By Sully Payton
Iced Earth founder John Schaffer's ability to pen quality songs and epic
albums is nearly unsurpassed in the world of metal. In 20 years of
rotating lineups, he has created a body of work that most musicians
would kill for. While the musicians were relatively interchangeable,
vocalist Matt Barlow helped Schaffer raise the profile of Iced Earth
until leaving after the release of
Horror Show in 2001. Barlow's vocals always brought a metal soul
to the stories woven by Schaffer. To replace Barlow, Tim "Ripper" Owens
was brought in to the fold and was introduced to the world on 2004's
Revolutionary War epic The Glorious
Burden. Owens' vocals were a radical departure from what the
fans were used to as he brought a high end range not available in
Barlow's register. However, doubts began to be raised by fans as to
whether he was really the one to carry to the Iced Earth vocal torch.
In late 2007, Schaffer released, as promised, the epic of the Setians
begun on 1998's Something Wicked This
Way Comes titled Framing
Armageddon (Century Media). It certainly didn't take fans many
listens of this new record to push for the ouster of Owens and the gain
the return of Barlow to Iced Earth.
Musically, Framing Armageddon
reflects the many stylings that Iced Earth fans have come to expect.
Galloping metal guitars reign supreme and power along tracks like
"Something Wicked Part I" and "Framing Armageddon". Tablas interweave
with ethereal acoustic guitars on "Something Wicked Part II". A
masterful solo by Schaffer carries along the mid-tempo "Order of The
Rose". But it's the vocals that bring this record down. Owens' vocals
take Iced Earth from an epic metal band to nothing more than your run of
the mill battle metal band, something Iced Earth fans would never equate
them with with. Songs like "Ten Thousand Strong" run the gamut vocally
from hair metal to Nightwish after a sex change. One wonders how much
darker a song like "Charge To Keep" would sound with Barlow at the
helm. Where Owens got a pass on The
Glorious Burden, he clearly cheapens the quality of this chapter
of the Something Wicked epic.
Schaffer is currently re-recording the follow up to
Framing Armageddon with Matt
Barlow. One can now have high hopes that the saga started back in 1998
can end on a glorious high, one definitely not found in this chapter.
