Iced Earth
- Thread starter Forostar
- Start date
Megadeth certainly get a high rating in my book (as can be seen here), but I don't put them above Iced Earth. I personally think Schaffer's songwriting is better, and Barlow and Owens are better vocalists than Mustaine.
As for Metallica, I don't want to deny the quality of their first five albums and Death Magnetic, but they never touched me as much as Dark Saga and Burnt Offerings did.
I don't want to deny you your opinion, I just felt we could use some discussion here
As for Metallica, I don't want to deny the quality of their first five albums and Death Magnetic, but they never touched me as much as Dark Saga and Burnt Offerings did.
I don't want to deny you your opinion, I just felt we could use some discussion here
I am trying to deny you your opinion.
Invader
Ancient Mariner
Iced Earth is probably in my top 5, maybe top 10 bands. Of American ones, Metallica's first four beat Iced Earth and I also usually like Megadeth a bit more, but it depends on what I've been listening to recently. If you ask me in a month, I'll probably say the Something Wicked trilogy owns anything by those two bands.
And Yax, if you're bored with the album: start it from Crucify the King. At first, the second half of the album seemed a lot better to me. Now I've come to like most of the album and the slower, more melodic songs have grown on me. I'd say my favourite tracks now are In Sacred Flames/Behold the Wicked Child, Crown of the Fallen/The Dimension Gauntlet (I think of them as one song), I Walk Alone, Divide Devour, and Come What May.
And Yax, if you're bored with the album: start it from Crucify the King. At first, the second half of the album seemed a lot better to me. Now I've come to like most of the album and the slower, more melodic songs have grown on me. I'd say my favourite tracks now are In Sacred Flames/Behold the Wicked Child, Crown of the Fallen/The Dimension Gauntlet (I think of them as one song), I Walk Alone, Divide Devour, and Come What May.
GuineaPig
Ancient Mariner
I used to really like Metallica, but they've really grown less interesting to me. Everytime I go over their albums (even the classics), I just seem to notice more flaws, a general lack of stand-out moments, and just average performances.
That being said, I think Metallica is the best band ever to have a poor singer, mediocre lead guitarist and god-awful drummer.
That being said, I think Metallica is the best band ever to have a poor singer, mediocre lead guitarist and god-awful drummer.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Perun said:
Hmm, difficult to say. *Scratches back of head*
Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Rush, Black Sabbath, Bruce Dickinson, but also Helloween, Gamma Ray and even Iron Savior made albums which have touched me as much as the best work of Iced Earth. Also completely different bands like Bad Religion and Midnight Oil did this.
But there are few bands left who still produce "the same magic of the past" in the studio. Looking at "latest albums" I can only mention Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, & Bruce Dickinson. Iced Earth comes very close.
Perun said:
Not you, the Mexican't.
Hunlord
Trooper
Iced Earth are easily among the best three metal bands in the world, if not the best two. I would love to see them in an intimate setting, but they haven't played over here as of yet. They were the second best band at Graspop, I was totally blown away by them and even though I listened to them a good bit beforehand, they've been in my ears every day since basically.
Regarding Crucible Of Man, it hasn't clicked with me yet. Some songs are very good, I particularly love Divide and Devour, but for the most part I find it bland and most of the tracks very similar. I'll give it a serious listen, over the next while, and we'll see if there are any revelations.
And there is absolutely no way that Megadeth or Metallica are better than Iced Earth. Megadeth are a terrible band in my opinion, and I don't rate any of Metallicas early albums anymore. Don't get me started on Death Magnetic.
Regarding Crucible Of Man, it hasn't clicked with me yet. Some songs are very good, I particularly love Divide and Devour, but for the most part I find it bland and most of the tracks very similar. I'll give it a serious listen, over the next while, and we'll see if there are any revelations.
And there is absolutely no way that Megadeth or Metallica are better than Iced Earth. Megadeth are a terrible band in my opinion, and I don't rate any of Metallicas early albums anymore. Don't get me started on Death Magnetic.
Iced Earth have never really clicked with me. I bought Crucible of Man, and I wasn't particularily impressed. As Hunlord said, many songs sound very similar and not in the good way either. Infinitely preferable to Death Magnetic (which was the blandest thing I've heard in a good while), nut nowhere near Judas Priest's latest installment Nostradamus.
Yax
Ancient Mariner
Nostradamus is one of the newest albums I've bought. It is also the longest album I have. It is no doubt the album I've listened to most times. I must have listened to the whole album well over thirty times. It is my favourite album and it is a fucking masterpiece. Which reminds me, I have to listen to it today too.
GuineaPig
Ancient Mariner
Speaking of albums that don't click: for me it was Nostradamus. I very nearly bought it when I heard all the hype about it, but my poor student mind prevailed and I downloaded it first to be sure.
I didn't like it at all. It was slow, ponderous, poorly mixed, and I just didn't get into any of the songs. Right from the start, it just plain unimpressed me. I know that lyrics have never been Judas Priest's highest point, but seriously, the chorus in Prophecy had me laughing. "I am Nostradamus"?
Also, Halford really shows his age on it as well. Not only does he not sound that great, but it takes until Persecution until we get a classic Halford scream.
I'll try listening to it again, but it just really rubbed me the wrong way the first 6 or 7 times I've listened to it.
I didn't like it at all. It was slow, ponderous, poorly mixed, and I just didn't get into any of the songs. Right from the start, it just plain unimpressed me. I know that lyrics have never been Judas Priest's highest point, but seriously, the chorus in Prophecy had me laughing. "I am Nostradamus"?
Also, Halford really shows his age on it as well. Not only does he not sound that great, but it takes until Persecution until we get a classic Halford scream.
I'll try listening to it again, but it just really rubbed me the wrong way the first 6 or 7 times I've listened to it.
Invader
Ancient Mariner
Am I the only one who liked all three of Nostradamus, The Crucible of Man, and Death Magnetic?
I have a problem with Priest though nowadays: whenever I want to listen to Priest, I get a horrible urge to listen to Painkiller, both the album and the song. I haven't listened to Nostradamus much because of that. Another reason is that I like to listen to it in one go, but it's hard to find two consecutive hours to devote to music without doing anything else.
I have a problem with Priest though nowadays: whenever I want to listen to Priest, I get a horrible urge to listen to Painkiller, both the album and the song. I haven't listened to Nostradamus much because of that. Another reason is that I like to listen to it in one go, but it's hard to find two consecutive hours to devote to music without doing anything else.
Yax
Ancient Mariner
How do you mean it is poorly mixed? I think it's better mixed than both Dance of Death and A Matter of Life and Death, which I think lacks in bottom end and Nostradamus has got lots of it. Opinions varie though.
About Halford "not sounding that great", are you talking about him doing less screams? I tell you, I don't think (I say think because I'm not Halford therefore I cannot possibly know for sure) it is because he's older. Falsetto screams aren't that hard to do, he's pulled off quite a few good one's lately on tour and he's gone pretty high WITHOUT going into falsetto (some recordings of the chorus in Devil's Child testifies that excellent.) and the falsetto screams on Metal Gods and Between the Hammer and Anvil are excellent, so don't tell me he can't do it ( however, I'll give you that he can't sing Painkiller live as he used to. Perhaps he's able to in the studio, but I don't know).
Check the titletrack too. The high notes in the line He's avenged" aren't falsettonotes either, it is just about the highest part of his head voice. I can't go quite as high in head voice and still sound good. My voice breaks. Then again, I'm not a good singer.
I will, however, give you that Priest's lyrics aren't exactly poetry. I'll also add that taste is all that matters. If you don't like it, you don't like it.
About Halford "not sounding that great", are you talking about him doing less screams? I tell you, I don't think (I say think because I'm not Halford therefore I cannot possibly know for sure) it is because he's older. Falsetto screams aren't that hard to do, he's pulled off quite a few good one's lately on tour and he's gone pretty high WITHOUT going into falsetto (some recordings of the chorus in Devil's Child testifies that excellent.) and the falsetto screams on Metal Gods and Between the Hammer and Anvil are excellent, so don't tell me he can't do it ( however, I'll give you that he can't sing Painkiller live as he used to. Perhaps he's able to in the studio, but I don't know).
Check the titletrack too. The high notes in the line He's avenged" aren't falsettonotes either, it is just about the highest part of his head voice. I can't go quite as high in head voice and still sound good. My voice breaks. Then again, I'm not a good singer.
I will, however, give you that Priest's lyrics aren't exactly poetry. I'll also add that taste is all that matters. If you don't like it, you don't like it.
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
Well, I took your advice and went to the show, as evidenced by the attached poor-quality photos from my Blackberry phone. As you will see, these photos were taken from about fifteen feet away from the band, which is ridiculous given that I did not buy tickets in advance, but just walked up, paid cash for a ticket at the box office, and simply strolled up to the pit, even after being at the end of a queue that wrapped around the block. I guess it pays to show up early. (I left a children's Halloween party early to get to the venue about 45 minutes before showtime -- talk about juxtaposition!)
Anyway, they put on a very good show, apart from some laughable choreographed poses at one or two points. The setlist was roughly the same as Guinea Pig posted, with one exception:
The venue eventually filled up, and the crowd was nuts -- I was probably the only person in my area who wasn't screaming all the words to all the songs. All in all, I am quite glad I went, though it was VERY loud and my hearing is totally fucked up today.
I'm not putting spoiler tags on the photos, because they don't really give much away, except that Matt Barlow and Jon Schaffer showed up.
Anyway, they put on a very good show, apart from some laughable choreographed poses at one or two points. The setlist was roughly the same as Guinea Pig posted, with one exception:
Instead of Come What May, they played The Coming Curse.
I'm not putting spoiler tags on the photos, because they don't really give much away, except that Matt Barlow and Jon Schaffer showed up.
