So, Stu Block Joins Iced Earth...

[Dissection1776]

What do you guys think?

[Nosferatwo]

Honestly, I don't care. The band has been through so many singers at this point that I don't want to hear anything else from them. And I would be even more upset if I were a big fan of the band, instead of not really caring as I do, because that band has put their fans through more anguish than they deserve.

[TravisLally]

hmm... well i am not a big fan of growls, which is what i heard when i checked out into eternity. that is actually why i don't care for Barlow. The guy can sing, but more often he opts to do those grunty, growly notes instead. I have two Iced Earth albums and one EP. All of them have Ripper. I am happy enough with those :rockon:

[Urban breed]

Prior to this I had no idea he even existed. Into Eternity never did anything for me so that should be no surprise.
I will assume he's capable enough. :)

[Crimson_Thunder]

I´ve never heard about this guy...

[RedCriss]

Well, I heard a few songs with him. But same problem as I have with Ripper Owens: not enough emotion in his voice, at least for me...

Iced Earth once was my favorite band, until Matt Barlow left and Jon Schaffer started slandering him. Nonetheless I also own the other albums they released ever since. However, I don't like them very much, even the latest release with Matt could not grab me. It's not only the vocals, especially the music became more and more generic and gave me the feeling I already heard all this before...

Maybe my expectations about the Something Wicked story were too high, but with two different singers and quite bad songwriting it was a big disappointment for me.

I guess I will check out the next release as well, but if the songwriting does not get any better again, it will end up being the first IE album I don't own.

:knasboll:

[TravisLally]

One thing that I like the most about Iced Earth, however is the songwriting. I must say that Framing Armageddon is one of my all time favorite concept albums, story-wise.

[Nosferatwo]

A little bit of variety might help them out. The joke about Shaeffer only having one riff didn't exactly come straight out of fiction.

[Urban breed]

A little bit of variety might help them out. The joke about Shaeffer only having one riff didn't exactly come straight out of fiction.
I wouldn't know as I have probably spent about 3 minutes worth of active listening to Iced Earth. Add about 7 minutes more to find the total. :)

[Nosferatwo]

I wouldn't know as I have probably spent about 3 minutes worth of active listening to Iced Earth. Add about 7 minutes more to find the total. :)

They're one of the classic, "heard one song, heard them all" bands. And I don't particularly think their one song is all that great, either.

[RedCriss]

They're one of the classic, "heard one song, heard them all" bands. And I don't particularly think their one song is all that great, either.

Hm, I think to a certain extent that's true for most bands out there.

But you're surely right when it comes to their last releases.

I guess I'm biased, but the first albums have some amazing songs that surely do not sound all the same. However, starting with The Glorious Burden the songs got weaker and more generic with every release. I'm not talking about the vocals now, just the music. That's also why I don't have any expectations about their next album. And I surely would say the same if Matt was still the singer. He did an awesome job on Immortal (Pyramaze), to me he never sounded that good with Iced Earth. Probably because he was not limited at all when recording the vocals.

:knasboll:

[Nosferatwo]

Hm, I think to a certain extent that's true for most bands out there.
:knasboll:

To a degree, but Iced Earth is one of the bigger sinners in the realm of self-parody. Shaeffer has a very distinct way of playing rhythm guitar, and while his speed and endurance is amazing, he rarely writes a riff that doesn't fit squarely in the box of his stereotypical sound. Pick any of their up-tempo songs, and the odds are that the riff is a variation of a muted gallop. After as many albums as they've put out, it gets stale, no matter how good the vocals layered on top of the music are.

[RedCriss]

To a degree, but Iced Earth is one of the bigger sinners in the realm of self-parody. Shaeffer has a very distinct way of playing rhythm guitar, and while his speed and endurance is amazing, he rarely writes a riff that doesn't fit squarely in the box of his stereotypical sound. Pick any of their up-tempo songs, and the odds are that the riff is a variation of a muted gallop. After as many albums as they've put out, it gets stale, no matter how good the vocals layered on top of the music are.

Yeah, agreed. His way of playing guitar always reminded me a bit of Steve Harris' way of playing bass. Both can be identified easily.

And like I said, that's also why I do not have any expectations about the next Iced Earth album. Though I hope there will be some variety again, I don't really think it's likely to happen.

:knasboll:

[metaladdiction4life]

When Pyramaze released "Immortal", I was really digging it, then Barlow leaves to rejoin IE, who then releases "The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2" , talk about taking a step down! I like IE, however the points brought up on this thread, show what most fans already suspect...that Schaffer needs to get back in touch with what made the music great, instead of trying to always write epically!