Iced Earth - The Crucible Of Man: Something Wicked Pt. 2 Review
Posted by Dan Marsicano on 09.15.2008
Power metallers Iced Earth finishes up their two part concept album on the destruction of mankind with The Crucible Of Man: Something Wicked Pt. 2. Does the album end the story on a high note?
The Band
Matt Barlow-Vocals
Jon Schaffer-Guitar, Backing Vocals
Troy Seele-Guitar
Freddie Vidales-Bass
Brent Smedley-Drums
The Track Listing
1. In Sacred Flames-1:29
2. Behold The Wicked Child-5:38
3. Minions Of The Watch-2:06
4. The Revealing-2:40
5. A Gift Or A Curse?-5:34
6. Crown Of The Fallen-2:49
7. The Dimension Gauntlet-3:12
8. I Walk Alone-4:00
9. Harbinger Of Fate-4:43
10. Crucify The King-5:36
11. Sacrificial Kingdoms-3:58
12. Something Wicked Pt. 3-4:32
13. Divide Devour-3:15
14. Come What May-7:24
15. Epilogue-2:21
The Review
Power metal legends Iced Earth have been a dominant force in the genre for over a decade. While the band has been through a lot of line-up changes, with guitarist/songwriter Jon Schaffer being the only consistent member, most people have associated the band with both Jon and lead singer Matt Barlow. Together, those two helped to create some of the most memorable moments in the band’s history, from the three part “Something Wicked” trilogy at the end of Something Wicked Comes This Way to the most stunning epics in power metal (“A Question Of Heaven,” “Dante’s Inferno").
When Barlow left the band suddenly in 2003 to focus on a career in law enforcement, Schaffer hardly flinched, recruiting ex-Judas Priest singer Tim “Ripper” Owens. He was a solid replacement, but the songwriting was taking a plunge, leading to a mediocre The Glorious Burden. When Schaffer announced a two-part concept album based on the character Set Abominae from the “Something Wicked” trilogy, fans started to get excited.
The concept album was set to be about the destruction of the human race by the Setians, the original inhabitants of Earth who get massacred by the humans in a huge war. The Setians wait for the birth of the antichrist, Set Abominae, which is detailed in the first part of the concept album.
2007’s Framing Armageddon set up the story well, but dragged at time due to the excessive interludes and over-done experimentation. With the return of Matt Barlow to the ranks in early 2008, it seemed like all the pieces were in place for a thrilling conclusion to the story and Iced Earth does not disappoint. The Crucible Of Man: Something Wicked Pt. 2 is a welcome return to form for the power metal quintet, showcasing improved songwriting and a wonderful performance by Barlow.
After an opening instrumental worthy of a Hollywood production, Iced Earth sets the scene for the birth of Set Abominae with “Behold The Wicked Child.” A dark epic, the addition of a choir, chanting and orchestration evokes memories of the classic 1976 horror movie “Omen.” The song ends a bit repetitiously, but is still a solid opener to get fans excited about the rest of the album.
Too bad that the first half of the album doesn’t really match up to “Behold The Wicked Child.” Up until “I Walk Alone,” the quality of the material is all over the place. The shorter tracks are definitely the weaker aspect, as they are only there to move the story along, but don’t have any lasting individual value. The only song where the band suddenly clicks is the haunting ballad “A Gift Or A Curse?” Barlow has always nailed the ballads and he does it yet again. The song is augmented by a surprisingly great solo, considering that Schaffer and company have cut back on the solos in recent years. So the album starts off slow, but comes together at about the halfway mark.
Single “I Walk Alone” provides a jolt of energy that was dissipating as the first half of The Crucible Of Man was drawing to a conclusion. From here, as the story gets closer and closer to the climax, as mankind is threatened by the destruction of Earth by Set Abominae, the album reaches a height of tension that was missing from Framing Armageddon. Highlights include the power ballad with a tribal edge “Harbinger of Fate” and the one-two thrash punch “Something Wicked Pt. 3” and “Divide Devour.”
You would think that the conclusion of an epic tale that took three albums to finish would end with a crazy closer, one that will resonate in the minds of Iced Earth fans for years to come. If you thought this, prepare to be disappointed with “Come What May.” Sure, there’s orchestration and a decent clean bridge that evokes a sense of mourning and hopelessness, but the song doesn’t feel like a grand conclusion to a two hour tale. On the other hand, it feels woefully anti-climatic, a disappointing way to end a solid album.
The Crucible Of Man: Something Wicked Pt.2 starts off slow, picks up in the middle, then sputters to a lackluster conclusion. Some may see that as a parallel to Iced Earth’s career, but that’s neither here nor there. I will say, it is nice to hear Matt Barlow back on the album. However, this isn’t his best performance, and I think it might be a case of the material already written before Barlow was enlisted back into the band. If that is the case, I really hope to hear what Barlow brings to the table on Iced Earth’s next release.
The 411: The conclusion to the "Something Wicked" tale ends on a bit of a low note, but the album is much more consistent than Framing Armageddon was. The interludes have almost been eliminated and the return of lead singer Matthew Barlow is a welcome addition. The first half starts off slow, but the halfway mark begins to turn the album around, surprisingly leading to an anticlimatic ending. The songs, especially the ballads, are great and fans will find their favorite tracks to crank up. At this point in their career, that's all you can really ask for.
