Iced Earth Preview

[DoomsdayZach]

Ripper isn't Matt and he never tried to be. I can only imagine what he sounded like live on most of the old material, but I liked the Something Wicked re-recordings, I think he did a good job with them.

Though I have to admit, I was never a big Iced Earth fan before Ripper. I had Something Wicked This Way Comes and Night of the Stormrider (though I liked both, never bothered to get more), so I don't suppose I ever really missed Barlow.

Night of the Stormrider was John Greeley singing. And ripper sucked on those re-recordings. He could handle birth of the wicked, but loses all emotion of prophecy. He can't do songs like that at all in iced earth. Dracula, Melancholy, songs like those literally were just raped. They were terrible.

Maiden's first 2 albums are my favorites...I always consider Dianno Maiden and Dickenson Maiden 2 different bands.

What are some of Iced Earth's best releases? I had The Glorious Burden, but never really got into it...I've sampled Burnt Offerings and think that may be more to my liking.

Something Wicked This Way Comes is definitely their best album. Although it has a few filler tracks, "Prophecy", "Birth of the Wicked" and "The Coming Curse" are some of the best heavy/power metal songs ever made.

1. Something Wicked This Way Comes
2. Night of the Stormrider
3. The Dark Saga
4. Burnt Offerings
5. Horror Show

Alive in Athens is also a very good live album.

I actually consider Something Wicked one of the worst albums... it's pretty bland overall. I would say that John Greeley was the best singer (or got the best album) on Night of the Stormrider. Alive in Athens is actually a real good place to start because most of the pre-horror show albums are fairly well represented. Personally, i'd say
1. Night of the Stormrider
2. Burnt Offerings
3. Days of Purgatory
4. Horror Show
5. Dark Saga

 

[Roddoliver]

I like both Barlow and Ripper, but to me, Iced Earth works better with Barlow's voice.

 

[schenkadere]

I like both Barlow and Ripper, but to me, Iced Earth works better with Barlow's voice.

Who's on Burnt Offerings?

I'm surprised that you guys like Nights of the Stormrider better than Burnt Offerings...what is it that makes that one better?

They're both available on iTunes.

 

[DoomsdayZach]

Iced earth vocalists and their albums:

Gene Adams
-Iced Earth

John Greely
-Night of the Stormrider

Matt Barlow
-Burnt Offerings
-Dark Saga
-Days of Purgatory (songs from first two with re-recorded vocals and re-mixed tracks from burnt offerings)
-Something Wicked This Way Comes
-Alive in Athens (live album)
-Horror Show
-Tribute to the Gods (decent cover album, in no way essential)

Tim Owens
-The Glorious Burden
-Framing Armageddon

John Greely is a good vocalist, a bit more raw then Barlow but really excellent. Basically, my understanding is that he got kicked out because his ego got in the way of Jon Schaffer's ego.

Ah, and i prefer Night of the Stormrider better than Burnt Offerings because i like the concept better and i think it is stronger overall. Burnt Offerings is my second favorite and has some really great stuff on it, highlights being Creator Failure, Dante's Inferno and the title track, thuogh there's really no horrible tracks on the album.

 

[schenkadere]

Iced earth vocalists and their albums:

Gene Adams
-Iced Earth

John Greely
-Night of the Stormrider

Matt Barlow
-Burnt Offerings
-Dark Saga
-Days of Purgatory (songs from first two with re-recorded vocals and re-mixed tracks from burnt offerings)
-Something Wicked This Way Comes
-Alive in Athens (live album)
-Horror Show
-Tribute to the Gods (decent cover album, in no way essential)

Tim Owens
-The Glorious Burden
-Framing Armageddon

John Greely is a good vocalist, a bit more raw then Barlow but really excellent. Basically, my understanding is that he got kicked out because his ego got in the way of Jon Schaffer's ego.

Ah, and i prefer Night of the Stormrider better than Burnt Offerings because i like the concept better and i think it is stronger overall. Burnt Offerings is my second favorite and has some really great stuff on it, highlights being Creator Failure, Dante's Inferno and the title track, thuogh there's really no horrible tracks on the album.

Thanks, Zach...guess I can't go wrong with both, huh?

 

[DoomsdayZach]

That's my opinion. I would really recommend those as "classic"

Also, for the record, something wicked isn't a *bad* album, it just has what i feel is the most filler out of any iced earth album. I mean, out of the songs on that album you've got like 5 songs (at least) that could be left off the album and i wouldn't notice, but the something wicked trilogy and Melancholy are both worth the price of admission alone. Don't get the re-recorded trilogy because it's painful. It literally almost made me cry when i put it on and Prophecy sounded like dick.

 

[EyeballKid]

For those who are not as familiar...please, judge for yourself:



The one that sounds kinda tinny, slightly hollow, and emotionless...that's Ripper. I'm sorry, did I interject my opinion?

 

[DoomsdayZach]

No kidding. I think the worst thing is that Owens was awesome in priest (not on the albums, but live he nailed it) and absolutely KILLED in Winters Bane. He's not a bad vocalist, but he just fucks up Iced Earth.

 

[EyeballKid]

Agreed. As soon as he gets out and stops being a replacement, or trying to copy a style already set in place by another singer, I'm sure I'll like him more.

 

[dew]

Night of the Stormrider was John Greeley singing. And ripper sucked on those re-recordings. He could handle birth of the wicked, but loses all emotion of prophecy. He can't do songs like that at all in iced earth. Dracula, Melancholy, songs like those literally were just raped. They were terrible.

I didn't think the "emotion" angle of Prophecy worked well at all. Just my opinion, but I just didn't think it really add anything to the song. Don't get me wrong, the Barlow version of the song is good, but I don't think Ripper's version loses anything from being different.

Ripper didn't sing those songs anything like how Barlow sang them. But I don't think having a different interpretation automatically makes it "raped". Just my opinion, feel free to continue to listen to the Barlow versions of the songs.

And I can't imagine Ripper singing Melancholy, that must have been terrible. It doesn't suit his voice at all. Maybe he could have re-worked it, but I just couldn't imagine it.

 

[DoomsdayZach]

But I don't think having a different interpretation automatically makes it "raped".

No, you're absolutely right, it doesn't. But i don't think Ripper did those songs any justice. Like i said, birth of the wicked worked fairly well with him and is a pretty good version of that song, but still has nothign on the original.

Also, i failed to mention that the absolute horror that i felt when listening to those songs also fell equally on the shoulders of Jon Schaffer for re-working the songs. The production was absolutely wrong for those songs, the parts that he re-worked sounded horribly out of place and completely changed the whole dynamic of the trilogy. So while a different interpretation or updated interpretation isn't necessarily bad, i really think Jon did the completely wrong thing there.

 

[darkblade]

And since Ripper was able to make the Something Wicked trilogy his own, rather than just singing the other guy's parts like Barlow did in those samples, I think it's pretty clear who the better vocalist is.

never heard pays of purgatory i suppose?

beside i don't think butchering a classic is something to be proud of

 

[dew]

No, you're absolutely right, it doesn't. But i don't think Ripper did those songs any justice. Like i said, birth of the wicked worked fairly well with him and is a pretty good version of that song, but still has nothign on the original.

Also, i failed to mention that the absolute horror that i felt when listening to those songs also fell equally on the shoulders of Jon Schaffer for re-working the songs. The production was absolutely wrong for those songs, the parts that he re-worked sounded horribly out of place and completely changed the whole dynamic of the trilogy. So while a different interpretation or updated interpretation isn't necessarily bad, i really think Jon did the completely wrong thing there.

You're certainly a bigger Iced Earth fan than I ever was, like I said before I only ever owned one album with Barlow so I never really missed him. I have to wonder though, what could you have possibly expected from Ripper? He's not a "melancholy" baritone singer. There was no way he was ever going to sing Prophecy the way Barlow did and it would have been foolish of him to try. He sang it the way that worked for him, and my point back there was that Matt singing Framing Armageddon material wasn't singing it in a way that worked for his voice, he sang it the same way Ripper did and I just don't think it sounded as good. I think that Schaffer's original comment, when Ripper was still in the band, when he said Ripper sings it closer to the way he has in mind when he's writing music, says it all. I thought Ripper's voice suited the music the band plays today, while Matt's voice suits the band 5-10 years ago, and since Matt's supposedly going to continue his law enforcement career and only do music part-time, I don't think the upgrade on old songs in a part-time live setting is worth the loss in-studio.

 

[DoomsdayZach]

I have to wonder though, what could you have possibly expected from Ripper?

Honestly... nothing When i first heard the rumor that he was going to be the singer waaay back when Barlow quit, i was just thinking "awww fuck, there goes the band".

You do make a lot of good points though. I honestly want Iced Earth to write another Night of the Stormrider, and that's not going to happen. I think you're right. Tim is a better fit for iced earth these days, but that doesn't help the fact that Jon's songwriting has gone so far downhill it's insane. Yeah, he has a few good tunes left in him, but looking at the past two albums compared to the majority of the rest of the IE catalogue,there's so much more filler.

And it's not just Iced Earth, but Demons and Wizards as well... really bland compared to the debut album.

I totally forgot to listen to the tune, but honestly the Pyramaze stuff that Barlow sang on (clips were released recently) were so underwhelming that I'm not even excited with Barlow's return. I don't think it'll be the same and i don't think the new material will have much impact. To sum it up, barlow era is near and dear to my heart and always will be, and i think Tim did not do that material justice. As of now, it doesn't matter who sings on the albums because ultimately, Jon's out of ideas.

And finally, i'll be the first to admit that i'm a little harder on Tim than is fair. Again, the stuff from the past doesnt' sound good with him IMO, but I can't fault the guy for doing what he's told and was getting paid to do.

 

[razoredge]

Im not qualified for this conversation but who ever is singing on this song Dracula I have is freaking awesome. From what I've heard so far, Im thinking this is Owens ? Or did Barlow rip up the high notes too ? Anyhow they both sound like great vocalists, I really do have get some of these guys albums, havent heard anything yet that fails to get my attention. My kind of metal fo sure

 

[Horus]

Barlow did Dracula.

 

[EyeballKid]

Dracula is one Barlow's best moments, IMO.

 

[Horus]

Horror Show overall, to be honest is just what I think of when I hear "Matt Barlow". The entire album is really solid on his part, but Wolf is what stands out to me the most.

 

[darkblade]

I honestly want Iced Earth to write another Night of the Stormrider

...Amen. although i still prefer barlow to greely. you're right Zach, schaffer is out of ideas. the second D&W album had so much filler. even though hansi wa able to pull it out of the water and keep the album form my dissapointment list. it still hadsome outstanding tunes... they were seperated by mediocrity. similar to something wicked and glorious burden and especially freming armagedon. i still have hope for the futurethough, justbecause i want so badly to relive those days of burnt offerings and dark saga and the SW trilogy and horror show and DOPurgatory.

 

[symphonyXjapan]

Like I have stated many times before, I am one of those who actually enjoyed Framing Armegeddon to an extent. The thing is that I can easily see why so many people didn't like it, it was definately different than the albums that came out pre Glorious Burden (btw I absolutely hated GB). Basically, I do not believe that Jon's songwriting has gone down the drain; rather, it is just that I think his style of writing has turned a little bit more progressive. Maybe he got tired of chugging out the same bass heavy, fast tempo, "in your face" types of songs. FA is not only a little more progressive, it is also much more melodic than older IE material.

Don't get me wrong, I (and I am sure Jon too) really love the classic heavy, fast, up tempo IE stuff; however, over many long years people do change, and I feel that Jon wanted to try something a little different than what he had always done before. I also think that part of him changing had a lot to do with writing material which suited Owen's vocals, which I feel fit better with a more melodic style (which is what FA was). With Barlow back I think Jon may start to ween back a little more to his older style; however, don't expect another Night of the Stormrider or Burnt Offerings. I think because Barlow is back and that the second part of the Something Wicked concept is mostly about "destruction", you can expect an album that is not quite as melodic as FA. Even so, I do expect that some progressive elements will still be present in the second part because this concept is one that Jon is so passionate about that he wanted to make it detailed and stand out more than the others. But even more so I think Jon has become more interested in trying new things out in his songwriting.