Iced Earth - Alive In Athens Review

Revision as of 20:51, 7 August 2008

Iced Earth - Alive In Athens

General Information

Original Author: The Uncreator

Artist: Iced Earth

Album: Alive In Athens

Genre: Heavy Metal

Tracklist

Disc 1:
01 . Burning Times
02 . Vengeance is Mine
03 . Pure Evil
04 . My Own Savior
05 . Melancholy (Holy Martyr)
06 . Dante's Inferno
07 . The Hunter
08 . Travel In Stygian
09 . Slave to the Dark
10 . A Question of Heaven

Disc 2:
01 . Dark Saga
02 . The Last Laugh
03 . Last December
04 . Watching Over Me
05 . Angels Holocaust
06 . Stormrider
07 . The Path I Choose
07 . I Died for You
08 . Prophecy
09 . Birth of the Wicked
10 . The Coming Curse
11 . Iced Earth

Disc 3:
01 . Stand Alone
02 . Cast in Stone
03 . Desert Rain
04 . Brainwashed
05 . Disciples of the Lie
06 . When the Night Falls
07 . Diary
08 . Blessed Are You
09 . Violate

Sound

10
Easily one of the best live sounds ever captured and brought to CD, Alive In Athens is a massive 30 song trip through the Iced Earth catalog (21 usually, The 3 disc version is a bit hard to come by, But its out there). The signature Iced Earth gallops, soaring melodies, battlefield like songs, Amazing vocals, virtuoso drum work, and the pounding bass are performed without flaw throughout the album.

Guitars

10
Well if your already an Iced Earth fan, you know of the devastating riffs that Jon unleashes upon his fans. And if not the riffs, Its the soaring melodies, Beautiful in there execution, and even more so in the emotion they evoke. From the Epic "Dante's Inferno" which cycles through the brutal riffs and clean guitars that will bring a tear to the eye, The guitars continue to expertly express emotion in ways most will never be able to do. The solos attack you with some abstract melodies and chord progressions in certain parts, and in songs like "Watching Over Me" they test the limits of what you know to be possible when it comes to evoking emotion. Simply perfect to me.

Bass

8
Iced Earth's bass work continues to be something i think sets them apart from other bands. While not always apparent, there songs often use the deep, rumbling bass to progress a song with a nice slow melody. The tone remains deep and heavy throughout the performance, galloping alongside schaffer it pounds you in the chest until you are on your knees.

Drums

8
Some excellent drum work throughout this album, Ocassionaly its lost in the mix a TINY bit, here and there, But hardly noticeable in the overall scheme of things to even matter. The relentless drum beats, and double bass are as destructive as they are hypnotic. I love the tone as well, The snare sometimes, when used for long periods of time seems a bit out of place, But its hardly noticeable. Overall, Its everything you could want from a Metal album, Fast and heavy.

Vocals

10
Matthew Barlow, For me he is pretty much the greatest singer in Heavy Metal history, Next to only Dickinson for me. He can inspire so much thought, emotion, and just express the sadness, the anger, the frustration, the horror, the awe in every song so perfectly it amazes me. From the soaring high notes of "Travel In Stygian", to the melancholic demeanor of "Watching Over Me" or the powerful assault of "Diary" Barlow retains such an immense stature vocally throughout this album I dont see how God himself doesnt come down and just say "Man that guy can sing!!". Just a flawless performance.

Lyrics

10
Whether its the dark fantasy stories of "Stormrider", "Travel In Stygian", or the extremely personal "Watching Over Me". Schaffer exercise complete perfection in his vividness of the soundscapes he creates with his words.

From "Watching Over Me"

I had a friend many years ago
One tragic night he died
The saddest time of my life
For weeks and weeks I cried
Through the anger and through the tears
I've felt his spirit through the years
I'd swear, He's watching me
Guiding me through hard times

I feel it once again
It's overwhelming me
His spirit's like the wind
The angel guarding me
Oh, I know, oh, I know
He's watching over me
Oh, I know, oh, I know
He's watching over me

We shared dreams like all best friends
Blood brothers at the age of ten
We lived reckless, he paid the price
But why? Why did he have to die?
It still hurts me to this day
Am I selfish for feeling this way?
I know he's an angel now
Together we'll be someday

I feel it once again
It's overwhelming me
His spirit's like the wind
The angel guarding me
Oh, I know, oh, I know
He's watching over me
Oh, I know, oh, I know
He's watching over me

From "A Question Of Heaven"

The time is close now, the end is near
My walk through the valley, trails of fear
I feel empty, my penance overdue,
I guess it's too late now to be with you
I'm extremely frightened of what will surely be
I sold myself, the death of me
I know you can't forgive me I know I'm on my own,
I've betrayed you I walk alone

What exactly is the meaning of this
Just pawns in your twisted game
Severe pain for the lie I'm livin'
For a love I never could betray

Question me not say the lord unto thee
You have chosen your own fate and your own destiny
Denied of this life is what you are to be
You have chosen your own fate and your own destiny

Lord I pound my fists at you
Won't you just let me die
Would I not suffer enough
No inner peace no after life

I did what I thought was right
All for the love of my life
I know it's sad but true
Something is very wrong
Condemned to suffer so long
For a love so true

The question that lies within
Is so hard to understand
It still tears at me
And in my dying breath
My heart holds no regrets
I wouldn't change a thing

My spirit begins to rise to the heavenly skies
Just to be shunned away by you
Now all I want is to die, no streets of gold in the sky
And I wash my hands of you

Rising to the heaven's light
Just to plead for death
Just to be denied

Rising to the heaven's light
Just to plead for death
Just to be denied

Ooohhh, I know you can't forgive me
I know I'm on my own
I know that I've betrayed you
You know I walk alone
You know I walk alone

I walk, I walk the trail of fear
I pound my fists at you
I'm shunned away by you
I wash my hands of you

Why won't you let me die
Why won't you let me die
Why won't you let me die

From "Travel In Stygian"
Through the flames I watch
As you plead on your knees
The reaper awaits

The ride that you take
Through the lake, lake of flames
Will decide your fate

Was all of it worth eternal pain
' The path you chose to live in vain
The river Styx is calling your number
The hot winds of Hell breathe your name

On the night that it came to me
It was like nothing I'd ever seen
A vision darker than death itself
A violent cloud straight from the depths of hell
And that's when I saw my destiny
As it approached I was frozen still
I couldn't move, couldn't scream for help
Out of the darkness it reached for me
And that's when it planted the evil seed
And that's when I saw my destiny

Travel in Stygian
The damned scream my name
Travel in Stygian
I can't repent it's too late
Travel in Stygian
Hot winds blow upon me
Travel in Stygian
No remorse it's too late

The henchman awaits you
Yes that's right, step aboard
We have a very long journey
You owe us
You got what you wanted
In your mortal life
Now your soul is in our grasp
It's time

Riding on the hot winds of hell
Traveling down in the ship of pain
I chose this fate no turning back
The river Styx has called for me.

Overall Impression

10
An incredible album that covers 30 of Iced Earths greatest songs ever, From the brutally devastating riffs, to the slow melancholic and beautiful melodies everything you love about Iced Earth and more. An Incredible journey through the mind of a master.