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Iced Earth: 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' Album Review

'Something Wicked This Way Comes' showcases many different musical styles that are sure to please both longtime fans and new listeners

Matthew Clouse

Apr 03, 2018

Anderson University

210

Iced Earth: 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' Album Review

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Lineup:

Jon Schaffer - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Larry Tarnowski - Lead Guitar

Matt Barlow - Lead Vocals

James MacDonough - Bass Guitar

Additional info:

Recorded at Morrisound Studios, Tampa, Florida.

Produced and Engineered by Jim Morris.

Year: 1998

Album Length: 61:56

Genre: US Power Metal, Heavy Metal

Label: Century Media

Background:

Iced Earth's fifth album is yet another fantastic release from the band. It combines the heaviness of the band's third album Burnt Offerings with the softer melodious side of their fourth album The Dark Saga. This combination of the emotional and heavy sides of the band's sound makes Something Wicked This Way Comes one of the band's most well-constructed albums.

The Good:

The performances on this album are fantastic. Matt Barlow is a very confident vocalist who basically sounds perfect on every track. He can sound soulful and beautiful for the slower songs with more feeling and he can sound very aggressive when he needs to. Jon Schaffer is terrific on the rhythm guitar and his backing vocals are fantastic.

The songwriting is among Iced Earth's best. Schaffer continues to show the terrific variation in his songwriting by putting together Iced Earth's most varied album when it comes to the musical style of this album. The mix of both heavy and melodic tracks keeps the listener entertained throughout the entire album. The "Something Wicked" trilogy that finishes the album contains some of Iced Earth's best conceptual songwriting that the band has ever done.

The originality of this album is something that is often overlooked. It is heavier than its predecessor The Dark Saga, but it is also very melodic at times as well. This great mix of soft and heavy moments keeps this album fresh.

This is an extremely well-produced album. The sound quality is simply fantastic. The instruments all sound great and the album sounds just as heavy as it should. Barlow's vocals also sound fantastic.

The Bad:

I would have to really nitpick to find things that I dislike about this album as a whole.

Essential Tracks:

Track 1: Burning Times

Track 2: Melancholy (Holy Martyr)

Track 4: Watching Over Me

Track 5: Stand Alone

Something Wicked Trilogy:

Track 11: Prophecy

Track 12: Birth of the Wicked

Track 13: The Coming Curse

Rating Scale:

1: Garbage

1.5: Awful

2: Bad

2.5: Mixed

3: Decent

3.5: Good

4: Great

4.5: Excellent

5: Perfect

Verdict:

Something Wicked This Way Comes is an album that has a lot of Iced Earth's best material. The album has an excellent mix of both melodic and heavy tracks. Matt Barlow gives one of my favorite vocal performances that he has ever done and Schaffer's songwriting and rhythm guitar work are fantastic as well. Something Wicked This Way Comes is a perfect power metal album.

Rating:

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Iced Earth: 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' Album Review

'Something Wicked This Way Comes' showcases many different musical styles that are sure to please both longtime fans and new listeners

Lineup:

Additional info:

Background:

The Good:

The Bad:

Essential Tracks:

Rating Scale:

Verdict:

Rating:

Subscribe to our Newsletter

All names should be "unisex names."

1. Communicating via email can be awkward.

2. Appointments usually accompany weird looks.

3. Introducing yourself to someone is never without a hitch.

4. You’ve probably thought about changing your name.

5. You’re often asked why you have the name you do.

6. You get excited when you meet someone of your gender with your name.

7. You feel awkward when you meet someone of the opposite gender with your name.

8. You’ve had someone say to you, “I knew a [your name], but they were [your opposite gender].”

9. You’ve heard a bad joke/pick-up line or two about your name before.

10. People are surprised when they see you.

11. You’re extra sensitive to other unique or unisex names.

12. You’ve fought with your parents about it.

13. All things considered, you’re happy your name makes you unique.

You know that all of these things apply to you. You'll just never tell.

I get it... I'm pale.

1. At least I can't lose you in a crowd!

2. Oh my goodness your skin is like glow-in-the-dark.

3. Can't you just get fake tan?

4. Do you tan or just burn?

5. Your kids are going to look like Casper the Friendly Ghost!

6. *holds arm against your arm* Look how much darker I am compared to you!

7. *holds pale arm against another pale arm* Aw, at least you're darker than her!

8. I laid out by the pool almost every day over break!

9. I haven't used sunscreen since I was, like, five.

10. *adjusts selfie lighting to their face* Oops, where'd you go??

11. *after working out* Your face is SO red!

12. *wears white* Look! You're all one color!

13. You need to get some sun.

14. Aren't you excited for summer?

The struggle bus is real.

1. Child prodigies:

2. Hearing other musicians in the practice room next door and accepting that you will never be as talented as them:

3. That anxiety that takes over before every performance:

4. Taking a million 0 credit classes:

5. When there's a paper due the next day, but you have to attend yet another concert in order to pass a 0 credit class:

6. When your friends try to encourage you after a performance, even though you are criticizing everything in your mind:

7. Knowing that there's always that one professor during juries:

8. The oh-so-attractive band/choir uniforms:

9. Realizing that a college campus is maybe not the best atmosphere to finish your latest composition:

10. Hearing "Oh, you sing opera? I LOVE Phantom of the Opera!" for the hundredth time:

11. When people think finals week is a breeze for you.

12. When you're drowning in the stress that comes with 18+ credits (and not to mention all those 0 credit classes) and people ask you how you are:

13. When it all comes down to it, though, you know that at the end of the day, music is your passion:

Because you need it in your life.

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6. holds arm against your arm Look how much darker I am compared to you!

7. holds pale arm against another pale arm Aw, at least you're darker than her!

10. adjusts selfie lighting to their face Oops, where'd you go??

11. after working out Your face is SO red!

12. wears white Look! You're all one color!