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Review Summary: Sinner's haven. Iced Earth have had a turbulent history. Over the course of 32 years, just as many musicians have made some level of contribution to the band’s seemingly exhausted legacy. Jon Schaffer has gone down as band’s lone survivor from day one, rivaled only by on-again, off-again vocalist Matt Barlow, whom many consider to be Iced Earth’s true soul and voice. Going by that same token, Burnt Offerings would be the band’s actual debut album. Meanwhile, the subsequently released Days of Purgatory EP saw the band offer different takes on previously released material, as if to correct past wrongs that may or may not have existed. Needless to say, Schaffer hasn’t been terribly discrete with his helming of remixes, especially when considering how difficult Night of the Stormrider and Burnt Offerings are to find in their original forms--nevermind Stu Block’s contentious rendition of “Dante’s Inferno.”
Setting politics aside, it’s important to remember and reflect on how Iced Earth found their calling to begin with. While the foundation amounted to a mesh of power and thrash metal, the landscape these roots grew in was neither pompous nor grandiose. Rather, Iced Earth birthed their music in a pit of smoke and ice, an ideal backdrop for Night of the Stormrider’s tragic tale. From this pit the ice would eventually melt, yielding the lava-like eruptions which came to define Burnt Offerings. Every track on the album ignites like a nightmare coming to reality, distinct in their individuality yet whole in their vision. That album closer “Dante’s Inferno” is inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy is hardly surprising, all the more apparent thanks to Burnt Offering’s cover art, which is taken from Gustave Dorè’s illustration of the ninth circle of Hell. Alas, this inspiration creates more than a mere trickle effect for the preceding tracks, as the album constantly feels like it’s being tickled by the twisted whims of demons, suddenly free of their familiar realm. Grizzly guitars contribute a fiery sensation such as the climax on “Burning Oasis,” while keyboards occasionally drip with cold, moonlit drops of blood on select bridges, including “Creator Failure” and the title track.
Burnt Offerings constantly subjects its listeners to a journey through the underworld and its never-ending planes. “Last December,” for such a short and straightforward track, becomes enriched with touches such as Matt Barlow’s demonic barks and melodic calls during the chorus. In this midst of organized pandemonium, Barlow shines with the voice of many, be it a deranged behemoth, a carnivorous minion, or a long-tormented soul. These aspects combine to transform each moment into a full-fledged trek, a plunge deeper into the blackened caverns that end on the aforementioned “Dante’s Inferno.” This subjugation would seem cruel were it not so enthralling, which the music constantly achieves with grim delight. Thanks to its proper dose of despair, vexation and hostility, Burnt Offerings simmers as a haven for those who desire metal that bites more than it barks, utilizing the technical qualities of its subgenres while becoming their thematic antithesis. Embrace the dark, billowing inferno.
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Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
100 reviews later...I definitely feel like I've improved since Screaming for Vengeance (I'm afraid to go back and read it now actually). Hey, here's to 100 more!
Was trying to decide what album I wanted to hit the triple digits with, and remember being a fan of this when first really getting into metal. It hasn't had a review in some time, and I feel a new one was due.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Dante's Inferno kills all power metal
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Actually just picked up this album, pretty excited to listen to this band
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Remastered version?
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
fuck yea
not big on power metal but this album fucking rips
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
shit why dont i have this rated
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Yeah, part of me wishes there were more power metal bands/albums like this. It's a shame that nearly everything IE did after this album was but a pale shadow, by comparison (Plagues wants to be Burnt Offerings but has no soul to offer up).
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Good stuff Xeno, pos.
Can't stress how much we needed albums like this one when it came out. Especially in Greece these guys were huge, one of the most loved bands of the '90s.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Matt's voice makes this sound so atmospheric, something none of the IE singers after him managed to deliver, great album.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Especially at the end of Burning Oasis. He's amazing on the entire album, but that track has been stuck in my head recently.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
great review man on a fantastic album, enjoy a pos Xeno
'Especially in Greece these guys were huge, one of the most loved bands of the '90s.'
Alive In Athens baby!!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Hell yeah! I still kick my ass for not going to those concerts. Iced Earth on top of their game at my favorite venue, ugh.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I still need to hear that. I'd have loved to watch the DVD cuz that's how I go with live shows since the visual component is really important to me, but Century Media messed that one up.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Yeah, was looking for the DVD while watching the show on YT and couldn't find it. What gives?
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Oh, I remember finding the DVD on Youtube a few months ago. Regarding the quality issues, from Wikipedia:
"Shortly before the DVD was publicly released, Iced Earth rhythm guitarist and founder Jon Schaffer offered a statement which voiced dissatisfaction with Century Media (with whom Iced Earth was no longer signed at the time). A portion of this statement reads:
"I want you all to be aware of what it is that they [Century Media] are releasing. This is a very low-budget, badly edited video of an amazing concert and an awesome period in the history of Iced Earth. They promised me that they are going to keep the price down and that they are not going to market it as something it's not. But I feel it's my responsibility to let you know the reality of the situation."
Schaffer did not, however, go so far as to call for a boycott of the product, saying, "The decision to purchase the 'Alive in Athens' DVD is up to you. I just want you to be aware of what it is you're getting should you choose to do so."
The song order is not identical to that featured on the album version. A few songs are also missing, including "Slave to the Dark", "A Question of Heaven", and "Iced Earth". "Colors" was played at this concert as well, but was not included on the CD or DVD due to a track listing mix up."
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Great review, very fluent writing. The first paragraph however seems to have mis-placed punctuation:
Over the course of 32 years, just as many musicians have made some level of contribution to the band’s seemingly exhausted legacy. Jon Schaffer has gone down as band’s lone survivor from day one, rivaled only by on-again, off-again vocalist Matt Barlow, whom many consider to be Iced Earth’s true soul and voice.
It would read better to me if you had divided this into two sentences and replaced the full stop between "legacy" and "Jon Schaffer" with a comma-as it reads now, it seems like a sentence that was unnecessarily broken up. Maybe it's just me not reading it right, I dunno.
As for the album-and the band in this case-, I really need to explore Iced Earth's discography. Up to now I recall enjoying the band's earlier works (Stormrider and this album particularly), but haven't listened to them enough to give a proper rating. Seeing them live at BOA a few years ago however piqued my interest.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
I'm confused, it's already two sentences but you think I should bridge them with a comma, thereby making it one sentence? Or is that what you meant?
I feel replacing the period with a comma would turn the sentence into a run-on. Perhaps a semicolon? Either way, I'll read it over a bit.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Also congrats on the 100th review ;).
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
"Can't stress how much we needed albums like this one when it came out. Especially in Greece these guys were huge, one of the most loved bands of the '90s."
Yeah, I heard they have a really strong following in Greece. Hell, their most popular live album is Alive in Athens!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
haha yeah, maybe it's the influence of metal magazines or maybe it's in our DNA but we are suckers for power/epic/traditional heavy metal. These guys along with bands like Blind Guardian, Manowar, Gamma Ray, etc. have a really dedicated following.
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