Iced Earth – Incorruptible (2017)

This one was a shocker for me. I’ve listened to Incorruptible about 10 times now and I really do feel like this is the best Iced Earth album since Something Wicked This Way Comes almost 20 years ago. I’ve enjoyed Horror Show, maybe half of The Glorious Burden and again half of Framing Armageddon and was supremely disappointed in The Crucible of Man (What a waste of a Barlow return). So for a number of years I’ve been waiting for one of my favourite bands to strike gold again as they have so many times before. In comes Stu Block and Dystopia, I felt like that album was a breath of fresh air and I really did enjoy it, but then Plagues of Babylon went back to half ok, half just plain boring. Needless to say, I was a little worried about what to expect, I was excited for sure but I tried to hold my expectations in check.

The album kicks off with Great Heathen Army and Black Flag. I love the historical context of the lyrics to Great Heathen Army, a song about Vikings invading the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxons in 865AD. Stu Block’s vocals really shine here and only get better and better as the album goes on. I love his high-pitched delivery as he sings, “Your Kingdoms falling one by one…”. Stu Block really is the best of Matt Barlow and Tim Owens, It’s a powerful and twisted voice that can portray many emotions but has that Barlow brood characteristic that made me love his voice so much. Black Flag is a fun cheesy Running Wild-Esque tale of pirating, slitting throats and drinking rum.

The next three songs are an impressive run of tracks, starting with Raven Wing and my favourite main riff of the album. Lyrically a song about a spirit guide in the guise of a raven but ultimately could take any form trying to raise the protagonist up from despair and pain. The Veil is the song that gets in my head the most, it’s an absolutely beautiful song that really showcases the emotion of despairing grief that Stu is so good at. Something about The Veil really reminds me of Burnt Offerings and The Dark Saga era Iced Earth but also strangely, Tool’s Sober. Dark and sad and beautiful. Then hits the funnest and maybe most Iced Earth song of the album, Seven-Headed Whore; this was the song that had me most excited for this album as it was one of three tracks released early. Stylistically it brings to mind older tracks like Violate or, My Own Savior. Heavy, fast and pummelling. Lyrically it’s one of the more interesting songs on the album. The seven-headed whore being the beast representing mankind’s political system or, “The vile heads of state”.

That’s a solid fucking first half.

The second half of Incorruptible is far less consistent but contains some of the albums finest moments. I’ll get the bad out of the way first. The Relic (Part 1) just kind of happens, it’s pretty good but is just missing something. Lyrically it is a very cool, story-driven song that, based on its name, I hope to hear more about. Part 1 tells the story of a Relic gifted from father to son, discovered on his travels. The Relic is home to a corrupt and vile, twisted power that eats away at the son for millennia. The song unfortunately just plods along and musically not much happens. Then there is Brothers, a song that maybe should have been a bonus track. The cheese doesn’t work. A lot of bonding and overcoming going on in this song. It’s kind of bland and really just doesn’t interest me in any way.

The rest of the album fucking rules.

Ghost Dance (Awaken the Ancestors), is a fun and very catchy instrumental. Tribal drums and the odd chanting sound very Native American. Defiance is fucking cool, musically following in the footsteps of Seven-Headed Whore and lyrically reminiscent of Stand Alone from Something Wicked This Way Comes. Empowering, Heavy AND catchy. High-pitched Stu returns in an awesome way in this song with some backing crowd chants during the bridge. Fuck you if you don’t like it.

I love long songs when done right, they are the event of the album they sit on. Incorruptible is already a winner for me by the time Defiance ends and, Clear the Way (December 13th, 1862) sitting at the end is perfect. I listen to Incorruptible and I love 90 percent of it and every time I sit through every song looking forward to, Clear the Way. It’s the satisfying finish to an epic novel. A song that tells the story of the Irish Brigade at the Battle of Fredericksburg during the American Civil War, a subject Jon Schaffer likes to write about quite a bit. Usually, this results in his best work, The Gettysburg Trilogy from The Glorious Burden was the best part of that album.

I am happy to love this album as I do. It’s intense and powerful and remains approachable and catchy in a way I like my Heavy/Power Metal. Incorruptible is Iced Earth (Jon Schaffer) firing on all cylinders and I pray he carries this energy to the forthcoming third Demons & Wizards album.

Score – 89%

Best Songs – Raven Wing, The Veil, Seven-Headed Whore, Ghost Dance (Awaken the Anscestors), Defiance, and Clear the Way (December 13th, 1862)

 

 

 

 

 

Rhapsody of Fire – Dark Wings of Steel (2013)

Hmmm. Rhapsody sure do sound like they are missing something. Or should I say someone? Gone is Luca Turilli and in is Roby De Micheli. Who the fuck is that you may be asking yourself. Well I’ve done the googling for you and gathered that he was around for Thundercross which was Rhapsody circa 1993. He was also briefly attached to something I don’t care about called Steel Crown. MOVING ON! Is Dark Wings of Steel better than Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody’s Ascending to Infinity? No, it isn’t. Why? The absence of Luca is very noticeable and it hurts EVERYTHING. Except Fabio’s voice of course.

That all being said, DWoS is better than Triumph or Agony. So that’s something. Also the first 3 tracks (Vis Divina, Rising From Tragic Flames, and Angel of Light) are all pretty awesome and typical of a Rhapsody album. I even like track 2 and 3’s extremely repetitive riffing. For these songs it kind of works but then every single song follows suit. The guitars are boring and that is Dark Wings of Steel’s biggest problem. I am confident in my belief that if Luca was around we would have another Frozen Tears of Angels or From Chaos to Eternity on our hands. It’s so upsetting to me how much better songs like (Fly to Crystal Skies, A Tale of Magic, and Dark Wings of Steel) could be with more dynamic riffs and orchestration.

I’ve seen some people arguing that they are just trying something new. Well that’s stupid. It doesn’t sound new it sounds tired. I would be ok with new. There is way too much mid-paced filler on here. The brief moments of promise keep me coming back though. I think on the next album they either need to fully embrace change or fully embrace the fact that they are fucking Rhapsody! And we may get a less muddled album.

That all probably sounds harsher than it needs to but this is Rhapsody. I touch my copy of Power of the Dragonflame with my dick every night before bed. I expect better!

Score – B-

Best Songs: Vis Divina, Rising From Tragic Flames, Angel of Light, and Fly to Crystal Skies

 

Katatonia – Dead End Kings (2012)

Katatonia’s last two LPs are the very definition of being growers. Albums I listen to and just do nothing for me. They have a spark though, maybe a song that keeps me coming back for more. With Dead End Kings that spark was The Parting, the amazing opening track. Each listen opened me up to liking more and more songs until suddenly I loved it all. There is just such an entrancingly claustrophobic atmosphere on Dead End Kings. Very rarely does the band break out of their signature oppressive sound which makes it so that when they do it sounds so much the sweeter.

Dead End Kings can easily just feel like Night is the New Day part II. I really can hear it but it’s done with much more swagger here and there is unquestionably more melody hidden beneath the surface which arises with each additional listen.

Best Songs: The Parting, The Racing Heart, Leech, and Dead Letters. But the album really works best as a whole.

Score – B+

Savatage – Hall of the Mountain King (1987)

I really don’t know what I can say about this album that won’t just sound like ridiculous hyperbole to anyone who hasn’t heard this (and loved it as I) so I will not even try or maybe I will, we shall see. It needs to be heard from start to finish by any fan of metal, I think. Yeah, that’s what I think, so fuck you. The Oliva brothers created metal magic together and I hate that they have not been able to create or play together since Criss’s tragic death way back in 1993.

You either love Jon’s vocals or you don’t, though if you don’t you are a fucking mitten licking cupcake vendor and you better believe me that that is a bad thing to be my friend! Personally I think everything the man sings is gold and in 1987 he was at his peak (which he is still riding to this day with Jon Oliva’s Pain).

There are no weak tracks, no weak moments. There is only awesome and there is only HEAVY FUCKING METAL! In the Hall of the Mountain King you will find 40 minutes of some of the finest metal to ever exist.

Score: A++

Best Songs: ALL! Though if I don’t have 40 minutes I do trend towards Legions, Beyond The Doors of The Dark, Prelude to Madness/Hall of The Mountain King, Devastation, and White Witch.

Tiamat – Amanethes

I have had this album since it came out back in 2008 and it never really clicked with me until early this year (2011) when my itunes was on random and the song Meliae came on. I instantly stopped whatever it was I was doing (which was probably touching myself) and just listened to this hauntingly beautiful song that sounded dark and tragic like some sort of painful and terrible lost love.

I began to play the album more and more and it has grown on me but nothing on here has hit me like Meliae did. A good album with a great song. Oddly enough this is the only Tiamat album I have ever heard. They have other albums from 1990-2003 and I hope when I get my hands on them that I hear more things like Meliae. If I don’t I will mail my pubes to the band 37 times.

Score: B-

Best Songs: Temple of The Crescent Moon, Until The Hellhounds Sleep Again, Meliae, and Raining Dead Angels