Really?! Aww, can't wait to check this out.

NP: IE - The Dark Saga

I would've never predicted a website that I run giving 5 on 5 for an Iced Earth album. But whatheheck, free speech and all.

These guys bore the shit out of me, always have. And no, it's not not-my-taste because it is my kind of metal. I never liked them much even when I was listening to epic/power metal till some 4 years ago.

So if this album is their best, it might just be borderline good. Will check it out only because I question the rating.

I just got this and believe me it fuckin' owns beyond imagination!

After the first track, a filler, the second track 'Something Wicked Part 1' came on and my jaws literally dropped and the drool oozed out copiously - something that the other albums lacked - as in the drool stops midway 'cause the songs still needed that extra punch to go from 92% to a full-on 101%. Anyway, what an orgasmic track! Schaffer's learned to hold the reins on his trademark gallops and that's a really good thing. I've always respected Owens a lot and felt he was never quite given his due by the metal community, it takes a hell lot of balls to replace Halford in Priest and he still kicked ass with mighty conviction. He fuckin' shines like nothing ever before here, the 9 minute 'The Clouding' has him go into this beautiful ballad crooning before launching into Schaffer's sexard galloping during the last 4 minutes...to the very mad frenzied climax in 'Framing Armageddon' which with his godly shrieking brings about visions of a Colonel with the US flag coursing through the Confederate army ranks valiantly...to 'Order of the Rose', the overall emotional intensity of which could very well explode your heart beyond the comprehension of all science. I'm not singling out anything, every track shakes your balls in their own calibre. I'm tempted to go 'GOD', 'GOD' in every sentence. Ofcourse 6/7 of the tracks are fillers, but they are equally spectacular as the full-length tracks which have a lot more catchy-chorus-ey than usual, but I wouldn't have it any other way. And what do I say about Schaffer?! What has he never managed to do? This album makes him a master songwriter, up among there with the best, the other albums had this obvious lack of something unexplainable, which he has successfully managed to push aside here and what I hope he never loses.

I've given this 5 spins so far and they've grown on me greatly. Albums like these are the reason you wake up every morning and go out onto the street with your chest swelled up and occasionally fisting the air proudly 'cause you listen to friggin' HEAVY METAL!

This is the epic-est and grandest they've ever gotten, and if Part 2 manages to surpass this one, which I'm sure they might as well do, then I've pretty much sworn to get a lifesize portrait of Owens and Schaffer and lay prostrate infront of it before beginning my every day.

Definitely the best IE album. Duh.

A 6 upon 5 from me!!

Heard it twice.

The first thing that annoyed me was the overproduction. They'd add pointless opera vocals and more layers of supposed epic-ness to ruin a good riff. They're not very good with the blending of classical feel with metal. Even the drums at times (like on Track#3 iirc) get in the middle of things. Also, I got annoyed with the fact that the verse bit is generally very grunty metal but they'd do the national anthem thing with the choruses.

There are lots of good riffs though.

But not too many solos. Nothing memorable at all. This kind of clean metal needs to have those blazing anthemic shredding solos (in harmonic minor preferrably heheh). Points deducted there.

Maybe a 3/5 from me. But I can see how if you're into the power metal type thing this could be your holy grail of sorts.

Srikanth Panaman wrote:

I thought a lot other metal bands suffered from this 'I-need-to-be-more-refined' production syndrome than them.

Pointless opera vocals? I'm sure you find Halford and Priest operatic too. Maiden too. Heck most of NWOBHM stuff maybe. I'll agree the epic-ness on the last few albums might have been a 'lil 'supposed', but I fail to see how they do not show conviction here, I believe they've hit the nail right in.

Blending of classical feel with metal? What classical feel man? That's Symphony X and Romeo.

Track 3 is a one minute filler titled 'Invasion' and there aren't any drums, it's more like brushing the cymbals stuff on the last 20 seconds or so... are you sure you weren't half-knocked off when spinning the album?

If you were looking for blazing/shredding solos, then you should have spun Malmsteen instead, and oh the songs are pretty anthemic without any ball-breaking solos, even though there are a couple and pretty well-placed. The fillers are some of the most spectacular, 'cause they're utilised properly, so fuckin' well fit.

Power metal and holy grail of sorts?! Wtf, IE isn't even power metal! Have you heard enough power metal to distinguish between a proper power metal band and one that draws maybe 15% to 20% of an influence?

Grunty metal?! I'm assuming you haven't heard much of death and thrash, or maybe none at all.

It seems like you went on finding faults with everything 'cause they never appealed to you previously, that's not fair. I thought an album grew on you when you let it take you over, rather than going in with 'so-when-is-that-shredding-solo' coming to blow my socks off. That's not the right way to go on about listening to or appreciating music as far as I'm concerned.

PS - Are you sure you spun the proper album or is anything at all wrong with your speakers/headphones?

LadduPrasad wrote:
Srikanth Panaman wrote:

I thought a lot other metal bands suffered from this 'I-need-to-be-more-refined' production syndrome than them.

Pointless opera vocals? I'm sure you find Halford and Priest operatic too. Maiden too. Heck most of NWOBHM stuff maybe. I'll agree the epic-ness on the last few albums might have been a 'lil 'supposed', but I fail to see how they do not show conviction here, I believe they've hit the nail right in.

It's not refined, that's not my problem. It's the layers, the stupid layers they keep adding to the 4 piece band's music with no room for anything to breathe... which leads me to the pointless opera vocals that they've layered in places. Not complaining about the lead vocal style at all.


Blending of classical feel with metal? What classical feel man? That's Symphony X and Romeo.

Not talking straight forward neoclassical metal. The moment you go all meatloaf on metal you're in the zone.


Track 3 is a one minute filler titled 'Invasion' and there aren't any drums, it's more like brushing the cymbals stuff on the last 20 seconds or so... are you sure you weren't half-knocked off when spinning the album?

I probably have the track number wrong but this is the song where they've multi-tracked (or done whatever studio makeup job to) drums with a roll that's all over the riff in the intro and verse part and keeps repeating for a while. Just bad production job. I could tell you if I hear this album again.



If you were looking for blazing/shredding solos, then you should have spun Malmsteen instead, and oh the songs are pretty anthemic without any ball-breaking solos, even though there are a couple and pretty well-placed. The fillers are some of the most spectacular, 'cause they're utilised properly, so fuckin' well fit.


There was sarcasm about Yngwie there, when I mentioned harmonic minor. Fuck that, bring on the ass kicking solos in my 80s metal. Very mediocre solos, the 2-3 of them.





Power metal and holy grail of sorts?! Wtf, IE isn't even power metal! Have you heard enough power metal to distinguish between a proper power metal band and one that draws maybe 15% to 20% of an influence?



I said power metal type. I meant the whole national anthem metal spectrum. And I've heard enough power metal to hate it.


Grunty metal?! I'm assuming you haven't heard much of death and thrash, or maybe none at all.


Wrong. Talking about 80s metal with grunt vocals.


It seems like you went on finding faults with everything 'cause they never appealed to you previously, that's not fair. I thought an album grew on you when you let it take you over, rather than going in with 'so-when-is-that-shredding-solo' coming to blow my socks off. That's not the right way to go on about listening to or appreciating music as far as I'm concerned.


No. I went and heard them because they never appealed to me previously but if it was their best effort, it deserved a chance. I didn't expect to like it much. That doesn't mean it's not a fair opinion. It just means that I still dislike this band, its sound and its approach - and this album hasn't changed it at all for me.

I'm always finding faults with everything that I listen to. I end up with a dozen interesting albums a month at least so it works for me.


PS - Are you sure you spun the proper album or is anything at all wrong with your speakers/headphones?

Haha.

Funny, in one post you've sounded like a typical blabbermouth poster by saying I didn't know : power metal, thrash metal, death metal, neoclassical metal and even assumed that I haven't given your 6 on 5 album its due listen.

Later.

Alright, I shouldn't let my idol worshipping get in the way next time. :D

Hey idol worship is a good thing man, just don't get too offended by others' opinions. Especially when it comes from someone who doesn't even like this style of music much. You know they're not going to be favourable.

And I've got to fix those underscores.

Heard 3 songs. Hated it. I think this band has been on recycle mode since Horror Show.