ICED EARTH SURVIVOR 2018: Results -> A Question Of Heaven wins!
- Thread starter Night Prowler
- Start date
Seven Headed Whore, Relic, Ghost Dance, Democide, Culling, The End?, Cthulhu
Lampwick 43
Barstool Warrior
Whore
Relic
Ghost Dance
Culling
Highwayman
Relic
Ghost Dance
Culling
Highwayman
Bump. Update tonight 
(Hope I won't forget 
)
(Hope I won't forget )
Eliminated after Round 3:
The End? - 9 votes
The Relic, Part 1 - 7 votes
Democide - 7 votes
If I Could See You - 7 votes
Highwayman - 7 votes
Promoted after Round 3:
Plagues Of Babylon
The Culling
Cthulhu
Bonus song info:
Dystopia bonuses:
Not in the game:
Ariana
Black-and-white leopard
Dystopia is a really enjoyable album. It is well-paced and has some very catchy songs, as well as some excellent tracks, such as Anthem and the title track. The lowest point is Anguish of Youth. Anguish, indeed.
Voting for Seven Headed Whore, Defiance, Boiling Point, Anguish of Youth, Soylent Green, and Tragedy and Triumph.
P.S. I forgot Days of Rage. If possible, count a vote for that, too.
Voting for Seven Headed Whore, Defiance, Boiling Point, Anguish of Youth, Soylent Green, and Tragedy and Triumph.
P.S. I forgot Days of Rage. If possible, count a vote for that, too.
Last edited:
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
The first seven songs on Dystopia are all pretty solid, save for the incredibly sub-par Anguish. I forgot how good V is! Boiling Point isn’t the type of Iced Earth song that I’m usually fan of, but it’s not bad. I have to give it a vote, though, since it doesn’t carry the same weight as their more melodic tunes. Days of Rage is hilarious (and not in a good way) with the constant use of the same guitar fill that Sabaton used in like every song on Primo Victoria. End of Innocence is decent but nothing the band hasn’t done before (Symphony X’s End of Innocence is better).
I really like Soylent Green due to the concept, and I think that some of the lyrics are funny (I have a dark sense of humor). “People need to know their food!” The song is also fun and bouncy! When the verses pick up I think it’s really catchy.
Iron Will isn’t a bad tune, either. Catchy and melodic with a great solo (not really this band’s forte) and a simple but powerful main theme/riff. The closer, Tragedy and Triumph, tries to be epic but outside of the intro is largely forgettable. The verse riff reminds me of the kind of Maiden I don’t like - happy - and the rest of the song follows suit. The “time is on our side” chorus is cool, but the fade-out is lame.
The top three on this album to me are the excellent title track, the emotional Anthem, and a tie between Dark City (which I find to have some odd tonalities for Iced Earth) and V. I actually think V may be stronger. Dystopia is definitely the band’s most consistent Stu-era album as there’s really only two fillers.
Regarding Incorruptible, the three winners to me are Ghost Dance (it sounds different, which is a big step for this band), the closer Clear the Way (again, different) and the outstanding Black Flag. The last of these three is definitely in my top 10 Iced Earth songs for its bouncy Maiden-ness and entertaining lyrics!
Great Heathen Army is average paint-by-numbers Iced Earth. Raven Wing is solid and has an emotive solo/instrumental section, but it can’t stack up to the others. Seven Headed Whore may be my fourth favorite here, but it’s far from perfect. Still, I like its aggression on an album that is a bit more melodic. The Relic was already voted off, but I thought it was an interesting song. Finally, Defiance is another paint-by-numbers song for these guys, with the only strong point being the bridge.
Incorruptible has some incredible high points, but it can’t match the consistency of Dystopia. Still, it’s a big step up from the incredibly weak Babylon - the only song I like (or rather love) from that one is Cthulhu.
I really like Soylent Green due to the concept, and I think that some of the lyrics are funny (I have a dark sense of humor). “People need to know their food!” The song is also fun and bouncy! When the verses pick up I think it’s really catchy.
Iron Will isn’t a bad tune, either. Catchy and melodic with a great solo (not really this band’s forte) and a simple but powerful main theme/riff. The closer, Tragedy and Triumph, tries to be epic but outside of the intro is largely forgettable. The verse riff reminds me of the kind of Maiden I don’t like - happy - and the rest of the song follows suit. The “time is on our side” chorus is cool, but the fade-out is lame.
The top three on this album to me are the excellent title track, the emotional Anthem, and a tie between Dark City (which I find to have some odd tonalities for Iced Earth) and V. I actually think V may be stronger. Dystopia is definitely the band’s most consistent Stu-era album as there’s really only two fillers.
Regarding Incorruptible, the three winners to me are Ghost Dance (it sounds different, which is a big step for this band), the closer Clear the Way (again, different) and the outstanding Black Flag. The last of these three is definitely in my top 10 Iced Earth songs for its bouncy Maiden-ness and entertaining lyrics!
Great Heathen Army is average paint-by-numbers Iced Earth. Raven Wing is solid and has an emotive solo/instrumental section, but it can’t stack up to the others. Seven Headed Whore may be my fourth favorite here, but it’s far from perfect. Still, I like its aggression on an album that is a bit more melodic. The Relic was already voted off, but I thought it was an interesting song. Finally, Defiance is another paint-by-numbers song for these guys, with the only strong point being the bridge.
Incorruptible has some incredible high points, but it can’t match the consistency of Dystopia. Still, it’s a big step up from the incredibly weak Babylon - the only song I like (or rather love) from that one is Cthulhu.
Confeos
Game time started.
As I wrote earlier, I find Dystopia the weakest of the Stu albums. It's not bad, mind you, I really liked it when it came out. I count the title track among IE's very best songs, and Anthem, V and Dark City are incredibly catchy and fun. The album just loses it's momentum afterwards, and the rest are pretty much forgettable - it only picks up again at the very end with Tragedy and Triumph. And when it comes to the short, aggressive songs, Seven Headed Whore slays both Boiling Point and Days of Rage (Boiling is the better of the two though).
Voting for Defiance, Anguish, Equilibrium, Days of Rage, Innocence, Soylent and Iron Will
Voting for Defiance, Anguish, Equilibrium, Days of Rage, Innocence, Soylent and Iron Will
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
The first half of Dystopia is actually really good. The title track is great, Anthem is great, Dark City is awesome, I love Stu's bluesy vocals in Anguish of Youth (this and the stuff he does on End of Innocence actually sound more natural than anything he has sang since). But the album dips hard after that. Just some really bland, boring ass songs.
Still the vocal melodies, production, and catchiness are all better on this album than either Plagues or Incorruptible. These sound like big, hooky, catchy Iced Earth melodies - even in the bland songs! Everything since has gotten very bogged down in wordiness and poor craftsmanship.
Voting for the entire second half of Dystopia + Boiling Point + V
also Defiance
Still the vocal melodies, production, and catchiness are all better on this album than either Plagues or Incorruptible. These sound like big, hooky, catchy Iced Earth melodies - even in the bland songs! Everything since has gotten very bogged down in wordiness and poor craftsmanship.
Voting for the entire second half of Dystopia + Boiling Point + V
also Defiance
Is this open for a whole week?
Few more days
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
I'm glad cuz I still need to listen to this.Few more days
Dystopia - The album has a really rough start. I hate the opening march thing. It's just so bland. It actually took me seeing the band live to appreciate the rest of the song, which is actually quite good. On the album it's somewhat sterile and lifeless, but it was a great opener on the Dystopia tour. I really like the choruses in this song and the overall structure. Great buildup and dramatic intensity. Overall pretty much what you want from an IE album opener.
Anthem - Pretty surprised at how popular this song is. It's one of the cringiest and worst ballads since the Glorious Burden days. Musically it's plodding and boring. Very annoying chorus too. One of their worst songs and an easy vote.
Boiling Point - Not a bad song, but really generic. There's a thrashy song like this on every IE album and they usually seem like filler. It gets a vote.
Anguish of Youth - I actually like this song a lot. Stu sounds great and more natural than usual, there are lots of great melodies, and there are some interesting guitar parts. Feels more like a ballad from the Something Wicked days, when they weren't just writing the same song over and over again.
V - Another really strong song. Awesome chorus and some really catchy riffing. A clear highlight.
Dark City - This one is good too, kinda reminds me of something off Stormrider. Intro has that Desert Rain vibe, but the rest is reminsicent of the more riff driven side of early Iced Earth. Also has a surprisingly good instrumental section at the end. Very Maiden-y in sections.
Equilibrium - One of the album's more forgettable tracks. Not bad, but doesn't really have anything to offer. Feels like the sort of thing they scrapped together in the studio after realizing they were in need of another song. Lots of IE tropes and a bland chorus. It also goes on way too long. Lots of very repetitive instrumental parts and the chorus goes on for what feels like an eternity. It gets a vote.
Days of Rage - Boiling Point's illegitimate child. Vote.
End of Innocence - I actually like this song a lot. Meaningful lyrics, nice stripped down acoustic verses, and it's extremely dynamic. It has a lot of what modern IE ballads are lacking. I really wish they would've pushed this song as hard as they pushed Anthem. It was also a very memorable moment live. Strangely, Symphony X also had a song called End of Innocence on their latest album that they performed on the coheadline tour with IE, still not sure whose song was better but I seriously lean toward IE on this one (although Iconoclast was a far better album than Dystopia).
Soylent Green/Iron Will - These two songs are bonus tracks and it shows. Both have nice moments and seeds of great ideas, but were clearly not given the time and attention as some of the other material on here (that even includes the weaker stuff like Anthem). Of the two I probably like Iron Will the best, but both get votes. The album is really better off without them and it's slightly annoying that they were pasted into the middle of the album like this. It kinda kills the flow too.
Tragedy and Triumph - This one kinda epitomizes the album's flaws. It's bland and forgettable, but it seems like they were going for something really epic. I like that it bookends the album's themes, but musically it's just so boring. Vote.
This is a very inconsistent album. A lot of weak material, but the best moments are truly some of the best they've done since their glory days and is still among the best of the Stu era. To me it was a more than acceptable starting point with a new singer and as a whole had more to offer than the Something Wicked albums that came before. It was nice to hear IE going back to their roots a bit with a straightforward Metal album. There are a few clunkers, but the strong moments make the album worth it overall. The presence of Soylent Green and Iron Will make the album drag a bit and it's far tighter without those tracks. Probably still my favorite Stu album, although Incorruptible could possibly edge it out slightly.
Anthem - Pretty surprised at how popular this song is. It's one of the cringiest and worst ballads since the Glorious Burden days. Musically it's plodding and boring. Very annoying chorus too. One of their worst songs and an easy vote.
Boiling Point - Not a bad song, but really generic. There's a thrashy song like this on every IE album and they usually seem like filler. It gets a vote.
Anguish of Youth - I actually like this song a lot. Stu sounds great and more natural than usual, there are lots of great melodies, and there are some interesting guitar parts. Feels more like a ballad from the Something Wicked days, when they weren't just writing the same song over and over again.
V - Another really strong song. Awesome chorus and some really catchy riffing. A clear highlight.
Dark City - This one is good too, kinda reminds me of something off Stormrider. Intro has that Desert Rain vibe, but the rest is reminsicent of the more riff driven side of early Iced Earth. Also has a surprisingly good instrumental section at the end. Very Maiden-y in sections.
Equilibrium - One of the album's more forgettable tracks. Not bad, but doesn't really have anything to offer. Feels like the sort of thing they scrapped together in the studio after realizing they were in need of another song. Lots of IE tropes and a bland chorus. It also goes on way too long. Lots of very repetitive instrumental parts and the chorus goes on for what feels like an eternity. It gets a vote.
Days of Rage - Boiling Point's illegitimate child. Vote.
End of Innocence - I actually like this song a lot. Meaningful lyrics, nice stripped down acoustic verses, and it's extremely dynamic. It has a lot of what modern IE ballads are lacking. I really wish they would've pushed this song as hard as they pushed Anthem. It was also a very memorable moment live. Strangely, Symphony X also had a song called End of Innocence on their latest album that they performed on the coheadline tour with IE, still not sure whose song was better but I seriously lean toward IE on this one (although Iconoclast was a far better album than Dystopia).
Soylent Green/Iron Will - These two songs are bonus tracks and it shows. Both have nice moments and seeds of great ideas, but were clearly not given the time and attention as some of the other material on here (that even includes the weaker stuff like Anthem). Of the two I probably like Iron Will the best, but both get votes. The album is really better off without them and it's slightly annoying that they were pasted into the middle of the album like this. It kinda kills the flow too.
Tragedy and Triumph - This one kinda epitomizes the album's flaws. It's bland and forgettable, but it seems like they were going for something really epic. I like that it bookends the album's themes, but musically it's just so boring. Vote.
This is a very inconsistent album. A lot of weak material, but the best moments are truly some of the best they've done since their glory days and is still among the best of the Stu era. To me it was a more than acceptable starting point with a new singer and as a whole had more to offer than the Something Wicked albums that came before. It was nice to hear IE going back to their roots a bit with a straightforward Metal album. There are a few clunkers, but the strong moments make the album worth it overall. The presence of Soylent Green and Iron Will make the album drag a bit and it's far tighter without those tracks. Probably still my favorite Stu album, although Incorruptible could possibly edge it out slightly.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Re: Anguish, I’m glad I’m not the only one that likes this song and thinks Stu sounds awesome here!
Re: End of Innocence...Symphony X’s version is vastly superior, and I think Iconoclast is possibly SX’s worst album barring their debut (though still way better than Dystopia).
This is probably true, but I still enjoy the album a lot. Speaking of that coheadline tour, I thought SX blew IE out of the water even with an inferior setlist. Those Iconoclast songs were immense live.
SixesAlltheway
Ancient Mariner
Dystopia gets better after a few listens but like Mosh said, it would have benefited from a trim - A 10 track album would have been a more enjoyable listen.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Absolutely! To be fair though, SX doesn’t have to try very hard to blow IE out of the water live. Russell is simply on another level. The newer heavier stuff is definitely not my favorite, but it’s a blast at a concert.