Iced Earth Stuff

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Started this thread to discuss Iced Earth stuff.

I suspect me and Charger may be the only contributors!

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I specifically created the thread today becase Iced Earth (well Jon Schaffer!) has set up a kickstarter campaign to promote Wicked Worlds and Epic Tales an artbook and narrative CD revisiting 15 Iced Earth songs from across their catalogue.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/icedearth/jon-schaffers-wicked-words-and-epic-tales?fbclid=IwAR3DKl23dF7zZkw16pEeYBPFckj3rSkQCmoNtkaOoo8CwnO87X6uupns9fQ

Personally I'll pass on this as it seems a lot of money for somethig I'll only listen to once!

[Charger]

I've heard about that book but honestly I'm not too interested. That being said Jon is a great writer though.

[Zzzptm]

OK, I'll come at this like I did Bowie with Billy.

I'm not a fan. It's not that I don't like them - what I heard just didn't hit that spot for me. Maybe I didn't start at the right place, I don't know... So sell me, where is a good place to start and what kind of frame of mind is best for that starting place?

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

So sell me, where is a good place to start and what kind of frame of mind is best for that starting place?

Personally, and think Charger might agree, I think you might want to first try The Glorious Burden, particularly the Gettysburg trilogy. While it is rock it is maybe a llittle more mainstream than some of the earlier/later stuff. The songs on this album are tales of conflict across the ages.

[Zzzptm]

So sort of like the 10-12 minute Iron Maiden songs about stuff like Dune, Ancient Mariners, and the like? Lots of parts to the songs?

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

^^^
It was a particular trait of that album to do a concept about conflict. Most of the songs are in the 3-6 minute range, but the Gettysberg Trilogy are 12 - 7 - 12 minutes in length. Also the conflicts are real not like Dune and Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner!

There are some similarities with Iron Maiden, they've done at least 3 Iron Maiden cover (Transylvania, Hallowed Be Thy Name and The Number of the Beast), but they're more diverse than that.

[Charger]

Yes The Gettysburg Trilogy is the way to go. It's a very complex piece of music that tells the story of the 3 days of battle, each song tells a story of a day.

I've always stated that the trilogy is probably one of my favourite pieces of music of all time. Such a great captivating story, historically accurate and wonderfully written both lyrically and musically.

Some of their earlier stuff is much more "run of the mill" metal (well part from Dante's Inferno I suppose) but Gettysburg is the most progressive and bigger production.

[Zzzptm]

OK, I'm set. I'm carving out some time Monday to give it a good, honest listen. I'm expecting metal, story, decent vocals. I'll deliver my report after taking in the first of the trilogy.

[Zzzptm]

With expectations appropriately set, I am definitely getting into it - first two tracks are working nicely.

Interesting choice of name for a band from Tampa, where the earth definitely ain't iced...

Vocals go between a Metal Church sound and then the Queen-like choruses, interesting choices...

[Zzzptm]

Most of the album was good, but the Gettysburg Trilogy at the end *really* shone brightly, best tracks of the set.

OK, so I'm down with that album - but what's up with the mummy cat? Is that their Eddie?

[Charger]

OK, so I'm down with that album - but what's up with the mummy cat? Is that their Eddie?

Mummy cat!!!!!

It's Set Abominae. The (anti)hero of the Something Wicked storyline.

[Zzzptm]

OK, so I'm down with that album - but what's up with the mummy cat? Is that their Eddie?

Mummy cat!!!!!

It's Set Abominae. The (anti)hero of the Something Wicked storyline.

OK... explaaaaaiiiin...

[Charger]

Prophecy (Something Wicked pt1)

Birth Of The Wicked (pt 2)

The Coming Curse (pt 3)

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

The vocals on The Glorious Burden were by Tim "Ripper" Owens (briefly with Judas Priest in the 90s) and currently (maybe!) with Dio Disciples... is he Metal Church-like? The choral choruses I really like, and are used heavily on Framing Armageddon album too.

Jon Schaffer is a story teller (a good one too) and the Something Wicked story is one he's come back to a couple of times. It first appears on the Something Wicked This Way Comes album from 1998 with Matt Barlow on vocal duties. That's an album which might be worth a listen with the concluding Something Wicked trilogy particularly good. He then revisits the story with the twin albums: 2007s Framing Armageddon (Ripper on vocals) and 2008s Crucible of Man (Matt returned for that one). The first is one of my favourites and the later is a bit of a dissapointment really.

EDIT: I see Charger beat me to it!

[Zzzptm]

OK, I'll give the mummy cat songs a go later today.