Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes
Let me start with saying that Iced Earth is one of my absolute favourite bands and that Something Wicked This Way Comes is one of my favourite albums of all time. I still become amazed when I listen to it. How can there be so many fantastic songs on one album? I guess I can't answer that, but I will try to comment on them.

The bands brilliant style of aggressive tunes, atmospheric moods, epic elements and lots of emotion is simply genius.

Burning Times is a mid-tempo pumping song, very hard and with a raw riff. The chorus is catchy and the lyric brilliantly sung.

Melancholy (Holy Martyr) is one of the most depressing and sad songs ever. The atmosphere is just amazing. I simply love the drums on this one, slow but felt with extreme hardness and power. The bass with an extreme level of depth simply rules.

The next one is of another style. Disciples Of The Lie is extremely fast and aggressive. The anger and wrath glows within the lyric, which is about the evil forces, disguising in different covers, making people do their cruel deeds, and believe their lies. It is a very important lyric, and the furious musical side fits perfect. Jon Schaffer simply rules on guitar, the riff's he plays is out of this world.

Watching Over Me is one of the most important songs in my life. It's about losing someone you love, and the thoughts you continue to have of this person, and that you at times feel the person's presence. The song has a beautiful acoustic guitar riff, and a huge bombastic chorus. The lyric is fantastic and the feel that this song posses is magic.

Talking about personal relationship. Stand Alone is one of the greatest Metal hymns ever written. Highly relatable lyrics once again, about standing up for what is your belief, and not taking any crap from anyone. The riff is monster and the break in the middle of the song is pure genius. This track glows with energy; just listen to the drums that are packed with power.

Through the whole album the band displays fantastic musical skills. Lots of monster riffs and melodic solo's, detailed drums, great bass breaks and rhythm's, Matthew Barlow's stunning and varied voice and atmospheric keyboards in just the right places.

Well, on to the rest of the album. Consequences is one of the slowest songs. About the human race and all the wrongs done through time, and how it could be better if people wanted it. The chorus is a bit long, but this is a detail. The acoustic guitar has a central position, and also the melodic lead creates a lot of rhythm. I love this society critical lyric. A very good song.

My Own Savior is a Heavy monster of a power hymn. The speed is extreme, and the drums sound brilliant and intense. The raw voice fits perfect, and the fast lead guitar rules. A song about a person with mental problems, and a very dark and depressive lyric.

The Reaping Stone is a mid-tempo song with a mystic atmosphere. I am beginning to like this one more and more, the dark feel it has rules. A story about a mystic stone that can bring death to the ones it possesses. A song with a different feel to it, but an interesting track.

1776 (year of the signing of the American Declaration Of Independence) is the albums instrumental track. The melody is brilliant and the changes in rhythm works perfect.

Blessed Are You is a song for all Iced Earth fans, it's a pure hymn. The chorus is huge and the atmosphere in the slow parts is dramatic and epic.

As a perfect ending part is the Something Wicked Trilogy about the chosen evil one, who will arise and fight mankind. A very dark story, but still fascinating, and a reminder to watch out for the evils in this world.

Prophecy is a hard and aggressive track. The middle break is simply divine. Matthew Barlow sings with a very intense voice and the feel to this song is very dramatic.

Birth Of The Wicked is a very fast and hard riffing song. Not the most melodic on the record, but it hits you hard.

The Coming Curse is the ending epic, bombastic and fantastic song. Atmospheric piano intro sets the mood for this dramatic song. It then explodes into fury and madness. The choir's sounds really like a warning of doom, and the changing parts functions well. Raw riffs and a solid rhythm section makes this a genius, balanced and varied song, lots of power once again.

The production is perfect, lots of power and still detailed.

It is almost impossible to say anything critical as you already have figured out. Of course I have my favourites, but all the songs rule in their own way, making this album totally out of this world.

The musical genius of well balanced power, sensitivity and drama, plus the strong emotions and my personal relationship with the lyrics makes this a true masterpiece.

Written by Tommy
Wednesday, January 8, 2003
Show all reviews by Tommy

Ratings

Tommy: 10/10

Members: 10/10 - Average of 1 ratings.



Member ratings

Profile pictureSandra

Rating: 10/10
First of all: what a superb production, it's such a pleasure to spin this album out loud. ... · Read more ·

This article has been shown 6256 times. Go to the complete list.



RevelationZ Comments


Comment by Fil (Anonymous) - Wednesday, September 3, 2003
Tommy thats more like it man 10/10 all the way


Comment by bupp2 (Anonymous) - Tuesday, April 1, 2003
Nice album! :D!


Comment by Joe (Anonymous) - Monday, August 18, 2003
Great album.
Great site.


Comment by EDDY (Anonymous) - Sunday, November 30, 2003
all i can say is that ICED EARTH RULES MAN YEAAAAA


Comment by spanish (Anonymous) - Thursday, August 12, 2004
their very best 10/10


Comment by Hyena (Anonymous) - Monday, February 14, 2005
A decent power metal release with some average tracks among with some very cool ones.

The album doesn't start that well in my opinion. The first two tracks pass by before the album really starts to kick. Disciples of the Lie is a killer track with lots of energy. This one should've been the opener perhaps.

Other tracks that stand out are My Own Savior, a rock hard piece of at-your face metal, and Stand Alone.

The end part of the album is pretty great. The final trio are all kick ass stuff with lots of raw ripping with some atmospheric parts too. An emotional track doesn't always have to be a cheesy ballad!

All in all, SWTWC is very good for a power metal album and sets Iced Earth far above the vast mass of mediocre power metallers. 7/10


Comment by nj23nut (Anonymous) - Monday, May 9, 2005
One of the very first Iced Earth songs I ever heard was Burning Times and that made me order this CD from Century Media. I absolutely LOVED it. The Something Wicked trilogy is awesome and still gives me goosebumps when I listen to it. When I first heard this album I would have given it a 10, but since then I've listened to Burnt Offerings and Night of the Stormrider and those 2 albums BLOW ME AWAY!! So now I give Something Wicked an 8.5/10, with the albums afterwards all falling down further on the scale.


Comment by Alex13 (Anonymous) - Tuesday, June 21, 2005
9.5
My ultimate all times favorite metal album. Its like Dark Saga and BurntOfferings together. Stunning. I luv Every single fucking song. Bring matt barlow back!!


Comment by JB (Anonymous) - Sunday, June 4, 2006
I would give this album a 10 just for the Something Wicked trilogy. Fuckin' awesome!


Review by Sandra (Member) - Monday, June 15, 2009
Profile picture

View Profile


Comments: 36
Ratings: 25
First of all: what a superb production, it's such a pleasure to spin this album out loud. It's intense but all elements are well balanced and crystal-clear ... not messy at all. Many times I have found myself thinking:"Wow, it really is amazing" although I have listen to this album so many times. It's defiantly something I can hear over and over again for the rest of my life without losing any interest.

Something Wicked This Way Comes stands as one of my favorite Power Metal albums, with the many right in your face riffs and the amazing diverse vocals from Matthew Barlow - he can do everything, he has one of the best vocals in metal in my opinion. I love the way Iced Earth combines power, trash, classic and some more progressive metal elements in one magnificent innovative effort ... and not to be forgotten; all the contrasts and the mind-blowing dynamic drumming.
The critical view on the society and life is something that I also find very interesting and the lyrics are very well written and very very easy to relate to.

Consequences, is one of my favorites, the calm vocals and the riffs on the acoustic guitar are amazing. The high pitched vocal in the end is so incredible... perfect timing - and that's very important!

Disciples of the Lie, is so great not only musically but also lyrically and very intense drumming from the beginning as a machinegun ...So much anger.
Watching Me is so sad but, it has healing powers. I love the contrast between the calm verse and the powerful chorus.

Check out: The Coming Curse, a true piece of art.

Amazing album with l3 tracks; that's a lot, however, they are all fantastic. I find it hard to point out something negative as Tommy also does, however, if I REALLY have to do it, then it would be "My Own Savior", because the chorus gets a bit I don't know :S, but I don't like the:"my sadness, my madness, I'm my own savior" but that's only a weird detail :)

Musically 9, 5/l0 and my personal relationship with the lyrics lift it up to l0.


Rating: 10/10

Posted by Sandra
Monday, June 15, 2009










Review by Tommy
None

Released by
Century Media - 1998

Tracklisting
1. Burning Times
2. Melancholy (Holy Martyr)
3. Disciples Of The Watch
4. Watching Over Me
5. Stand Alone
6. Consequences
7. My Own Savior
8. Reaping Stone
9. 1776
10. Blessed Are You
11. Prophecy
12. Birth Of The Wicked
13. The Coming Curse


Style
Power Metal

Related links
Visit the band page

Iced Earth - Official Website

Other articles
Horror Show - (Tommy)

Tribute To The Gods - (Michael)

The Glorious Burden - (Tommy)

Night Of The Stormrider - (Tommy)

Framing Armageddon, Something Wicked Pt. 1 - (Alanna)

Alive in Athens - (Stuart)

The Crucible of Man, Something Wicked Pt. 2 - (Alanna)

Horror Show - (Alanna)



Z supported shopping






Ratings
1 - Horrifying
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below average
5 - Average
6 - Good
7 - Very good
8 - Outstanding
9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

More details...


Daily Spotlight
Fate - Scratch ´N Sniff
CoverWhen this album came out in 1990 it blew me away. I had Fate's prior recordings, but this record is very different from Fate'....
Read full review















Retro Reviews

(Tommy)
Metallica - Master Of Puppets
CoverSome kind of monster? Oh yes, but not just any kind, this is of the fiercest and most aggressive species, a kind that keeps haunting you when bitten once, like a werewolf, the feeling just never le....
Read full review






(Tommy)
Gamma Ray - Somewhere Out In Space
CoverGamma Ray stands for quality music, and on this release I think they achieved something really special, it's simply packed with great melodies, bombastic passages and well-played Power Metal. This al....
Read full review








Archive
 · Albums of the month
 · Retro Reviews
































Back to the top - © 2002-2011 RevelationZ Magazine - Back to the top