Iced Earth – Something Wicked This Way Comes

Despite of receiving mixed reviews upon its release, ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ is, from my point of view, not just the best Iced Earth album; it is one of the finest moments of the nineties´ metal.
A perfectly balanced mixture of the raw power and frantic riffing for which the band had become known for, and great songwriting that creates the perfect storm in the shape of one of these albums that make you feel that this is not just another album in the discography of a band, but THE album.
Inspiration, they call it.
Call it whatever you want, the result is a masterpiece that not just revs up the sound of the band after the somehow more “introspective” ‘The Dark Saga’, but also displays a rich and very welcomed variety of moods, from the pure thrash-ish aggression of ‘Stand Alone’, the anti- clergy ‘Disciples Of The Lie’ and the pro- suicide ‘My Own Savior’, to the heartfelt tribute to a lost friend in ‘Watching Over Me’ or the mid- paced ‘Melancholy (Holy Martyr)’ or ‘Consequences’.
Originally conceived as a concept album around the fictional character of Set Abominae, created by Jon Schaffer in pursue of giving the band a character to be related with, as happens with Iron Maiden and Eddie, finally just the last three songs in the album are directly related to the character and its fictional story.
And is precisely in these three final songs, AKA ‘The Something Wicked Trilogy’ where we find the best moments of the album.
The first song, ‘Prophecy’, slowly builds up its intensity while setting the background of the prophecy that announced the birth of a child of the setian race, who would avenge it from the extermination suffered under the human invasion.
‘Birth Of The Wicked’ keeps building tension in grand style and it’s a great song by its own right, but it is in ‘Coming Course’ where all hell breaks loose, a heavy metal feast with sick riffing from Schaffer backing one of the most awesome vocal displays from Matt Barlow in his career within Iced Earth, all imbued in an epic feeling that lifts the whole thing up, placing this final section among the best songs ever written by Schaffer, and confirming ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ as the masterpiece that it is.

A far more (hard)rock oriented album than it's (trash)metal predecessors. Vocals improved a lot. The pressing is fine and sounds excellent. The vinyl color will not appeal to everyone.

How does this one compare soundwise to the 2016 Century Media release (I missed out on that)? It's certainly cheaper so might take a chance on it.

I bought the release anyway, regardless of my last comment. Sounds good, nicely spaced over the 2 LPs with a meaty, bottom heavy sound. Quality product in of the packaging with polylined black paper inner sleeves, shipped in an outer sleeve with the records in the middle of the gatefold to prevent seam split, and a cardstock with some heft printed with a gloss finish.

The inside gatefold image is a different orientation to the 1998 OG and the 2016 reissues for some reason. No poster as per the 2016 reissues directly by Century Media, and no mention if the pressing features the "Special vinyl mastering for audiophile listening quality" of that same reissue or an older/newer master (I would expect older if anything, this looks like a straight licence to Floga, not a remaster job).

The album itself is an all time classic for me, regardless of anything Jon went on to be involved in. It's got some flaws, sometimes things get a bit overwrought in the ballads being the main complaint I have, but on the whole it mines a vein of thrashy power metal that no other band did as effectively as Iced Earth did at the time. It feels bombastic but sleek and economical at the same time and remains an invigorating listen all these years later.

What are the chances I'm putting money in Jon Schaffer's pockets by buying the reissue? Would Century Media be able to licence this without paying Jon? Here's hoping. Not a big fan of funding domestic terrorists.

It's incredible how good this sounds compared to the cd which I have had since it came out! This must also be remastered, although it isn't noted. Fantastic pressing and magnificent colours. Makes me think of how they sounded live. The cd was always a disappointment sound wise compared to how they overwhelmed me live. It was way too compressed and badly mastered, like the power was squeezed. But the vinyl sounds just as powerful!

Excellent pressing, grab it while you can to avoid paying unreasonable prices!

Excellent pressing. Well worth grabbing while they're available!! Very quiet quality pressing.