The Official Iced Earth Thread v. "Tastes Like Treason!"

[wolfking]

samples for the new album: https://www.amazon.com/Plagues-Babylon-Iced-Earth/dp/B00GVX6NM4/ref=sr_sp-btf_title_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&sr=1-1&keywords=iced+earth+plagues+of+babylon

These samples are absolutely awful.  This might be the first IE album I do not purchase.

[Zook]

Can you blame me? First The Offspring, then Disturbed, now Iced Earth. Thankfully Dream Theater got back on track or I'd be all negative nancy about them too.

I only hate what Iced Earth have become.

[wolfking]

Yeah, I'm with Zook.  I love Iced Earth and still enjoy their old stuff, but I don't understand how any fans of the band can accept what the band have become, it's just embarrasing.  I've tried beleive me, but these samples are just fucking terrible.

[Jaq]

Funny thing is, I recently started dating a lady into metal who has impeccable taste-she dates me, after all  -and when I told her of the internet notions about how no one likes Iced Earth anymore and Stu sucks and all of that, she looked at me funny and asked if I had been to an Iced Earth gig lately. When I said no, she said "people seem to like them there. I know I do."

Maybe we need to get over the near-thrash speedy riffing band Iced Earth really hasn't been for over a decade. People actually do like Iced Earth. 

[Zook]

They only do greatest hits shows for a reason.

[ErHaO]

Well, I like IE. But every album only has a few awesome songs, with the other tracks being total shit. Yes, the old albums too imo. So that's why I like their gigs; they usually only play a few crappy ones. I don't mind Stu either. I disliked Ripper for IE (not in general, Ripper is a good singer).

[Zook]

Ripper was amazing with Iced Earth. Jon really brought out the best in him. Everything else Ripper has done hasn't been that good (except cover songs) , but with Iced Earth, he was godlike.

Which of course baffles me because by that notion, Stu should be a fucking titan with Iced Earth.

I disagree with your "total shit" opinion. Iced earth didn't release a really awful song until The Glorious Burden with Hollow Man. That's the first song that comes to mind when I think total shit IE songs.

[wolfking]

I like Hollow Man a lot.  And yes, Ripper is incredible in IE.  When I first heard the Reckoning, I knew Ripper was going to be a perfect fit for IE.

[ErHaO]

Ripper was amazing with Iced Earth. Jon really brought out the best in him. Everything else Ripper has done hasn't been that good (except cover songs) , but with Iced Earth, he was godlike.

Which of course baffles me because by that notion, Stu should be a fucking titan with Iced Earth.

I disagree with your "total shit" opinion. Iced earth didn't release a really awful song until The Glorious Burden with Hollow Man. That's the first song that comes to mind when I think total shit IE songs.

Matter op opinion offcourse. But yeah, maybe total shit is not the correct term    Fact remains that every single IE album has more than a few songs that do not do anything for me, but also every album has some awesome stuff. Even that last Barlow album, which is their worst imo, had some nice moments. Thus, I would not rate any IE album high as a whole but keep coming back to them due to the good stuff.
 
As for Ripper, I don't know what it is. It's not that I dislike his voice and there are some amazing moments with him, but he just did not really do it for me. Especially when performing older songs. During the Ripper period I kinda lost interest in the band for a while. Could also be due to the songwriting of Jon. I think Dystopia is a lot better than the three albums before it, regardless of the sometimes weird sounding Stu in Barlow mode.

[wolfking]

Yeah, the only album I think Dystopia is better than is Crucible.  Framing Armageddon could be my fav IE album.

[jjrock88]

Yeah, the only album I think Dystopia is better than is Crucible.  Framing Armageddon could be my fav IE album.

I think Crucible would have been better if Ripper was singing on it.

[wolfking]

Yeah, the only album I think Dystopia is better than is Crucible.  Framing Armageddon could be my fav IE album.

I think Crucible would have been better if Ripper was singing on it.

Yes, definitely.

[Zook]

Yeah, the only album I think Dystopia is better than is Crucible.  Framing Armageddon could be my fav IE album.

I think Crucible would have been better if Ripper was singing on it.

Yes, definitely.

Would it really improve it that much though? As much as I'd love to hear Ripper sing Come What May, Matt did an amazing job with what he had. It's the music that just feels unfinished. Jon didn't spend enough time on it.

I still think Crucible is better than Dystopia though. Crucible doesn't have any songs like Days of Rage.

[Mister Gold]

Yeah, the only album I think Dystopia is better than is Crucible.  Framing Armageddon could be my fav IE album.

I think Crucible would have been better if Ripper was singing on it.

Yes, definitely.

Would it really improve it that much though? As much as I'd love to hear Ripper sing Come What May, Matt did an amazing job with what he had. It's the music that just feels unfinished. Jon didn't spend enough time on it.

I still think Crucible is better than Dystopia though. Crucible doesn't have any songs like Days of Rage.

While I disagree that Crucible is better than Dystopia, I do agree with you that Crucible really sounds unfinished. Easily the weakest album IE ever made, IMO.

[wolfking]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G4QeOBChcDw

The song in this video teaser although generic and stale, sounds better than what we have heard so far.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Just listened to Plagues Of Babylon again. To my great surprise, I rather enjoyed it.

[Zook]

Among the Living Dead:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5-RvUzUdHc

Eh, it's ok. This might be the Dark City of the album.

[aurorablind]

I have to be completely honest. I liked this song a lot! This was at least something a bit different than "Iced Earth by numbers". Reminded me a bit of the Something Wicked/Horror Show-era.
I hear Hansi 

I´ve not liked any album by IE since Horror Show, and I´ll probably end up not liking this album either as a whole, but this song was actually pretty cool!

[wolfking]

Meh.  Didn't really find anything enjoyable about it, but it was just okay.  Perhaps I'm just over IE in general.  Although after hearing Hansi at the end, I would have loved to hear him sing the whole thing.

[Lowdz]

Really like this one. Much better.

[bl5150]

Meh. 

And that's being generous 

[obscure]

Guys, I talked to Stu today... Care to listen?

https://www.ladyobscure.com/portfolio/lady-with-stu-block-of-iced-earth/

[adace]

Longer samples are available on Itunes UK.

[Zook]

Guys, I talked to Stu today... Care to listen?

https://www.ladyobscure.com/portfolio/lady-with-stu-block-of-iced-earth/

thanks for the dedication! Loved the KrotchRaut mention. We really need to get together again and write. I'm not even sure if my brother still plays guitar. He doesn't have much free time anymore.

As for the interview, I'm really disappointed you didn't ask him why he sings with food in his mouth but seriously, I think a great follow up question to the vocal freedom question would have been "who's idea was it to have you sing in your mid range, rather than your more natural voice." Either way, great interview. I may not like him in Iced Earth, but Stu is still a really cool guy.

[obscure]

Heheh, but we know the answer, right? It's Troy 
Trust me Zookie, I pissed the man off enough in the past .. heheh

Also my pleasure dear   

[Zook]

Heheh, but we know the answer, right? It's Troy 
Trust me Zookie, I pissed the man off enough in the past .. heheh

Also my pleasure dear   

Go on.

[obscure]

heheh... yeah why not 

[NotePad]

Came across this thread, realized i'v really lost track of IE. I used to own a couple of their records. I had Burnt Offerings, and apart from a couple songs (Last December, was it?) i couldn't get into it. Thinking back on it now tho i like the dark feel of the record, wish i could find it.

The other was Horror Show, which i liked a lot more. There were some really cool songs on it. Damien was amazing, Wolf, Phantom of The Opera. Wow those were good songs. But there were other songs i couldn't get into. Never really tried the band out again tho.

I remember hearing when Ripper was the new singer. It made sense, i'v only heard a few of his songs but liked him. He was good for IE, he could scream like Barlow. With Barlow i'm fascinated by how he has such a low register with his voice but can scream like a madman. Like when i heard clips of Warrel Dane in Sanctuary.

I haven't heard the new singer yet. I'v heard of 'Dystopia', which is actually a cool concept but also kinda lame; they did this type of thing already. Makes it seem like they'v run out of ideas. Plus so many singer changes always lower a bands reputation- now Iced Earth seems like less of a band. They're called Iced Earth, but the original voice is gone.

[adace]

Plagues of Babylon is streaming in full (except for Highwayman). https://play.spotify.com/album/4x8xN1DzJaDe3kOxw302hN

Edit: Don't know about you guys, but after my first listen I'm really digging it. Not quite on the level of Dystopia imo, but still a damn solid record.

[wolfking]

Wait, so this is weaker than Dystopia?

I normally wait until I get the cd to listen to albums, but not sure that I'm even gonna buy this so I might have to check the stream.

[Zook]

I guess it's better than Dystopia so far (on track 3) but there really aren't any good hooks. Stu sounds decent.

eh

[Zook]

So I thought one of the track names on this new album sounded familiar.


He did it. He actually fucking did it!

Jon Schaffer covered a fucking Sons of Liberty song with Iced Earth.


Iced Earth covered a fucking Sons of Liberty song.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



GOD DAMN YOU SCHAFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!

[Jaq]

Which one? I haven't actually HEARD Sons of Liberty. Just heard OF it. 

[Zook]

Spirit of the Times

At least I still have you, 9 different versions of Night of the Stormrider, 3 of which that are kind of the same, but hell, it's Night of the Stormrider, so what's one more copy.

Does anyone have the LP?

[Mister Gold]

Spirit of the Times

At least I still have you, 9 different versions of Night of the Stormrider, 3 of which that are kind of the same, but hell, it's Night of the Stormrider, so what's one more copy.

Does anyone have the LP?

I have NotS on CD. Definitely one of my favorite Iced Earth albums, alongside Burnt Offerings.

Listening to The Plagues of Babylon at the moment and so far, I like it a lot better than Dystopia. But I've yet to finish it and I'll probably need to give it a few spins to fully form an opinion on it.

EDIT: First impressions are pretty positive. Not the best thing IE have ever done, but I like it a lot more than Dystopia. We'll see what I think of it with repeated listens.