Iced Earth: a band that has been around for over two decades bringing chaos and mayhem across the globe, has returned with the new album “Plagues of Babylon”. Iced Earth has had many releases and line-up changes over the years and for diehard fans of Iced Earth, we all feel the same about how hard it would be listening to an Iced Earth release without long-time frontman Matt Barlow. Fortunately, with the release of their previous album Dystopia, it was proven that their current frontman Stu Block is strong enough to take the reins and bring in his own style and uniqueness. Iced Earth’s Rhythm Guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer is known for his deep riffs and concept writing (i.e. Something Wicked Saga) has shown that this is a new era of Iced Earth and this has been proven with the new release “Plagues of Babylon”.
Plagues of Babylon is one of Iced Earth’s heaviest albums since 1995’s “Burnt Offerings” and it sees Jon Schaffer returning again back to the “Something Wicked Saga” which started in 1998’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes”. This time a Zombie Plague has hit the Something Wicked world which is explained in the first six tracks of the album with the remaining songs being stand-along tracks.
The album starts off with its title track “Plagues of Babylon” with a long introduction, tight riffs, and a sing-a-long chorus it was definitely a right fit to start the album. The heaviness continues within the next coming tracks and Stu Block has I think shown some more development in his voice and I also think they have incorporated more big choruses easy enough to sing along to. Hansi Kirsch from Blind Guardian makes a guest appearance in the track “Among the living dead” another heavy track. The next four tracks on the album I believe are the best songs on the album with much more emotion and feeling to them. “The End?” is the final track of the continuation of the “Something Wicked Saga” and with Stu Blocks clean Vocal at the start the going in heavy is a great way to play this track. The next is the ballad on the album “If I could see you” which is another powerful ballad written by Jon Schaffer. “Cthulhu” is another powerful song it’s slow and then quick with another big chorus and excellent guitar work, it’s definitely one of my favorites. This brings us to “Peacemaker” which I have to say is my favorite on this album; the song has a great theme to it (Cowboy Outlaw) and starts very southern rock before blasting into a heavy riff with guitar work similar to some of the old Iced Earthwork. One of the final tracks on the album is a classic cover song “Highwayman”. This cover has a couple more guest vocalists Russell Allen (Symphony X) and Michael Poulsen (Volbeat) with of course Stu Block and Jon Schaffer sounding like a true pirate at the beginning of the song.
I believe “Plagues of Babylon” is a much more true-to-form album for Iced Earth. I do believe that there is a lot more chemistry in the writing process and they definitely feel more comfortable writing together and it shows after listening to this album.
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This album I think shows a new era of Iced Earth has formed and as a big fan of Iced Earth I am hoping it continues.
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Believe me “The Plague is coming”.
Iced Earth: Facebook
Release Year: 2014
Label: Century Media Records
Category: Album
Country: USA
Reviewed by Brent Logan
