Artist: Iced Earth
Label: SPV
Release Date: 1/13/04
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Title: The Glorious Burden Artist: Iced Earth Label: SPV Release Date: 1/13/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
Indeed, this is an important period in the life of this band. With longtime vocalist Matthew Barlow leaving to pursue other interests, the band has had to get used to a new lead singer in a short time in order to get this album out quickly enough to continue the momentum begun with their most recent efforts. With Rob Halford returning to Judas Priest at around the same time Matt Barlow announced that he would be leaving, the addition of former Priest singer Tim Owens seemed like a match made in heaven.
"One word review: Okay." This brings us to The Glorious Burden, Jon Schaffer's history-infused, patriotic opus. Of course, the new lead singer is the leading curiosity for the long time Iced Earth fan, and I'm sorry to say that I think he's come up short. First off, I've never even really been much of a Halford fan, let alone Owens, and I just don't think that that vocal style fits with this band. Perhaps it is because Owens and the band are still feeling each other out, and maybe their chemistry will mature as they spend more time together, but as it is now, the vocals just don't jibe with the music, in my opinion.
But the new singer isn't the only problem with this record. The simple truth is that the songs aren't nearly as appealing as on the average Iced Earth album. I started liking this band not because I wanted to, but because I was compelled to. This album just dosen't seem to have those anthemic choruses and infectious riffs that sink their hooks into me and demand my attention. The guitars somehow don't seem as thick and the songs themselves have a lack of ballast. I can't tell if it's the way the songs are written or if it is a production flaw, but the sound just doesn't seem as full as what I've come to expect from an Iced Earth record.
Of course, there are points here and there where Schaffer's genius shines through, but this album simply isn't as consistent as I'd like it to be. Songs like "The Reckoning" and "Declaration Day" are interesting enough in their own right, and will likely please the most avid Iced Earth fans, but I can't help thinking that something's been lost. Perhaps my mind will change over time, but right now color me disappointed. One word review: Okay.
Death's Review:
I was disheartened to learn of Matthew Barlow's departure from the Iced Earth. I was psyched, however, to hear that Tim "Ripper" Owens would be taking over the vocal duties for Mr. Schaffer and co. Now that I have spent time listening to the end-product of the first Schaffer/Owens collaboration (a term that in itself may be a bit of a stretch, insofar as I think Owens just stepped in to sing on material that had already been written), I have to say that it is pretty much exactly what I thought it might be. In other words, there is nothing shockingly new going on here. Rather, The Glorious Burden sounds like Ripper Owens singing Iced Earth songs. And trust me, folks, as far as I am concerned, that is a good thing.Owens fans should rejoice – the man is finally getting some decent material to sing on. I know, Jugulator had its moments, but the last Priest album was just plain ass-bad, and as you might expect, there are no tired nu-metal leanings inherent in the Iced Earth songwriting style. Owens takes full-advantage of the song's dark melodies and thrash stylings, belting out pure, high-pitched Halfordian wails on a level I'd suspected he was capable of (and had heard when Owens sang songs like "Victim of Changes" live) but had heretofore not heard from him on record. In fact, Owens is a much better singer than Barlow ever was (Owens is to Barlow like Rob Halford is to Paul Stanley), and this is evident from moment one. Owens' voice is strong, confident and true, and he delivers a classic metal vocal performance that should be heralded for ages to come.
"I, for one, love it." Of course, the traditional Iced Earthian elements of The Glorious Burden are true-to-form. Schaffer's signature rhythmic gallop picking is all over this record, and the songs are memorable and exciting. It is true that for the most part the material is similar to what we've heard from Iced Earth in the past but again, this is a good thing. No need to change the formula now, right? There are lots of different stylistic changes from track-to-track, however, although they all fit within the Iced Earth sound and mold. Haunting Queensrychian ballads like "Hollow Man" co-exist side-by-side with thrashers like opener "Declaration Day" and "The Reckoning (Don't Tread on Me)". Lyrically, Schaffer indulges in his American history fetish (I think he owns/runs a store called Spirit of '76 Collectables or something like that) to great success. From the cool cover art to the song titles and the lyrics, the great battles play out one by one – Gettysburg, Valley Forge – and you are there. Not since Iron Maiden's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" has a metal band provided fans with material so suitable for students to share with their high school teachers or to bullshit them by doing a report on their favorite band's lyrical content.
In the end, if you've heard Owens sing and you are familiar with the Iced Earth catalogue then you know what this stuff sounds like. You may not like it. I, for one, love it. I hope that the Owens/Schaffer collaboration lasts long enough for a full U.S. tour and another studio record designed by both of them together. For now though, I'm loving these new songs. A top notch record created under adverse personnel conditions, it appears Mr. Schaffer has (for now) survived the loss of Barlow and pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. Nice work.
Hel's Review:
It’s been nearly three years since Horror Show, the band now has a new record label and a new vocalist, and finally we have a new Iced Earth album. Like its predecessor, this is more of a thematic album than a true concept record. Personally, I really miss the old concept style; I always enjoy one long story more than several brief tales, sort of in the same way I prefer novels to short stories. But it is a theme we have, and the theme is war – actually, to be more specific, it seems to be about major battles throughout history.If I were a history buff, I’d definitely be psyched, but I’m not. To make matters worse, while I was growing up, my father always had control over the entertainment in our house - one television set with three whole channels. He invariably chose programs and movies with one of three themes: Western, War, or Police. As an adult, I find I cannot voluntarily tolerate anything falling within these three subject categories. So, to find that the newest Iced Earth opus focuses on historic battles… Well, color me unenthused, to say the least
"This is the problem with vocalists you can actually understand - suddenly what they sing about matters a little more." So I look to the music to entice me. The musical formula has changed slightly, most noticeably with Ripper Owens now filling the vocal position. I wasn’t too keen on Ripper in his Judas Priest days, but back then he was trying very hard to fill Rob Halford’s shoes, and doing his best Rob impersonation most of the time. His impersonation was fair, but he really struggled to find a balance between his own style and Rob’s on the original material he was involved in, and that was much less successful. Here, he is no longer trying so hard to fit into someone else’s vocal template, and I find him more tolerable. His ability to hit the highs is undeniable, and he does a fine job overall.
The rest of the music - the songwriting and performances by the rest of the band - are mostly on par with what we have come to expect from Schaffer and co. Yet I continue to balk at the subject matter and the lyrics focusing on describing these battles. I’m not un-patriotic; I just don’t like war in general, nor the topic of war. This is the problem with vocalists you can actually understand - suddenly what they sing about matters a little more. And I could really do without the rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.” I know it sets the tone of the album and all, but it all seems a little heavy-handed to me.
In the end, I find that these small directional changes have rubbed a little of the luster off for me. I’m just not as excited about the new material as I wish that I could be, and that may be the most disappointing thing of all. It probably just needs a little more time to grow on me, but for right now, I feel like I’m listening to a four skull album. Certainly, all Iced Earth fans need to check this out and form their own opinions, particularly as this is a crossroads of sorts for the band. Personally, I just don’t feel that it is the best Iced Earth album ever, and that’s really what we’re always hoping for when one of our favorite bands put out a new record, isn’t it?
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