Artist: Iced Earth
Label: Century Media Records
Release Date: 1996
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Title: The Dark Saga Artist: Iced Earth Label: Century Media Records Release Date: 1996
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Reviewed by Hel:
While I pondered who should be the next subject of my classic review, it suddenly occurred to me that there wasn't an Iced Earth classic up at the site! Clearly, this situation was in dire need of rectification. But then I had a new problem: which album? I've been a huge Iced Earth fan for many years, and each of their albums is incredibly dear to my heart. To have to choose? Well, that's just cruel. So, I decided to do the only logical thing. I started with the last one to become eligible for the honor, 1998's Something Wicked This Way Comes, and worked my way backward through their catalog, listening to each in turn.I had snapped up Dark Genesis, the gorgeous box set, at the last New England Metal & Hardcore Festival and it proved to be a helpful tool, and fun to look at, while I listened to the albums and pondered my problem. Providing a nice narrative history of the band, in addition to all the music included, it turned out to be an extremely handy source of information. Each record certainly had its argument for being chosen, and I ran through as many as I could think of. I waffled back and forth for days. Wow, how completely nerdy is that?
Ultimately, I decided that The Dark Saga must be the subject of my scrutiny. A clear transition is made here, as if the light bulb went off over Jon's head, and he got the production just right this time. From this moment on, the production on all Iced Earth releases has been totally crystal-clear and perfect. And then there's the whole, Todd McFarlane/Spawn thing. Here too, we see another leap taken: from the cruder drawings on their previous albums covers to incredibly detailed and elaborate comic-style artwork, another trend that would stick with the band through all subsequent recordings to date. The Spawn storyline supplied Jon with focus and direction in his quest to write an all-encompassing story to go alongside his stunning soundtrack.
The result is a masterful piece of metal. From the musicianship, to the songs, to the packaging, everything is of the highest quality and perfection seems to be the overall goal. If such a thing is possible, it is certainly achieved here. The Dark Saga had long lingered in my mind as my favorite of all the gems in the Iced Earth treasury. Going back and revisiting the stages in the band's evolution simply brings the reasons why into sharp focus. This was a true turning point for the band, and with this release, they escalated themselves from being simply an incredible band, to being one of the most amazing on the planet.
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