I will always have a soft spot for Iced Earth, as about 20 years ago their label sent me a metal letter opener that I still have – easily the nicest promo item I have ever seen, and also useful as a deadly weapon if I ever have the need. Also, over the years they have had some great releases so I always look forward to each new album with real interest. Of course, the major issue is that this hasn’t been a ‘real’ band for a large number of years as it is always Jon Schaffer and others, but that isn’t normally an issue as Jon has such clear direction that the band make-up is never an issue. Here he has kept the same singer as the last album, Stu Block, and it is he who turns out to be one of the highlights of this album as often it is his strong and powerful vocals that carry the song. Jon is, and always will be I am sure, an incredible guitarist, but on this album there just isn’t enough in terms of real song quality for it to be something to which I will often be returning. In fact, sometimes it is quite pedestrian and that is certainly not something that I would ever expect from Jon.
Lots of crunching riffs and plenty of solos, but not enough real action for this to be a contender and in many ways is quite a step back from the last album ‘Dystopia’. I just can’t get excited over this album, and find it hard even to summon up the enthusiasm for a lengthy review. Often not better than average, and sometimes worse, let’s hope that the next one shows a return to form.
