ICED EARTH SURVIVOR 2018: Results -> A Question Of Heaven wins!

Are you satisfied with the results?

  • Total voters
    10
Ghost Dance, Defiance, Boiling Point, Days of Rage, End of Innocence, Soylent Green, Iron Will, Tragedy and Triumph
 
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Credits:
Jon Schaffer - rhythm guitar & vocals - 10th album with the band
Brent Smedley - drums - 3rd album with the band
Troy Seele - lead guitar - 3rd album with the band
Stu Block - vocals - 1st album with the band
Freddie Vidales - bass - 1st album with the band

  1. Dystopia - This is a cool song. Maybe a bit too Star Spangled Banner-ish intro, but that's to be expected from Schaffer :P It's actually been a while since I listened to this album and Stu actually doesn't imitate Barlow too much on this song. Main riff is great and so is the chorus. I still wouldn't pick this one as their best Stu song though.
  2. Anthem - I liked this one way more when I first heard it. Stu tries to be Barlow way way too much here and it sounds weird. The chorus is good but after listening to the song a few times, it gets a bit tiring due to repetition and lack of variety between those repetitions. Also, would've been better to have a faster song as the 2nd one, like Boiling Point.
  3. Boiling Point - Even though it is a derivative song they did numerous times, I still really like this one. It's fast and super catchy and just really cool. One of their better ones in this style.
  4. Anguish Of Youth - Another one that I enjoyed way more when the album came out. Stu's vocals are great and there's nothing wrong with the song, but now I feel like something's missing that other IE ballads have.
  5. V - This might be the most overrated Stu-era song. I don't really get it. It's plodding and the chorus is lame. And the V sign thing they do live is also kinda lame IMO.
  6. Dark City - I love this one. It's a total Maiden worship song and a breath of fresh air on this album so far energy-wise. 2nd part of the song might be one of their best instrumental passages even.
  7. Equilibrium - Instrumentally cool, but forgettable otherwise.
  8. Days Of Rage - Boiling Point, Part 2 - still cool though :P They rarely get these songs wrong anyway.
  9. End Of Innocence - Better song than the Symphony X one, obviously. Best ballad on this album.
  10. Soylent Green - Not really feeling this one, it pretty much goes nowhere. Forgettable song.
  11. Iron Will - Solid song with a cool chorus but again, not really memorable and kinda "samey".
  12. Tragedy & Triumph - Unlike most of you heathens, I love this song. Similar intro to the opening song opens this one but the actual beginning of the song is way more energetic. Verses are very cool and the chorus might be the best one on this album. This actually might be the happiest IE song too. The only thing I don't like is the fadeout ending.
Overall: In retrospect... this might be the weakest Stu-era album. I think the following two albums are way more varied.
Best song(s): Tragedy & Triumph, Dark City.

And I'm voting for Great Heathen Army, Seven Headed Whore, Defiance, Anthem, Anguish Of Youth, V, Equilibrium, Soylent Green and Iron Will.
 
Dystopia is my least favorite of the three Stu albums so far. There are a few decent songs here, but nothing on this album really stands out as being great/incredible.

Seven Headed Whore
Boiling Point
Days of Rage
End of Innocence
Soylent Green
Iron Will
 
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Eliminated after Round 4:
Days Of Rage - 9 votes
Defiance - 7 votes
Boiling Point - 7 votes
End Of Innocence - 7 votes
Soylent Green - 7 votes
Iron Will - 7 votes
Tragedy & Triumph - 7 votes
 
It was either eliminating just 1 song or eliminating more than the limit, so I chose the latter option to speed up things :p

Anyway, voted for Great Heathen Army, Raven Wing, Seven Headed Whore, Anthem, V and Equilibrium.
 
As it stands right now, the best 3 Dystopia songs will move forward and 2 of the best 3 Incorruptible ones will. I can live with that.

Can we at least all agree that Black Flag is the best (and/or funniest) Stu-era song?
 
Dark City. Can't believe no one else is more critical. That final harmony is bland. Not a good melody and it's way too long and repetitive. I like the other remaining Dystopia songs waaaaaay more. If this song is seen as the (one but) best album song, I hope it won't stand a chance vs other album material.
 
I'm voting for Ghost Dance. They didn't need to repeat some of the sections and it would have been a better listen if the track was about two minutes shorter. Like I said in a previous round, I would have expected more from IE doing an instrumental. Also giving a vote for Anthem. It has a catchy thrash groove going but besides that, it doesn't have much substance besides a big chorus which they then continue to repeat to death. Anguish of Youth - Giving a vote to this mostly for the cringe worthy lyrics and the fact that the music itself seems very anonymous.
 
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Eliminated after Round 5:
Seven Headed Whore - 8 votes
Anguish Of Youth - 8 votes
Equilibrium - 7 votes

The Crucible Of Man joins the game!
 
Since three songs get promoted, I'll pick my three favourites from Incorruptible and Dystopia, so my first votes will go to Raven Wing, Ghost Dance, and V.

Some thoughts on The Crucible of Man: what strikes me the most about this album is how many of the songs sound unfinished, underdeveloped and just going nowhere. There are very few standout tracks, while the vast majority is just a mishmash of nondescript IE riffs. I know this probably sounds more negative than I actually intend to, as the album is not that bad overall. The second half is certainly much better than the first. Unfortunately, I strongly dislike Eastern vibes in music in general, so this album is absolutely not my cup of tea. I want to vote for 90% of the songs here, so I will listen a few more times and will vote then.
 
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I like these three in a row a lot: Gift/Crown(!)/Gauntlet. Even though some of these are fairly short, I hear very cool riffs and superfine (vocal) melodies.
 
I really need to give Crucible another listen this weekend before I vote. I gave it a spin fairly recently (before the survivor), and I can't remember how any of the songs go aside from the intro/Wicked Child, Minions of the Watch/The Revealing (really should've been a single song) and obviously Come What May.
 
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