Iced Earth - Overture Of The Wicked


Year of Release: 2007
Label: SPV USA
Catalog Number: 98083
Format: CD
Total Time: 22:25:00

Iced Earth is one of my favorite axe-murderers from the genre. What they do, I can't exactly say, but it's melodic, progressive and heavy. The only other bands that come close to this elegant tonnage are the titanic likes of Opus Atlantica, Time Requiem, and Kamelot. Michael Myers, Freddie Krueger, and Jason Voorhees would all be insanely jealous.

With the exception of the occasionally-stylish slasher movie, I find those kinds of flicks to be dimwitted and dull. In other words, they are on the dangerous verge of stupidity.

As for this monstrous album [-- an EP, leading to the full album Framing Armageddon that was released in September --] it's made up of four working-class trucks that form into a single constructicon of epic proportion. Individually, these machines are efficient but they are guilty of using dirty diesel. While the sinful Hasbro spin-offs have awful fuel economy, I like this album mainly because it seamlessly transforms stiff alloys into fluid motions. Likewise, it emits electromagnetic flames with every combustible strike. I suggest you keep away from their steel limbs. Each appendage holds substantial girth and could be hazardous to a measly human like yourself.

Here are my subjective observations of these incarnations from the innocuous to the implacable:

"Ten Thousand Strong" - The strife on Cybertron starts with a lot of war-cries and shouts. In this civil war to take ownership of the All Spark on Middle Earth, there is a constant flow of ogres, goblins, and trolls. This is enough to make Warwick Davis call his agent.

"Prophesy" - Their attack on sacred ground is done with cautionary steps. In their haste, they wouldn't want to warriors who sport chain-mail and barbed clubs to take an affront. Not to mention, one misdirected move could trigger a nasty mine that goes ka-boom. Within the context of this battlefield, the risk exists of shattering bones or worse; the ripping of skin. The drums smack like a battering ram while the pitter-patter on parapets come from a shrouded army that's directed by the guitar and the bass. Their fearless leader, Tim Owens, is out-of-his-mind. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this miscreant and reaper is Charlie Dominici's sadistic twin.

"Birth Of The Wicked" - Voldemort rises from the ashes; hence, there is no horsing around. When this old man goes rolling home, he is extremely mean and vile. He allows neither deviation from his orders or an ounce of disrespect. So his minions attack innocent Muggles with premeditated prejudice. It would be an oversight to think this excessive force isn't biased. The Fire Eaters smash, pillage and burn any bulwark that stands in their way. The only free soul that remains to be ensnared is the famous Harry Potter; also known as the boy who lived. They plan to make him their hostage, victim and slave. That's in no discriminate sequence. If they had their druthers, they'd seal his fate with a hasty sacrifice and a dementor's kiss. In these deathly hallows, the dark lords days are numbered his precious horcruxes are set to be destroyed. The guitars slice like a knife whereas the bass is as large as slippery snake (or in other words Nagini). Moreover, the bridge is horrifically blithe. It's as high-pitch as a siren. It's also as guttural as the catacombs below Gringotts. Only Hagrid's Fluffy or his brother Grawp have the power to bring him down, and even that's a dreadful gamble. This is a cursed game of poker and a perilous bout of wizard's chess. Like Judas Priest, the guitars fuse accessibility with the Byzantine. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore casts a spell against Gellert Grindelwald to gain ownership of an unbeatable splinter of wood. [Note: you probably know the EP, and the album, has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but is rather a part of the Something Wicked This Way Comes saga. -ed.]

"The Coming Curse" - The Order of the Phoenix is on the ropes with little recourse in their pursuit of safety for the golden child. A chime from the grandfather clock signals the arrival of the witching hour, which means Hogwarts has been compromised. Soon after, the immoral warlocks are baptized in hell. This sinister s?ance brings Tom Marvolo Riddle to life. His owner's soul is a tattered mess spread throughout time and space. On the other side of the castle, drums detonate as if they were shrapnel from a Tommy Gun. The enemy is spooked and scurries off into the forbidden forest where a centaur lays in wait. The tribal dance this pony performs is similar to the X-Files theme; only this time it's accompanied by bongos. The whole time, demons chant while gothic monks give priestly sermons. These shamans cause arousal in malevolently-loyal fiends. Before the skirmish ceases, You-Know-Who's impending doom is foreshadowed by a shriek after his ill-advised "Avada Kedavra" misfires. He would have been at an advantage if he used abracadabra instead. In the chorus, the possessed children sing "Something Wicked this Way Comes" as a means to celebrate the demise of Slytherin's nefarious heir.

Alone, each song is huge. As a whole, it's colossal. The Texas Star is the only constellation that I have found to be superior in stature, and even that's too big for a Six Flags amusement park. The appropriate home for Iced Earth's Overture For The Wicked is aboard an asteroid of solidified carbon dioxide and dust. Consequently, Jupiter and Saturn are the only dudes in this galaxy that are capable of stomaching it.

Even the mouthiest of the Decepticons would be taken aback by these acts of carnage, and this even includes the malicious BlackOut. As if he were put on mute, the loquacious SoundWave would be speechless due to their aggressive frequencies as well.

By the way, the reaper on the cover personifies the malignant imagery of the Hardcore Metal Band Disturbed. That's one of a privileged few who operates in a harsher realm.

Beyond that, these songs can displace mass, combine or apply synthetic flesh. To that end, Iced Earth is a technologically-advanced race of metallic life-forms. With the transference of their rage burned onto an optical surface, you'll certainly be engulfed in auditory madness.

"Ten Thousand Strong" appears in a slightly different version on the Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1) album; the latter three are re-recorded versions of the trilogy that appeared on Something Wicked This Way Comes. There is a Japanese version of this EP that includes a further 6 tracks - "Cast In Stone" (bonus track from the Japanese version of Days Of Pergatory); "Stormrider (live)" (bonus track from the Japanese version of Something Wicked This Way Comes); "Transylvania" (an Iron Maiden cover, bonus track on the Japanese version of Horror Show); "Greenface" (bonus track, Japanese version of The Glorious Burden); "When The Eagle Cries (unplugged)" (bonus track, Japanese version of The Glorious Burden); "Star (Spangled Banner)" (from the US version of The Glorious Burden intro) -ed.

Tracklisting:
Ten Thousand Strong / Prophecy / Birth Of The Wicked / The Coming Curse

Musicians:
Jon Schaffer - rhythm guitar, bass, lead guitar, backing vocals
Tim Owens - lead vocals
Brent Smedley - drums

Guest:

Tim Mills - lead guitar

Discography:
Iced Earth (1991)
Night Of The Stormrider (1992)
Burnt Offerings (1995)
The Dark Saga (1996)
Days Of Purgatory (1997/2003)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998)
The Melancholy EP (1999/2001)
Alive In Athens (1999)
Horror Show (2001)
Tribute To The Gods (2002)
The Reckoning (EP) (2004)
Glorious Burden (2004)
The Blessed And The Damned (2004)
Overture Of The Wicked (2007)
Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1) (2007)
The Crucible Of Man - Something Wicked Part 2 (2008)
The Plagues EP (2013)
Live In Ancient Kourion (2013)
Plagues Of Babylon (2014)
Incorruptible (2017)

Alive In Athens (DVD) (2007)
Gettysburg (1863) (DVD) (2005)
Live In Ancient Kourion (2013)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin US

Added: December 14th 2007
Reviewer: Joshua "Prawg Dawg" Turner
Score:
Artist website: www.icedearth.com
Hits: 4569
Language: english

  

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