ICED EARTH - review added 13th December 2008
Album Review: The Crucible Of Man: Something Wicked Part 2 (2008)
For fans of: power metal... and the Iced Earth sound
Hmmm, this is a difficult one. The scale of this album is almost indescribable. It's so huge it could alter the spin of the planet. But is it good?
The sound is of a hugely talented metal band. The orchestral interludes and accompaniments are magnificent and the musician's performances are, in places, breathtaking. Then there's the production which is thicker than a castle wall.
The main problem for The Crucible Of Man: Something Wicked Part 2 (apart from the length of the title) is that it's not accessible. This is music for connoisseurs and devotees, not average rock fans and lovers of memorable metal.
The songs on TCOM: SWp2 are epic, but they blend into each other like strawberries in a milkshake. Even after several listens it's difficult to know which song is which. There's a good character to the sound but it's used everywhere and leaves individual tracks with little personality.
I'm afraid this isn't my cup of cha at all. I'm sure the Iced Earth fan base will lap this up, but for anyone else this will be a step too far into the land of symphonic and dramatic metal. I loved earlier Iced Earth work, including songs like 'Melancholy (Holy Martyr)', but this has crossed over an unspoken barrier into the realms of film score, not rock song.
Check out... 'Epilogue'. It is the most individual sounding track on the album.
Track List:
1. In Sacred Flames
2. Behold The Wicked Child
3. Minions Of The Watch
4. The Revealing
5. A Gift Or A Curse
6. Crown Of The Fallen
7. The Dimension Gauntlet
8. I Walk Alone
9. Harbinger Of Fate
10. Crucify The King
11. Sacrificial Kingdoms
12. Something Wicked (Part 3)
13. Divide Devour
14. Come What May
15. Epilogue
Label: SPV Records
Band websites: Iced Earth , MySpace
