Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden Review

Artist: Iced Earth Album: The Glorious Burden Genre: Heavy Metal Tracklist:

01. The Star Spangled Banner
02. Declaration Day
03. When The Eagle Cries
04. The Reckoning (Don't Tread On Me)
05. Greenface
06. Attila
07. Red Baron/ Blue Max
08. Hollow Man
09. Valley Forge
10. When The Eagle Cries (Acoustic)

The Gettysburg Trilogy

01. The Devil To Pay---(July 1st, 1863)
02. Hold At All Cost----(July 2nd, 1863)
03. High Water Mark---(July 3rd, 1863)

Sound: 10 Easily the most melodic sound i think Iced Earth have yet to produce, the guitar sound is like an orchestra in and of it self. The drums are amazing, the bass is awesome, and the vocals will just blow you away. With this album, Jon Schaffer explores moments in history, from the 3 day battle of Gettysburg, Attila The Hun, Napoleon at Waterloo, Valley Forge, and even the September 11th tragedy here in America.

Guitars: 10 I'm already obsessed with this band, And this album is some of the finest riff work Ive ever seen, and extremely melodic at that. From the fast and relentless riffing of "The Reckoning", the straightforward riffage of "Greenface" and "Red Baron/ Blue Max", to the melodic and melancholic passages of "Waterloo", this album has it all. While not filled with solos like most Metal albums, the solos this albums do contain are just amazing. The technique is amazing, the emotion is there, the passion is audible, Its just amazing.

Bass: 8 While not overtly complex, and most of the time chuggin along with the guitars, Jon Schaffer always sneaks in many soft parts in songs where the bass gets a chance to solo and support the song, For this reason alone i give it an 8. The interlude in "The Reckoning" is beautiful, almost lullaby like. The tone is nice, and there is a slight delay effect that brings it alive.

Drums: 7 Definitely not Iced Earth's best when it comes to drumming, but by no means bad. Sometimes you dont notice its there, and other times its all your focused on, Like in the song "Waterloo", the way the guitar works with the drums is great, almost as if they are harmonizing each other.

Vocals: 10 Ok, so Tim "The Ripper" Owen, is just a beast. His vocals are so amazing on this album, I cant believe it. He pours so much passion and desire, and love into his performance. His high screams are just phenomenal!! They are up there with The Metal God himself, Halford, as you can see in the song at the end of the review. On certain parts, pretty much the entire album, every word he sings, every syllable, every verse, just sends chills of excitement up my spine. Very few singers have amazed me as Owens has on this record, Just.....INCREDIBLE, Perfectly done. This album contains his best effort ever in his history i believe, the song "High Water Mark"....His performance is indescribable.

Lyrics: 10 Maybe its because im a history buff of sorts, but i LOVE the way Jon Schaffer takes the historical events, and portrays them so vividly and and accurately, Especially with the Gettysburg Trilogy.

From "Waterloo" Usher in the rally cries Revolution's here again The emperor's bond's are broken And free he shall remain Escape, though narrow was demand While his reign remained in view This fight for France through bitter end He must see it though Coalition forms of many lands Against Napoleon, West to east Dogs of war will take to arms And soon will be unleashed Prussian, Russian, and Austrian All follow British lead At the allies' helm is Wellington Who must make his foe concede For shadowed man of destiny Soon you will be forced to see Nations aligning against you Marking your time Your reign is through ...And you will see a 100 days come to an end For shadowed man of destiny Soon you will be forced to see Nations aligning against you Marking your time Your reign is through ...It lies before you, fate shall befall you Quickly the allies gather force Near the Franco Belgian line While 124,000 French march there in double time As the battle begins Napoleon springs his audacious plan He'll attack them on two fronts splitting up his warring band As the Prussians sound retreat Behind they leave 10,000 slain Most of their force is still intact and will live to fight again Wellington, who felt the loss of 5,000 men Would feel more under killing fire bombardment from the French Of all the wars I have waged To propel my nations might For this I'll be remembered From now 'till the end of time If To the victor goes the spoils I may die an impoverished man For in the end irony has dealt the cruelest hand The French force was swift and sure But their attack would be repelled And though the center batteed The Anglo-Dutch line would be held And as fate or skill would have it And army moves in from the east The Prussians, who slipped through his hands Would soon spell his defeat The French lines now are broken And being open to attack The emperor has no choice And the old guard calls him back 45,000 wounded or dead When the fight was finally through On a 3 mile square the battlefield Near a town named Waterloo From "High Water Mark" "It Was Very Close Yesterday I Thought For Sure They Would Break But This Attack That I Have Planned A Massive Strike Across Open Land In The Center They Will Break (Will They Break?) But Plan It Well, Everything's At Stake We'll Hit 'Em Hard, Not A Silent Gun Before The Infantry's Begun" "Execute It Well, We Risk Everything" "It's In God's Hands Now [Longstreet:] "General Lee I Must Tell You Straight I Believe This Attack Will Fail No 15,000 Men Ever Made Will Overtake That Ridge Today A Mile Charge Over Open Ground With Yankee Cannon Gunnin' Us Down" [Lee:] "We Do Our Duty, We Do What We Must And In My Plan You Will Trust" (Thousands Die, On This Day) "Execute It Well, We Risk Everything" "It's In God's Hands Now" [3. The Last Full Measure] The Rebel Cannon Break The Silence 150 Guns Make Up Their Cannonade They Must Destroy The Union Center Before The Infantry Can Launch Their Grand Assault The Yankees Are Returning Fire (The Earth Shakes Violently) In Washington D.C. Lincoln Feels The Earth Shake What Happens Here This Day The Fate Of This Nation In The Balance It Will Hang Consumed With The Pain The Courage Of The Blue The Valor Of The Grey So Very Sad But True Consumed With The Pain The Virginians Are The Chosen In Wait Behind The Trees On Seminary Ridge Longstreet's Slow To Give The Order The Lines Emerge, A Mile, 15,000 Men The Charge Begins In All It's Grandeur (To The Copse Of Trees) For Many Of These Men They Know It Is Their Last The Slaughter Now Ensues Bodies Fall Like Rain They Valiantly Pursue Yet Doomed To Remain At The Double Quick They Charge The Canister Rips Through Them To The Mouth Of hell They March Glory, The Only Gain [Armistead:] "We're Almost There My Boys I've Never Served With Finer We Must Push Forward Boys And Bayonet The Yankee Tyrants To The Copse Of Trees We Charge To Crush The Union Center And When They Turn And Run An Open Road Leads Us To Freedom" [Lee:] "It's Over Now We Are Retreating I Never Thought That We'd Be Beaten All This Blood Is On My Hands The Thousands Dead Due To My Plan I Am Responsible, All Of It Is My Fault I Thought Us Invincible Is This God's Will After All? I Look Across This Blood Soaked Land All This Blood Is On My Hands God Forgive Me, Please Forgive Me It's All My Fault, The Blood Is On My Hands"

Overall Impression: 10 One of there top 2 albums to date, Iced Earth put up and enormous effort, Full of passion, desire, love, sorrow, joy, hate, anger, fear...Everything. Its such a strong record emotionally and musically, Just amazing.

Iced Earth - The Reckoning (Don't Tread On Me)