Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Favorite IE songs:
Winter Nights, Life and Death, When the Night Falls, Angel's Holocaust, Stormrider, The Path I Choose, Pure Evil, Travel in Stygian, Burnt Offerings, Last December, Brainwashed, Burning Oasis, Creator Failure, Dante's Inferno, The Hunter, Vengance is Mine, Birth of the Wicked, Damien, The Phantom Opera Ghost, Declaration Day, Gettysburg (1863).
If you had to give someone one album to get them into IE, which would it be? (AiA doesn't count!
)
Days of Purgatory. Fantastic overview, I had this before the studio albums and it didn't prevent me from liking the stuff without Barlow.
From the regular studio albums I would suggest both Night of the Stormrider and Burnt Offerings.
Night of the Storm Rider is a combo of the in-your-face-riffs inspired by Metallica/Slayer on one hand; and the dynamics, tempo- and rhythm changes, energy and melodic feel inspired by Maiden on the other hand. Even if Barlow is not singing on it. This previous singer doesn't have the warmth and emotion of Barlow but his way of singing/screaming fits the music perfectly.
A lot of Iced Earth's strongest tracks are on this record. I find it much better and a lot more adventurous than their recent stuff. A true classic in the metal genre. Not in the least because this is really an album with "drive". So energetic and well produced, a rare gem in the history of metal. Probably also one of the (if not THE) best collection of guitar riffs ever. Awesome while driving the car, I can really recommend that!
When I first heard Burnt Offerings, I remember that the non-Alive in Athens tracks were great discoveries (I heard AiA first). Even if they've rarely or never seen the stage, and never featured on Days of Purgatory or on any other compilation, til this day I think that Burning Oasis and Creature Failure kick major ass. The dark atmosphere rules and Barlow's vocal contributions are among the best he's done.
So much anger and threat can be heard from this album. The band went through a difficult time and it's as if you're hearing how they canalized that through the music. Too bad Schaffer himself doesn't appreciate this album, but Alive in Athens truly proved the power of the Burnt Offerings songs and really, again: the non Alive in Athens tracks are way stronger than the lesser material from most other studio albums which are not on Alive in Athens.
Alive in Athens? That's still the most rewarding pick.
What are your opinions on Stu Block?
I wish he showed more of himself.
Are IE's glory days behind them or do they have another "classic" album in them? Or are they better than ever now?
Never say never, but it looks like the quality of the nineties is never coming back.
Winter Nights, Life and Death, When the Night Falls, Angel's Holocaust, Stormrider, The Path I Choose, Pure Evil, Travel in Stygian, Burnt Offerings, Last December, Brainwashed, Burning Oasis, Creator Failure, Dante's Inferno, The Hunter, Vengance is Mine, Birth of the Wicked, Damien, The Phantom Opera Ghost, Declaration Day, Gettysburg (1863).
If you had to give someone one album to get them into IE, which would it be? (AiA doesn't count!
)Days of Purgatory. Fantastic overview, I had this before the studio albums and it didn't prevent me from liking the stuff without Barlow.
From the regular studio albums I would suggest both Night of the Stormrider and Burnt Offerings.
Night of the Storm Rider is a combo of the in-your-face-riffs inspired by Metallica/Slayer on one hand; and the dynamics, tempo- and rhythm changes, energy and melodic feel inspired by Maiden on the other hand. Even if Barlow is not singing on it. This previous singer doesn't have the warmth and emotion of Barlow but his way of singing/screaming fits the music perfectly.
A lot of Iced Earth's strongest tracks are on this record. I find it much better and a lot more adventurous than their recent stuff. A true classic in the metal genre. Not in the least because this is really an album with "drive". So energetic and well produced, a rare gem in the history of metal. Probably also one of the (if not THE) best collection of guitar riffs ever. Awesome while driving the car, I can really recommend that!
When I first heard Burnt Offerings, I remember that the non-Alive in Athens tracks were great discoveries (I heard AiA first). Even if they've rarely or never seen the stage, and never featured on Days of Purgatory or on any other compilation, til this day I think that Burning Oasis and Creature Failure kick major ass. The dark atmosphere rules and Barlow's vocal contributions are among the best he's done.
So much anger and threat can be heard from this album. The band went through a difficult time and it's as if you're hearing how they canalized that through the music. Too bad Schaffer himself doesn't appreciate this album, but Alive in Athens truly proved the power of the Burnt Offerings songs and really, again: the non Alive in Athens tracks are way stronger than the lesser material from most other studio albums which are not on Alive in Athens.
Alive in Athens? That's still the most rewarding pick.
What are your opinions on Stu Block?
I wish he showed more of himself.
Are IE's glory days behind them or do they have another "classic" album in them? Or are they better than ever now?
Never say never, but it looks like the quality of the nineties is never coming back.
The sequencing of that album also annoys me. The heavy song/ballad/heavy song/ballad format really kills any momentum that album could have. 
