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Iced Earth: Horror Show
 You have to give credit to Iced Earth. They are a band on a mission, and that is to consistantly deliver classic heavy metal to the masses, with no succumbing to commercialism whatsoever. Horror Show continues in a long line of excellent albums for the band, and for lovers of the classic Universal Horror Monsters of the 1930's, 40's and 50's, this is a real treat and must have.
Growing up, I was infatuated by the old Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy, Dracula, Invisible Man, and Creature from the Black Lagoon movies. Judging by this CD, members of Iced Earth were as well. Each song here is dedicated to a specific movie monster, and delivered in typical bone-crunching Iced Earth fashion. All of the monsters mentioned above are covered, with the highlights being "Wolf", "Im-Ho-Tep (Pharaoh's Curse)" and "Frankenstein." However, the band really cooks on a few other numbers not pertaining to the creatures mentioned above. A homage to The Omen results in "Damien", which is perhaps one of the best songs this band has ever recorded. Containing a relentless rhythm section and an absolute killer and evil guitar riff, this track will instantly send shivers down your spine. "Jack" is another winner, and dedicated to the legendary Jack the Ripper.
Lyrically and musically this is great stuff. I think the band has gotten even tighter as the years have gone by, and now they resemble Metallica in the late 80's in terms of sheer power. Horror film freaks and metal heads rejoice!
Added: October 27th 2001
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:  
Related Link: Century Media
Hits: 4989
Language: english
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Iced Earth: Horror Show
Posted by Ken Pierce, SoT Staff Writer on 2006-02-22 18:09:48
My Score:
Focusing their energies on the mysterious and the macrabre, Jon Schaffer and company deliver the evil with the album "Horror Show". The theme the group follows for this one is "monsters", and each track on the release is about one particular member of the Legions Of Darkness. It's an interesting idea; very well-written and becomes an audio version of "Famous Monsters Of Filmland" when you observe it as a whole. Songs like "Dracula" and "Damien" are perhaps the album's best tracks, each bringing you into the mind of the horrific character that it showcases. Musically, the album is very strong and finds Matt Barlow belting out the vocals like a banshee (this would be his last recording with the group). Rounding out the lineup for the recording with Schaffer and Barlow is Richard Christy (drums), Larry Tanowski (guitar) and Steve DiGiorgio (bass). It's a talented line of defense against these spirits and with "Horror Show" the group allows even the new listener a chance to enjoy their brand of Metal with little background on them. While the band had been around for a few years, I found myself missing the boat on them until this release. Overall, Iced Earth delivers some of the best traditional-styled Metal I have heard in a long time. Outside of the tracks cited above (which are my particular favorites), I leaned strongly on "The Phantom Opera Ghost". The track showcases the talents of Yunhui Percifield, who plays the part of Christine during the song. "Wolf" and "Jack" are also interesting and bring you stories about the Wolf- Man and Jack The Ripper, in case you did not figure that part out.
The first-pressings of the disk came with a bonus CD that included a cover of Iron Maiden's "Transylvania", as well as an interview with Jon Schaffer. A great addition, given he is very interesting to listen to in that capacity. A full-color and illustrated booklet is included and it features amazing artwork by comic book's own Danny Miki and Travis Smith. Each monster is given his own moment to shine as a result and the lyrics, which are great reading, are provided as well. If Iced Earth is a band you have never followed yet for whatever reason, I can strongly recommend this be a part of your collection. Overall, this makes for an excellent listen that you will refer to time and time again.
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