Iced Earth-Something Wicked This Way Comes

Last Updated (Wednesday, 30 June 2010 13:10) Written by Miguel Blardony Monday, 21 June 2010 16:45

Release Date: June 17,1998

Label: Century Media

Genre: Heavy Metal

Rating: 8/10

Comments: Thrashers. Anthems. Power ballads. Rock operas. An honest, straight-from-the-gut metal album.

A dozen years ago a US band who were gaining momentum among the metal faithful across Europe and America finally launched themselves into legend with an album that etched their template in stone. The template called for solid Metallica-schooled riffs, galloping rhythms, deep vocals whose every utterance evoked power, and songwriting far-removed from the redundant Dungeons and Dragons staple. Such are the manifold delights on Iced Earth’s magnum opus “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” helmed by none other than the terrible twosome of main songwriter-rhythm guitarist John Schaffer and his muse (alright so he’s a guy) Matt Barlow. (What? There are other members?) The album could not have started on a stronger note with the foreboding mood of “Burning Times” whose simplistic melody and slow tempo makes for an infectious metal anthem. It’s almost impossible to keep yourself from singing along to it.

“Something Wicked”’s frequent slides into the muck of slower songs begins on “Melancholy (Holy Martyr)” where the listener isn’t sure if the band are really singing an ode to Jesus or just spinning a heart wrenching yarn about self-sacrifice. It has a great chorus though and does justice to the album’s nary-a-dull-moment pace. By track three, the band let loose for the honest-to-goodness thrasher “Disciples of the Lie” before the emotional syrup churns for the heartfelt “Watching Over Me” where John Schaffer shares his pain over the loss of a dear friend. The tandem of “Stand Alone” and “My Own Savior” showcase the band in full thrash mode, the former a straightforward mosh-worthy affair, the latter a solid tune cursed by remarkably stupid lyrics (“Life’s a bitch/life’s a whore”). Surprise, surprise, Iced Earth are atop a moral high horse for the preachifying ballad “Consequences” that’s almost a  parody of every other ballad ever written, from the  shameless unplugged atmosphere to the ripping guitar harmony at its climax. The doom-laden “Reaping Stone” offers a glimpse into Iced Earth’s debt to Black Sabbath and by the time the three part “Something Wicked” trilogy arrives after the fan tribute “Blessed Are You” the listener is ready to take a nap. Nap they should, cos it’ quite an operatic snore fest. Zzzzzzzzzzz…

A solid heavy metal album that’s quite honestly a bit rare at the time of its release. During the dark days of the 90’s who would think Schaffer and co. would re-write the textbook on true metal?