If you weren't around for the build up anticipation that shadowed
"Horror Show", then you wouldn't truly understand the kind of disappointment fans of
Iced Earth initially felt.
Iced Earth, among all the other top tier bands that emerged into their own around the same time, stood out as being, perhaps, "the one" metal outfit that could solidly claim mainstream success.
Former heroes such as
Metallica had greatly slid from grace, and
Judas Priest and
Iron Maiden were just out there floundering around in various degrees of failure. There were some fantastic bands that came out in this late 90s era to claim little chunks of fame, such as Symphony X,
Stratovarius and Edguy. But it was with
Iced Earth that many placed their bets and laid their hopes upon.
Some of the other bands were too foreign, too artsy, too - something, but
Iced Earth had managed this balancing act between the artistic, the melodic and the brutally heavy. They were metallic enough that they could reach any audience that enjoyed metal, had enough substance in their music to make a claim to be somewhat progressive, and their melodies were shockingly addictive.
It was their keen creation "Something Wicked This Way Comes" that blew everyone out of the water and then "Alive in Athens" silenced any quibbling arguments over whether they could reproduce that sound in concert. They could, and in spades. So the band was well established and on their way into stardom...
Then
"Horror Show" happened. It was an idea that could soar or fail, but too niche to really completely grab their share of the mainstream pie. Instead, it just shoved them back a few years and they never really recovered from it. Who was going to take a concept album, about cheesy B-movie monsters (each song representing a horror character from film or literature), seriously? It was meant to be campy, ridiculous and totally overblown. That was part of the charm of the disc, that and also their sincere enthusiasm for crafting songs around creepy critters. The fans and media had prepared themselves for an onslaught of awesomeness, a real followup to the critically adored "Something Wicked" and instead got
"Horror Show". An album that just could not be taken seriously, and the public seemed to reject it and dismiss
Iced Earth nearly completely afterwards.
But is
"Horror Show" really all that bad? The majority of the signatures are in place, from the stuttering gallop rhythms of an on-speed
Iron Maiden, the roaring electric class of
Judas Priest, and the bombastic harmonies and melodic hooks. However, the album lacks the spark and magnificence of their previous albums but misses the mark on the trash influences. It's more in line with power metal than tapping into that Testament/
Metallica influence that was one of the corner stones of their sound. They seem to have phoned this one in, despite the passions lying below it all. And even some of the "movie monsters" are dubious.
They must have run out of ideas as
"Ghost of Freedom" was inspired by The Patriot, a very un-horror like movie, although the horrors of war are a definite reality, it gives weight where there should be none. It's placement on the disc leaves for an awkward moment. Having that sandwiched in between songs about a mummy and
"Jack" of Jack the Ripper, of murdering fame, is just laughable. Alot of the lyrics are lifted directly from the movies being paid homage to, most notably the line of
"The blood is the life" that came from Dracula (the novel and the 1992 movie of the same name).
There are a few strong songs, some that take their music to another level entirely, and the rest are frail shadows of their former selves. It's as if a few good ideas seemed "enough" to push the album out the door, and the rest received minimal attention.
"Wolf" is about, well a werewolf and is obsessed with speed and rampage, like a wolf charging from a tailing silver bullet.
"Damien" is horribly cheesy, espeically in the lyrics, and drones on for about nine minutes. Stabbing guitar riffs and slaughtering drums take down
"Jack", but its a straightforward song that is hard to detangle from the others on the album.
"The Ghost of Freedom" may be the least spook-cheese track of the disc, but also makes the least sense in the "Horror Show" context. It pays tribute to those who have died for their countries, soldiers out risking their lives on the battlefield. A quite nice chorus that is sorrowfully inspiration lifts it above the other fodder on the album.
"Im-Ho-Tep (The Pharoah's Curse)" crawls in filler, especially the lackluster middle section that goes nowhere and takes its sweet time doing so. It's about as exciting as a brick.
"Jackyl & Hyde" takes as many different personalities as the character it strives to portray. A fitting song considering the material and Richard Christy's drums are crazily chaotic and give a sense of mania in the background to counter point that chorus. The
Iron Maiden influences are quite stark and brightly burning here.
"Dragon's Child" has repetitive lyrics, but that's not enough to strangle the life out of this song, based upon that Creature from the Black Lagoon. A snappy chorus, searing riffs (those have got to leave some scars) and a few unexpected twists make it a melody infused track that's worth checking out.
"Frankenstein" keeps the ball and chain on and doesn't let this freak of nature off the leash. It's a plodding, Black Sabbath-like piece that takes care in showcasing disjointed guitar riffs and a double vocal assault from Barlow. One being dark and "evil" and the other a screaming maniac.
"Dracula" is the cream of the crop, an epic piece that unfurls its black wings in a sinister fashion. Vampire love and the dark romance behind the undead monster and his blood lusty cravings are double drum kicked into unlife. The chorus is sparkling and the wall of sound that barrels forward at breakneck speeds leave you breathless.
"The Phantom of the Opera Ghost" seduces in some female action to sing alongside Barlow's challenging vocals. The male vocals are deep and throaty while the female's, provided by Yunhui Percifield are brittle and too angsty. She gets washed out by the sheer over powering pipes of Barlow and fades to a ghostly presence in all the darkness. The macrabe ending is fitting and its unique presentation offers a different taste of
Iced Earth. It all ends with their cold and very British sounding tribute to
Iron Maiden in their cover of
"Transylvania". Technically sound, but lacks the scare tactics of the original.
"Horrow Show" is not the masterpiece that was expected at this point in their careers and even now seems a trite and trivial disc when taken in all at once. There are a few songs that standout, such as
"Dracula", "Dragon's Child" and yes, even the too pompous
"Damien". It is a heavy album but lacks alot of the thrashier overtones that were standard issue for "Burnt Offerings" and "The Dark Saga". However, due to its novelty freak show/horror movie factor, it has become a Halloween holiday staple and in that sense, fills that niche nicely. It might not represent the best of
Iced Earth, but its seasonal bent and spooky trappings keep it out of the storage bins and in a more easily accessible place on the shelves. That can't be said for some of the albums they created after it.
Written by
Alanna Monday, October 20, 2008
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