Graspop Festival, Belgium June 2008)
03. Iced Earth (previously unreleased, Live At Graspop Festival, Belgium June 2008)
04. Pure Evil (previously unreleased, Live At Graspop Festival, Belgium June 2008)

Plus:

* High-quality 12-page booklet with previously unseen photos and liner notes
* Full-color A1 poster"

 

[PureXul]

Bonus CD (cardboard sleeve)

01. A Charge To Keep (re-recorded version of the "Framing Armageddon" track with Matt Barlow on vocals)
02. Dark Saga (previously unreleased, Live At Graspop Festival, Belgium June 2008)
03. Iced Earth (previously unreleased, Live At Graspop Festival, Belgium June 2008)
04. Pure Evil (previously unreleased, Live At Graspop Festival, Belgium June 2008)

Seriously...that's it? I thought they were going to release the entire Graspop show, as a CD and/or DVD, in which case I wouldn't have thought twice about picking up the boxset. But 1 re-recorded studio song and three live tracks?

IE is my favorite band but between the lack of new material/value and the fact that I wouldn't be surprised to see the entire Graspop show released as bonus material on a future DVD, nor would I be shocked if Jon re-records Framing Armageddon in its entirety down the road, I'm gonna have to pass on this one

 

[Jasonic]

100% pointless.
In this day and age where people are buying fewer and fewer physical CDs, you have to do better than that!

The Dark Genesis boxset was amazing when it came out, since you got remastered versions of the first 3 discs, the Enter the Realm demo on CD, and the Tribute To the Gods CD.

How hard would it have been to include the FULL Graspop performance?
Its not like they literally ONLY recorded those songs when they were there.
Even if they came out terrible, the studio can do wonders!

Though to be honest, not sure really if that would have pushed anyone over the fence on this one.

Let's face it. Iron Maiden set the bar pretty freakin' high with the EDDIE'S ARCHIVE boxset.
Any other boxset fails miserably in comparison.

 

[CD INZANE]

It's one of those sets like a few yearz ago when CM Germany released the deluxe LP-look box with one bonus dvd. They go out of print in like 2 months but this box set seems better as far as what is in it outside of some of the audio stuff. The box set is a nice collector, especially if left sealed; if one can

They run about $40 and we have them up for Preorder so they should be here within about 3-4 weeks.

Not sure why the skimping on the FULL SHOW but most of the time it's because someone did not like their full performance or even more-so, the label did not want to pay the pricing for license of the full thing. Maybe we'll find out why.

WWW.CDINZANE.COM
763-391-9344

 

[CD INZANE]

 

[nomisofsiman]

Seriously...that's it? I thought they were going to release the entire Graspop show, as a CD and/or DVD, in which case I wouldn't have thought twice about picking up the boxset. But 1 re-recorded studio song and three live tracks?

From everything I've heard, that show is going to be a separate release. I've never heard that was going to be a part of this set. This still is pretty lame. With box sets, especially those that are limited there has to be something special that is warranted to buy them. Let's face it, everyone that would be interested in this, already has the two cds. As Jason said, there isn't a metal box set around that touches Eddie's Archives.

 

[AngraRULES]

:yanws:

I miss the Iced Earth from before. I really stopped caring after the last few discs. I enjoyed The Glorious Burden, but nothing they put out since then has grabbed me at all.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

first off I am a huge IE fan they are my favorite band, I honestly think I hurt myself screaming every single lyric when they played at PP. But this is just a box of LAME (that is if you already own both CD [and even lamer if you already own both EPs as well]if not then it is awsome)

And I was really looking foward to this coming out, cause from what i had read about it on the internet, it was supposed to come with a live DVD, Matt was supposed to re-record all the vocals on "Framing Armegeddon" and it was supposed to have a graphic novel telling the story. this will be the first thing that Iced Earth has ever put out that I am not buying.

 

[Savage Pumpkin]

From everything I've heard, that show is going to be a separate release. I've never heard that was going to be a part of this set. This still is pretty lame. With box sets, especially those that are limited there has to be something special that is warranted to buy them. Let's face it, everyone that would be interested in this, already has the two cds. As Jason said, there isn't a metal box set around that touches Eddie's Archives.

Is Eddies Archive the set that comes in the Metal tin box with three cd's and a IM shotglass?

 

[nomisofsiman]

Is Eddies Archive the set that comes in the Metal tin box with three cd's and a IM shotglass?

Yes.

 

[RagePSV]

:yanws:

I miss the Iced Earth from before. I really stopped caring after the last few discs. I enjoyed The Glorious Burden, but nothing they put out since then has grabbed me at all.

Agreed. The Dark Saga was the last one I REALLY got into, the only material they have done since then that I have really enjoyed was the Glorious Burden trilogy, the rest of the album was mediocre to me.

 

[Iced Dog]

Matt was supposed to re-record all the vocals on "Framing Armegeddon" and it was supposed to have a graphic novel telling the story.

Exactly! This is disappointing...and it was also supposed to include an uncut version of Crucible Of Man, with all the interlude/segue tracks that Jon cut out before releasing it...this is some bullshit.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

I could understand cutting this one back and not including all that stuff if they were working on a new album or something, but this just seems half-assed. I wish they would not put this out and just take some time and put out what they had orginally said they would put out, cause I am sure that there is 10,000 IE fans that would have bought that, but this release, well they are going to have alot of back stock.

 

[General Zod]

Overall, I've never seen the value in boxed sets. As a fan, you likely own 90% of the material a box set typically offers. That aside, this boxed set especially sucks. First off, these may be the two worst CDs Iced Earth has ever released. Now we're suppose to buy them again? Seriously? Why... for the audio of three live tracks that will most likely wind up on the next DVD? Jon needs to worry a little less about marketing and conspiracy theories and a little more about writing quality songs.

 

[drmetal8]

From what I recall, Jon posted something a while ago saying that this boxset would not include everything it was originally intended to (mainly the re-recorded Framing Armageddon) because of SPV's financial difficulties.

Then they shouldn't release it IMO. This is just another cash grab by the label.
I won't be buying it. To be honest, I hope this marks the end of the "Wicked" storyline, as I'd like to hear something different from the band again.

 

[nomisofsiman]

Overall, I've never seen the value in boxed sets. As a fan, you likely own 90% of the material a box set typically offers.

There are two ways box sets usually are handled. The first is that it contains a lot of bonus tracks, unreleased material, live content, dvds, etc. The other is that where a band's entire back catalog is put together in one place. Those I see being pointless to some people because if you have the entire catalog there's no point unless it's such an impressive package that you absolutely must have it.

 

[Savage Pumpkin]

I own only three box sets. All three have something you really couldn't get elsewhere at the time.


1. Iced Earth- Dark Genesis Box
2. Iron Maiden- Eddies Archives
3. Gamma Ray- Ultimate Box