2008 Woodie Awards
Iced Earth's "Framing Armageddon" blends epic story with thrashfest
Joe McPeak '08
Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
You have got to hand it to Jon Schaffer. Some might have given up on Iced Earth after longtime singer Matt Barlow left the band in 2003, but Schaffer made a respectable singer out of Tim "Ripper" Owens, teamed up with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and made "The Glorious Burden" much to the pleasure of critics and fans.
On "Framing Armageddon," Schaffer and company, who have recently seen more members come and go, took a stab at making a concept album. The concept? Humans have arrived on Earth for the first time-on spaceships-and have ruthlessly slaughtered all but 10,000 of the native Setians, a race of creatures directly descended from God. The surviving Setians go into hiding and invent organized religion to divide and confuse the humans, who are now slated to be destroyed by a demon called Set Abominae as punishment for their past wrongdoings. We deal with that every day, right?
But Schaffer doesn't care. Complete with beautifully illustrated liner notes and several short interludes between songs to communicate the story, the line between intriguing and pretentious is blurred heavily from the moment one opens up the CD case.
After the introductory cello of "Overture," the band greets us with the powerful but uninteresting "Something Wicked Pt. 1." Ripper handles the song well and Schaffer's galloping rhythm is always welcome, but it is more of a grower than an instantly enjoyable track. Then, the listener has to endure not one, but two tracks placed in for the sake of the story before the next full-length "real song" comes up.
Needless to say, "Framing Armageddon" starts off a little slow. The first few tracks succeed because they help the album move along as a whole, but as songs themselves, they leave much to be desired. A breath of fresh air comes in on "Setian Massacre," where the band manages to tell the story they want to without making it complicated. Owens's voice careens right along with Schaffer's riffing, and the transition into the much slower "A Charge to Keep" works surprisingly well. The five-person chorus that complements Owens throughout the album really begins to shine during the refrain. The band really reaches a high point on "Ten Thousand Strong," which hits you like a locomotive after you've been lulled away during the soft vocals of "Reflections." The hammering beat in this song is tough for a metalhead not to enjoy, and the refrain almost compels you to start singing along with Ripper and the chorus.
The band maintains its energy throughout the album, serving up more standout songs along the way. "The Clouding" is half beautiful ballad and half thrash mayhem. Owens's scream is at its best during the title track, and if anyone thought that the backup singers used on the previous tracks were not necessary, they would sure to change their minds during the finale of "When Stars Collide (Born Is He)."
The other tracks, though not spectacular, do a great job at moving the album along at a steady pace. Several of the songs sound infinitely better in the context of the whole album than they do on their own, but they nonetheless remain enjoyable. This coherence is undeniably helpful when listening; it allows this over-the-top metal album to move along quicker than one might expect, and fans will probably find themselves unable to skip songs. Some patience is advised here, but it will be rewarded. Grade: A-
On "Framing Armageddon," Schaffer and company, who have recently seen more members come and go, took a stab at making a concept album. The concept? Humans have arrived on Earth for the first time-on spaceships-and have ruthlessly slaughtered all but 10,000 of the native Setians, a race of creatures directly descended from God. The surviving Setians go into hiding and invent organized religion to divide and confuse the humans, who are now slated to be destroyed by a demon called Set Abominae as punishment for their past wrongdoings. We deal with that every day, right?
But Schaffer doesn't care. Complete with beautifully illustrated liner notes and several short interludes between songs to communicate the story, the line between intriguing and pretentious is blurred heavily from the moment one opens up the CD case.
After the introductory cello of "Overture," the band greets us with the powerful but uninteresting "Something Wicked Pt. 1." Ripper handles the song well and Schaffer's galloping rhythm is always welcome, but it is more of a grower than an instantly enjoyable track. Then, the listener has to endure not one, but two tracks placed in for the sake of the story before the next full-length "real song" comes up.
Needless to say, "Framing Armageddon" starts off a little slow. The first few tracks succeed because they help the album move along as a whole, but as songs themselves, they leave much to be desired. A breath of fresh air comes in on "Setian Massacre," where the band manages to tell the story they want to without making it complicated. Owens's voice careens right along with Schaffer's riffing, and the transition into the much slower "A Charge to Keep" works surprisingly well. The five-person chorus that complements Owens throughout the album really begins to shine during the refrain. The band really reaches a high point on "Ten Thousand Strong," which hits you like a locomotive after you've been lulled away during the soft vocals of "Reflections." The hammering beat in this song is tough for a metalhead not to enjoy, and the refrain almost compels you to start singing along with Ripper and the chorus.
The band maintains its energy throughout the album, serving up more standout songs along the way. "The Clouding" is half beautiful ballad and half thrash mayhem. Owens's scream is at its best during the title track, and if anyone thought that the backup singers used on the previous tracks were not necessary, they would sure to change their minds during the finale of "When Stars Collide (Born Is He)."
The other tracks, though not spectacular, do a great job at moving the album along at a steady pace. Several of the songs sound infinitely better in the context of the whole album than they do on their own, but they nonetheless remain enjoyable. This coherence is undeniably helpful when listening; it allows this over-the-top metal album to move along quicker than one might expect, and fans will probably find themselves unable to skip songs. Some patience is advised here, but it will be rewarded. Grade: A-
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