My Iced Earth: The Glorious Burden Review

[Xalon Niles]

Iced Earth: The Glorious Burden (Hunter Records/SPV 2004)

I've been listening to Iced Earth since I mistaken their Dark Saga cd for the Spawn Movie soundtrack when both came out the same year in 1995. Iced Earth changed the way I saw Metal because I started out as a Death Metalhead before 1995. The band blew me away with amazing lyrics and songplaying ever heard from one awesome band. The cd that blew be the way the most was Something Wicked This Way Comes because of each song was it's own style from normal Iced Earth to Thrash Metal to Ballad to Epic. To me, The Glorious Burden give the same feel of Something Wicked did for me back in 1998 because of the same layout that was on Something Wicked. Now to The band work, First off to Tim Owens for his greatest singing on the new cd because he has something emotion and power that he didn't show in Judas Priest with his Halford-like screams to melodic singing to Black Metal growl also awesome songwriting but his weak spot is his vocals on ballad. Jon Schaffer shows his best riffs ever on this cd and amazing lyrics with themes that would fit perfectly with the awesome channel History Channel. I'm glad James MacDonough is back in the band because he's the true bassist for Iced Earth then Steve DiGiorgio who was weak on Horror Show cd which was a weak cd at times. The Huge Highlight is American Drummergod Richard Christy pulls off his greatest drumming ever since his days in Death and Control Denied, If you like his work check out his work in his own band Burning Inside and Wade Black's new band Leash Law. This is Iced Earth of 2004 and it's going to be a great year for this awesome band with them at SPV. Rest in Peace Matthew Barlow-era, Welcome Tim Owens-era.

1. Star Spangled Banner -10/10
2. Declaration Day - 9/10
3. When The Eagle Cries - 8/10
4. The Reckoning (Don't Tread On Me) - 10/10
5. Greenface - 10/10
6. Valley Forge - 10/10
7. Attila - 10/10
8. Hollow Man - 10/10
9. Red Baron/Blue Max - 9/10
10. Gettysburg (1863) - 10/10

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 10

My favorite tracks: All of Them expect for When The Eagle Cries because I like The Unplugged version of the song.

 

[\m/]

I love the cd as well and thanks for the review, only change I would make to your review is the 10/10 for the Star Spangled Banner. the cd could have done without that track.

 

[SculptedCold]

9 for originality? That seems excessively generous.

 

[Rottuated]

I love the CD as well. Good review by the way. The Gettysburg trilogy is a masterpiece...definitly one of the best trilogies Jon has ever pulled off. What I like is that many adults have been open minded about this album, even if they don't like metal a whole lot. I let my mother listen to this CD and she loved it. I'm thinking of getting a copy for my uncle, since he's a history professor and about three or four years ago he took me to Gettysburg. We walked around the fields of Gettysburg for over four hours, and he was explaining all the details of the battle that went on there.

If any of you ever have the chance to go to Gettysburg, I honestly suggest that you go. It's an amazing sight. You're able to walk on a battlefield of a battle that happened over 100 years ago...to me that is a powerful feeling. But anyways, I really love the CD, and I've actually seen a few articals about it in the news...which makes me happy. Maybe this could be Iced Earth's big break.

 

[sixxswine]

Great review, great band, this record is going to be an underground classic.
I can listen to Gettysburg & it will "get to me" everytime! I don't know if the rest of the world will "get it." This record is an emotional rollercoaster ride with a "patriotic spin."

 

[plfffffft]

My only complaint about the Gettysburg Trilogy is that it could've been a great send-off for Matt. I'm sorry to be one of those "I miss Barlow" guys, but I really do miss him. He's probably my favorite singer ever next to Dickinson, and IE's just not the same without him. I didn't say worse, just not the same. I love the entire album, but, like I said, I think Gettysburg would've been a great place for Matt to basically say farewell. I don't mean to say Owens did a bad job singing it, cuz he did, but what I mean is that since the lyrics tell the story from both Union and Confederate sides, why not have had Tim sing the Union's POV and have Matt sing the Confederate side? Or vice versa? I think that would've made it sound a bit more like a story, and added to the tension.

That's really my only problem with the album, and it's not even a problem.

And as for originality, I refer you to my signature.

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

Personally I didn't get into the over-patriotism of the album (maybe because I'm not American) but some of the songs are really great. Some on the other hand are not I don't think...

I think personally the highlight of the album is Tim Owens. Awesome vocals from start to finish and they really make the album well worth listening to, great performance and in my opinion better than Matt Barlow could've done on the album. Owens adds a bit of steel to the sound and never falls into that whinier tone that Matt often does.

And I think Star Spangled Banner has to go! Hahaha! When I listened to the album at a mate's house the other day we were saying it's probably gonna be the most skipped track in history hahaha, everybody will start the album at track 2. I know I would... but again, that could just be because I'm not American so the whole over the top patriotism didn't really do anything for me.

 

[Rottuated]

And I think Star Spangled Banner has to go! Hahaha! When I listened to the album at a mate's house the other day we were saying it's probably gonna be the most skipped track in history hahaha, everybody will start the album at track 2. I know I would... but again, that could just be because I'm not American so the whole over the top patriotism didn't really do anything for me.

You don't think it's interesting to hear a metal version of a national anthem? I'm not trying to seem like an ass, but I think it'd be interesting. I mean, if Iron Maiden ever released a patriotic album I'd still buy it.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

I think personally the highlight of the album is Tim Owens. Awesome vocals from start to finish and they really make the album well worth listening to, great performance and in my opinion better than Matt Barlow could've done on the album. Owens adds a bit of steel to the sound and never falls into that whinier tone that Matt often does.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[TRrEiTxIxRiE DTrash]

I have heard it done before, Kiss did it on their Revenge Tour as the final encore with heaps of pyrotechnics and stuff (and heaps better than Iced Earth's because it sounds more crazy rather than just epic and majestic lol), but it was more of a guitar showcase & pyro display to end the show and tie in with their skull-faced Statue Of Liberty stageset. I think in a live setting its a different story, but on an album it doesn't really work, its just far too cheesy, especially the way they play it on there.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Schaffer should try using a Stonehenge for kicks...

 

[plfffffft]

Schaffer should try using a Stonehenge for kicks...

Only if it's half a foot tall.

 

[Turks]

that movie was teh l33t