Thursday, August 28, 2008

ICED EARTH: The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part 2)


Released: September 9, 2008

When Jon Schaffer sacked Ripper Owens from Iced Earth just as the singer was preparing to go in and start working on this album because Matt Barlow had suddenly made himself available again, I swore that I would never give Schaffer another cent of my money. Later I had to begrudgingly admit that Jon Schaffer has every right to do whatever he thinks is in the best interests of his band, and Matt Barlow has really been the highlight of Iced Earth's sound over the years. Still, I'm reluctant to go back on my word. Fortunately for me, The Crucible of Man hasn't made it that difficult.

Part Two of Iced Earth's Something Wicked chronicle of albums that promised so much (as all such things do) is so far on par with Nostradamus by Judas Priest as the most overblown, boring, overwrought, over-long and tedious album released so far this year. Or ever. At almost exactly an hour in length, The Crucible of Man is at least 15 minutes too long, being too samey-sounding and too bogged down in mid-paced "epic" chuggers to hold most people's attention for that long. The good songs, none of which are as good as anything on Something Wicked This Way Comes or Night of the Storm Rider -- two of the best pure metal albums of the 1990s -- are spread too far apart and Schaffer's notorious three-riff repertoire has now worn as thin as it can get.

"I Walk Alone" and "Come What May" are perhaps the best songs, with Barlow really letting loose on some high-register stuff that Owens (or few others) would have been able to match. "Divide and Devour" isn't bad either, being heavy and savage like something off Horror Show, even if it is again driven by that ever-present, conspicuous descending riff. Troy Seele even peels off the occasional guitar solo, but they, like other highlights, are few and far between. Ignoring the pointless intro piece, "Behold the Wicked Child" tells you right away that you are hearing an Iced Earth album, with that tell-tale guitar tone and that three-part riff that's been in almost every one of this band's songs. Barlow shares the vocals with a female singer here and the vibe of the track is rather like "Birth of the Wicked" from SWTWC. But the next couple of tracks are completely indistinguishable from each other although the first has some nice low-range singing that I can only think must be by Schaffer as there's nothing to suggest otherwise from promo copy I have. "A Gift or a Curse" is the first balladic song and lacks any sparkle, making it seem even longer than it is. With a third of the album done, there's yet to be any real stand-outs. Barlow's singing is formidable, but the material is flat and the rest of the band, this time made up of Brent Smedley on drums, Freddie Vidales on bass and lead guitarist Seele, gives a workmanlike but unspectacular performance. None of them are given much opportunity to shine, hardly surprising given the complete control Schaffer has over everything Iced Earth does.

The last half of the album (after "I Walk Alone") does pick up with, as previously mentioned, some stunning vocal histrionics and some more engaging songs, but overall it still sounds like ideas left over from previous releases and the stagnant repetition of familiar riffs really helps to kill it off.

I thought Framing Armageddon was excellent and like so many others held out hope that Schaffer would succeed where so many others had failed with this follow up. That hope was forlorn. Iced Earth tragics will eat this up regardless, but The Crucible of Man is a poor sequel.



  1. In Sacred Flames
  2. Behold the Wicked Child
  3. Minions of the Watch
  4. The Revealing
  5. A Gift or a Curse
  6. Crown of the Fallen
  7. The Dimensional Gauntlet
  8. I Walk Alone
  9. Harbinger of Fate
  10. Crucify the King
  11. Sacrificial Kingdoms
  12. Something Wicked (Pt. 3)
  13. Divide and Devour
  14. Come What May
  15. Epilogue

Rating: 54%

1 comment:

  1. I ceased to be an Iced Earth tragic after The Glorious Burden. My dislike of that record had nothing to do with Barlow leaving- the songs were just bollocks. Tired, uninspired bollocks at that. From all the reviews I've read so far, this sounds like more of the same. I'm still curious to hear it, though I can't think why.

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