Iced Earth, eight albums and an EP into their storied career have been
Heavy Metal's model of true consistency, continually upholding an
unwavering traditional stance steeped in dramatic tales of mystery and
imagination. Thematically consumed, and technically elite, Iced Earth,
the brainchild of six-string wizard Jon Schafer, known as well for
spinning a triumphant storybook scene inasmuch as a blazing guitar riff,
roars forth with their long-awaited "Horror Show," their first full
studio effort in three years since "Something Wicked This Way Comes" and
following up on the monumental "Alive in Athens."
The band this time
explores the long-standing fears that dwell within the already anxious
human psyche with which their legions of fans wait on their next
calculated move. And they will not be disappointed here in the
slightest. The theme this time follows upon the fears and those symbols
that lie responsible for erecting those fears within the recesses of the
dark unknown. From childhood to adulthood, we've all had that
underlying phobia of something lurking in the dark waiting to strike
when we least expect it… "Something Wicked…" perhaps an unintended
foreshadowing and yet the same never held truer than in this instance, a
virtual trip through the graveyard where the exhumed masters of the
macabre arise again one last time to bring the horror to life.
Based on
the mythological legends from which motion picture developers and their
next generations have fattened their pockets for a lifetime over,
"Horror Show" first begins with the mighty werewolf, or "Wolf," a
steadily building guitar dominant procession that chronicles the cursed
and doomed creation whose forced existence became reality when the moon
was full… in fact this entire record is a full moon set to a dark,
dreary night-moments in you're quickly consumed by the sudden chill in
the air…
"Damien" jumps out at you next, following the damnable figure
with the luckless bloodlines… and here's where the band, as quick as
they come, and second to none when the mood calls for a bittersweet
melodic embrace necessary to recount the sad, twisted existence with the
serious degree of deliverance. Could well be the album's strongest
track and yet we've only begun to skim the dusty pages of the past.
The
notorious London slasher comes back to life in a surging recollection of
the man-the tortured soul who found gratification behind the blade of
the knife-the ripper, tells his tale, first person perspective, as with
many, Iced Earth uncover and convey the story behind the story, placing
the listener right in the middle of the doomed creature in what soon
becomes a surprisingly humanistic tale of altruistic terror. As usual,
vocalist Matthew Barlow delivers the expected operatic prowess in
filling the shoes of each legendary figure and displaying the emotional
urgency, which all at once echo down the desolate city streets as well
as reverting to a gentle sense of remorse, again as the situation
calls.
One can only imagine how "Horror Show" might translate to the
stage -- reproducing an album of such breadth alone would be a daunting
task, but to draw up the necessary visual effects… but it would be
something to behold. Further along the lives of Dr. Jeckyl and his evil
alter ego, a crushing cover of the Maiden instrumental classic
"Transylvania," before paying an untimely visit to the likes of
"Frankenstein," "Dracula," and everyone's beloved phantom, or "Phantom
Opera Ghost… " This one, a masterfully done epic with numerous time
changes, scene switches and lush orchestral and female vocal additions
to close the latest chapter in another addition to an extensive
bloodline that's seen Iced Earth rise and excel amongst the world's
Metal elite ten years strong…
