Iced Earth

Warning: Do not listen to Iced Earth's>/a> tenth album The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked Part 2) near any sort of glass valuables, mirrors, windows or other assorted shatterable materials! That's because prodigal song vocalist Matthew Barlow, who left the band for a stint in government service only to succumb to the gravitational pull of heavy metal yet again, has made his return to this NWOBHM-influenced band. Although it is worth mentioning that Barlow's replacement, Tim "Ripper" Owens, later of Judas Priest, could also cut plate glass with the range of his pipes. But Barlow has a burlier, gnarlier voice, which is more appropriate for Iced Earth's power metal guitar artistry.

"Behold the Wicked Child" is a heavy metal madrigal, ripe with the energy of a battlefield. This blood-pumping anthem will have you envisioning yourself atop a steed in the medieval period, while "Crucify the King" is erected upon a juggernaut of riffs. "Come What May" pits Barlow's roof-raising vocals against a thunderous melody and a hail of riffs. All of the songs on The Crucible of Man are epic in scope, chewing the scenery and filling the room with their bombast. There's nothing subtle about the axe-packing, showy album. The musicians want to be noticed for their skill and technique and use their roles within the songs to generate attention. Thankfully, the instruments never overshadow each other.

Guitarist Jon Schaeffer has always envisioned Iced Earth, the band he formed, as a major player in the metal scene, and he's worked hard and played even harder to elevate the band amongst the ranks of other metal bands through high caliber musicianship and by executing conceptual lyrics. The Crucible of Man is thinking man's metal which satisfies the need for speed all the while feeding the brain.

— Amy Sciarretto
09.15.08

Power metal concept albums reached the height of their popularity in the 1980s, but they are still being recorded in the 21st century -- and there continues to be an enthusiastic, receptive audience for them among the power metal diehards. Those who fit that description will find a lot to like about The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked, Pt. 2, which is Iced Earth's 2008 sequel to their 2007 power metal epic, Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked, Pt. 1. Although this 59-minute disc picks up where its predecessor left off, there is one major difference between the two when it comes to personnel: Tim "Ripper" Owens, who sang on Framing Armageddon, left Iced Earth after that release -- and this album marks the full-fledged return of Matt Barlow. Changing lead singers isn't unusual in the metal world, but it is rare that a band features one singer on a concept album and ends up using a different singer on the sequel. It is also an intriguing occurrence, and Iced Earth fans will no doubt debate the merits of Barlow's singing versus the singing of Owens (who was Judas Priest's lead singer from 1996-2003). But suffice it to say that both of them are skillful headbangers, and both of them are appropriate for Iced Earth's grandiose, larger than life Something Wicked material. As far as power metal concept albums go, The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked, Pt. 2 isn't in a class with Queensrÿche's Operation: Mindcrime (which is widely regarded as the ultimate power metal concept album). But this CD is respectable and well crafted, and will not disappoint Iced Earth's longtime followers. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide