ICED EARTH

Unfortunately, I am writing this review somewhat late — given the fact that Tim Owens has been fired from ICED EARTH. History inexorably repeats itself: four years ago, Tim was similarly shown the door by his former colleagues in JUDAS PRIEST. Halford returned there, and now the prodigal Matt Barlow returns to Schaffer, having apparently grown tired of being a cop and exhausted his patriotic fervor. Thus, "Framing Armageddon" is the second and final work by Tim "Ripper" Owens with ICED EARTH (he also sang on two discs in Priest). Three years ago, Schaffer created his most grandiose and relentlessly patriotic disc; Ripper brilliantly performed the vocal parts, combining the epochal, the sorrowful, and the aggressive, ultimately transforming the rather pretentious and even occasionally tedious Gettysburg trilogy into a true epic saga about a terrible tragedy in American history. Incidentally, Ripper's re-recordings of Barlow's songs were rather weak — this refers to the recent single featuring a new version of the "Something Wicked" trilogy. However, the current album, bearing the subtitle "Something Wicked Part I," while inspired by that trilogy, is musically a completely independent work. Brent Smedley played drums, all vocal parts were performed by Tim Owens, and everything else — along with the composition of all material — fell on the shoulders of band leader Jon Schaffer. Certainly, the riffs, the playing style, the overall mood and atmosphere — all of this is in the finest Schaffer traditions. However, comparing this album to the previous one is only possible in terms of vocals. It is completely different. The grandeur of the previous work has not entirely disappeared, but has rather been reborn — there is no other way to put it. The music is very intense, quite dramatic, yet at the same time very dynamic, which is unexpected given that the disc contains 7 compositions whose length does not exceed two and a half minutes, serving as something like intros. Another surprise is the much greater attention paid to drums compared to the main body of the previous album. As for guitar solos, anyone well acquainted with the band's work knows that Schaffer has never been one for excessive showmanship in this department. As before, solos receive less attention than riffs, which even in instrumental passages are clearly more important to Jon; at the same time, there are some absolutely stunning solos, for example in "Order Of The Rose." Speaking of the general mood the music creates — well, I think everyone has long since accepted that despite the closest stylistic proximity to power metal (there is absolutely nothing of thrash on the recent works), you will not get bright notes from Jon. If the previous album was rather aggressive and insistently dramatic, this one is more detachedly dark and extremely tense, with a maximum number of instrumental passages. Singling out individual compositions is extremely difficult — each is good in its own way, especially since the album truly sounds best when listened to in its entirety. However, one thing can be said for certain: "Ten Thousand Strong" was released as a single for good reason, because it is a hit. The 9-minute "The Clouding" is very interesting — for 6 minutes we enjoy a beautiful acoustic ballad (acoustic guitar and keyboards are represented in huge quantities on this album), at the end we grow slightly weary of it, and at precisely that moment we hear a brilliant electric finale. One might say that compositions like "A Charge To Keep" and "Order Of The Rose" exist almost specifically for fans of Ripper's talent — his vocal parts are simply staggering. He works completely freely across more than two octaves, delivering the high parts extraordinarily well and, as always, cleanly, precisely, without the slightest hint of cutting corners — and this is not just about technique; skeptics can listen to any concert with his participation. He also performs all the choral moments, accompanied by which the high parts unfold. When needed, his voice becomes rough and aggressive, instantly transforming into something lyrical and tender. In short, this record is yet another testament to his magnificent mastery in every respect — timbre, vocal power, dynamism — everything is on a supreme level. The album is very strong. What to expect from Barlow now remains an open question; moreover, where is the guarantee that in six months he won't announce that his newborn child takes up too much time, or suddenly decide that a true American father should not sing in any rock bands? What more can one say — maestro Schaffer made his decision with the argument that it was prompted by fan requests. Well, time will tell... How Barlow will perform the songs from the recent albums live is also, for now, an open question...