Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Iced Earth
Label: Century Media
Released: 2011
Running time: 66:13
Rating: 4.5/5
The legendary American heavy/power metal outfit Iced Earth is living proof of the perseverance and iron will of its leader and mastermind Jon Schaffer. Since 1984, Schaffer has steered Iced Earth as the only original member through the choppy waters of countless lineup departures, and he’s still managed to lift the band into the ranks of the most respected metal acts around. After almost thirty years of career and nine studio albums (the tenth, Dystopia, is on the way), Iced Earth was missing just one thing – a proper live DVD. Since Schaffer doesn’t recognize the otherwise unforgettable Alive in Athens as the band’s real, official DVD, he’d been promising a new, comprehensive live document for quite a while. Now the long-announced Festivals of the Wicked is finally out. The two DVDs cover three festival shows, and the limited edition also comes with a bonus CD, which I’m writing about in the following lines.
The CD version of Festivals of the Wicked isn’t as thrilling as the DVD, since one of the best metal live recordings of all time, Alive in Athens, already etched itself into Iced Earth’s discography forever, but it’s still interesting to hear what Iced Earth have to offer today. And that’s nothing less than a face-melting dose of true American power metal with roots in thrash and heavy metal! Festivals of the Wicked marks the band’s most turbulent era, which dragged on from the moment the band’s first voice, Matt Barlow, left Iced Earth in 2003. Schaffer found his solution in the former Judas Priest screamer Tim “Ripper” Owens, who did a brilliant vocal job on two albums – The Glorious Burden and Framing Armageddon. Schaffer then showed Ripper the door and Matt Barlow returned to the lineup (only to leave it again just now, with the last show played at this year’s Wacken). Festivals of the Wicked captures both turbulent periods of the band and, as the name suggests, features performances from summer festivals. Three of them, no less! Metal Camp 2008, Wacken Open Air 2007 and Rock Hard 2008. The happy news is that the centerpiece of both the CD and the DVD is the footage from the unforgettable Metal Camp 2008 show, which makes Iced Earth the first world-famous metal band to record a live album on Slovenian soil! That makes it worth even more to those of us who were at that show, since you can hear our throats being shredded as we sing along with Matt Barlow. Barlow proved why he’s always been respected as the true and only voice of Iced Earth. With his deeper-pitched vocals he fantastically builds the epic and dramatic nature of Iced Earth’s music, and he also handles the high falsetto ranges superbly, even though Ripper’s “scream” fest in Declaration gave him some headaches, which is clearly audible on the album. The band was at its peak at these festival shows, every line played with surgical precision, from Brent Smedley’s cannon-fire drum barrages to Tim Mills’ confident solos, and there’s no getting past Schaffer’s mighty right hand anyway, since Jon’s insanely precise and solid picking runs you over with the very first notes. At Wacken in 2007, Iced Earth played with Tim Owens on vocals, and Ripper, living up to his nickname, screamed his way through the unforgettable Something Wicked trilogy and the crazy Ten Thousand Strong in phenomenal fashion. The good thing about an audio recording with Ripper is also that you don’t have to watch his dismal stage presence, which is the biggest reason Iced Earth fans missed the charismatic Barlow so much. The trio of tracks from Rock Hard festival is ruled above all by the gripping, divinely sung ballad A Question of Heaven, and the recording is closed out by Iced “mother fucking” Earth from Metal Camp.
Festivals of the Wicked is a living testament to the mighty metal force that Iced Earth still represent after more than two decades. Buying this excellent album is highly recommended simply because its core is a recording from a Slovenian festival! That said, this bonus CD only comes fully alive in the company of the excellent double DVD, which deserves a spot on every Iced Earth fan’s shelf. Festivals of the Wicked is proof that the earth won’t be thawing out anytime soon!
Lineup
Jon Schaffer – guitar, vocals (Wacken, RH, MC)
Matt Barlow – vocals (RH, MC)
Tim Owens – vocals (Wacken)
Troy Steele – guitar (Wacken, RH, MC)
Dennis Hayes – bass, vocals (Wacken)
Freddie Vidales – bass, vocals (MC, RH)
Brent Smedley – drums (Wacken, RH, MC)
Production
Hanan Rubinstein (mixing & mastering)
Track list
1. Dark Saga*
2. Vengeance Is Mine*
3. Burning Times*
4. Declaration Day*
5. Prophecy**
6. Birth of the Wicked**
7. The Coming Curse**
8. Ten Thousand Strong**
9. Travel In Stygian***
10. Dracula***
11. A Question of Heaven***
12. Iced Earth*
———————-
*Metal Camp 2008
**Wacken Open Air 2007
***Rock Hard 2008
