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Rating: It's 1995, several years have passed since a beardless Jon Schaffer, still sixteen, left home armed only with his guitar following the death of a dear friend. His dream was to live off the fruits of his beloved music, his beloved Heavy Metal, thinking he was following the path set by his idols Saxon, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest. He decided to found Iced Earth.
After a strong self-titled debut and an excellent follow-up (Night Of The Stormrider), he faced the harsh realities of the music market, particularly the much-loved metal scene. After years of lineup instability, he finally managed to assemble a stable group (though it wouldn't last long) featuring Schaffer himself on rhythm guitar, Randy Shawver on lead guitar, the excellent Dave Abell on bass, Rodney Beasley on drums, and the powerful Matthew Barlow on vocals.
A dark keyboard and a strangled voice seem to slowly introduce us to the title track that opens this platter... but the blow is around the corner, a sharp, icy riff comes out of nowhere, and we're faced with one of Iced Earth's best songs, inexplicably forgotten in the monumental 'Alive In Athens,' a slight central break with Barlow seemingly singing sweetly, bringing a bit of calm, but the same singer will once again start the dance... and what a dance. A sweet arpeggio and then the usual barrage of riffs, the story of two souls who can only be together in death... this is the splendid "Last December."
In "Diary," Matt Barlow finally gives his best and unleashes a breathtaking performance skillfully guided by the tempo changes of Schaffer and company, applause. After such a start, it seems difficult to do better... yet "Brainwashed" manages it, a fierce denunciation against all the lies of the world that are instilled in us by people who instead want to exploit us... a hypnotic bridge and Beasley on fire. Another arpeggio, and we've arrived at "Burning Oasis" and the aggression of "Creator Failure," two excellent songs that once again demonstrate the quality of this group, if there was ever any doubt. After all this Godsend, we could stop, and the album would still be complete and of high quality... but fortunately, Schaffer had different plans...
Like in "Night Of The Stormrider", a brief ballad, "The Pierced Spirit" (sweetly sung by Barlow, and for a singer who comes from extreme metal, this is not an everyday occurrence) introduces the final suite... but we're not talking about a normal suite, but something more.
How else to define "Dante's Inferno"? A devastating ride with the Supreme Poet through all the circles of Hell, among fire, flames, demons, and the damned until reaching Lucifer himself. I assure you that whether presumptuous or not, this song is something unique; close your eyes, and it will seem like you're passing by Cerberus, Minos, Charon, crossing the Styx, visiting Dis, seeing the damned immersed in lakes of blood... all in an almost perfect "musical realism".
Buy it, it's worth it.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Last December (03:24)
The howling winds blow
On this moonlit night
Eyes locked in fear
With a dark embrace
The bitter cold winds
Freeze the tears that fall
Hands held in grace
As we take the final step
Obsessed with our love
Here is our fate
To need the final call
On this special winter day
A message to our elders
They surely won't forget
Our love must last forever
In death we shall not part
It seems like only yesterday
Our lives together planned
They say it's just a passing phase
We're damned by our youth
Why does no one understand
What we have is real
This is not your average love it's forever
Last December
Mother you have forced us here
Last December
Father now we'll disappear
Last December
One last step we fade away
So we take the final step
Heed the final call
Together we are strong
Divided we must fall
Teenage suicide
Our only way out
Together we might live
Divided we must fall
Last December
Mother you have forced us here
Last December
Father now we'll disappear
Last December
One last step we fade away
03 Diary (06:03)
Mine is pure darkness
It is as blackness is
Damn the light which comes from
You as a moth to flame I burn
In the twilight of morning I rest my weary eyes
For the benefits of the nights bounty were many
My soul has been redeemed (with those of others)
I missed my love tonight
Hiding behind the figure I cannot bare to face
That of a dead profit
And his beast of burden
Thorns ripping through his brow
Skin soft and white, eyes fire and ice
Just as I recall
Not longer than nine score
Certainly food for the gods
And fit for a prince
Her throat I'll have it now
I will have her, she is mine
Rise of the sun, my test of time
And when shadows fall on unholy ground
It's time to sleep again
As consciousness slips into blackness
I rise to nights warm embrace
And though my blood runs cold
I know my love will be alone
And my mortal heart shall beat again
Like it did ten thousand years ago
Forbidden love can only taste this sweet
Not like the others so incomplete
The symbolic arrow that pierces my heart
Takes the shape of a wooden stare
Now I am the one crucified
For her immortal heart I'd give my own
And die for mankind's sins
But that is not the nature of this beast
I am denied
I will have her, she is mine
Rise of the sun, my test of time
When shadows fall on unholy ground
I will make her mine
04 Brainwashed (05:22)
And so we begin with another sun
The earth's enslaved with hypocrites
They lay their heads to rest at night
Say a little prayer and all is right
Christ it's nothing personal
You've got to see
They twist and turn your words
For their own needs
They're brainwashed puppets
The almighty crutch
Cowards of reality
And their dying love
Living life in total lies
Judging others
Believe that I say or burn in hell
Bow down your head
You won't feel so bad
Do as I say or burn in hell
Close your eyes, look deep inside
Master of the ignorant
Master of the lies
Judgment day is close at hand
Generate that blasphemy
Master of the damned
Lies
Now behind your reflection
Lies the one who knows the truth
Your conscience will condemn you
On judgment day you'll lose
It seems very odd to me
How you sin and feel so free
And all you have to do is say
Forgive me ... I believe
Lies, foolish lies
Behind your brainwashed eyes
Lies, foolish lies
Behind your brainwashed eyes
Judge me not my shallow friend
Lest ye be judged yourself
You abuse the words you preach
You mold them for yourself
Brainwashed hypocrisy
Justifies the life you lead
Forgive me father I have sinned
Lay my head to rest again
Living life in total lies
Judging others
Believe what I say or burn in hell
Trust in me, say yes I believe
Do it now or burn in hell
06 Creator Failure (06:02)
A lonely maiden stands
Bound to the obelisk
As she tugs and pulls
And tries to twist
Shackles slice her virgin wrists
Blood now covers her tiny hands
How does thou receive this fate?
She asks of her own mind
Purity, innocence, encourage death
Life... gone is mine
I also ask of you my lord
Thy god in heaven
For I understand the error of mans ways
But of creation and the seven days
When was created the murky haze
From which the beast has risen
Fail me not my master
For this is your creation
Your son the bastard
Leviathan
Blackness, dripping stench
Unrelenting vice
Vile embellishment
Transcending pure evil
Standing now before her eyes
Wings expanding...she's going to die
Belching blue green fire
Flesh feeds the desire
The serpent gods apocalyptic smile
Come to me my demon brother
Of us both and our fathers
A failure of creation ... abomination
08 Dante's Inferno (16:29)
Through the fiery caverns we sail
Virgil at my side my guide and master
Questing through the nine plains of hell
Infernal wisdom shall fill my soul
Slowly now the days departing
The darkened air releases me
Frightening visions of my journey
Entrance me to limbo I'm not
Free
Abandon all hope who enter here
Enter the gates, Charon awaits
Abandon all hope who enter here
For this is where all things are left behind
Every doubt and every cowardice must die
Souls of rage and anger whipping in despair
The souls that wail on this plain pray for death
Denial is the reason for their suffering
Forever being stung by wasps and demons breath
The blood and tears that fall serve the maggots need
Descention, thrusting to the second plain
Minos judges as his tail twines
Lustful thoughts and greed whip these wretched souls
A hurricane of hate mocks their helpless pleas
Drifting now down deeper, into eternal flames
Awake at the third circle, the cold and filthy rain
Punished for their gluttony, languid for all time
The earth it stinks of corpses, damned for all time
The vicious beast Cerebus, three heads, blooded eyes
Tears his talons through the air, all the sinners cry
Down, be still thy cursed wolf
The master scorns its name
Dive to the next plain
The sullen and the vain
Suffer for their greed
The prodigal they bleed
For all eternity
Plutus holds the key
Damned, the wrathful and the vain
Suffer the fifth plain
Cross the river Styx
Heed your crucifix
The mudded corpses cry
Howling to the sky
Reach the other side
Open wide the gate
Enter the sixth circle of barren land and flames
Passing through the gate of dis the furies scream her name
Belching forth in agony invoking her to rise
The spirit's rage consuming us the evil in their cries
Queen of vipers, queen of serpents
Cast their souls to stone
Spread to wealth of Gorgon's power
Medusa's inner soul
We're drawing ever closer to the seventh hell
They violate their neighbors, their god and themselves
We're sailing slowly through the boiling river of blood
Immersed in the depths below souls scream in agony
The twisted beast he laughs, he draws his arrow back
His sights on anyone exposing of their flesh
He impales their hearts with ease
And shrugs their piercing screams
Pity is they'll never die
They'll suffer here eternally
Imagine a place where every horror comes to life
Where every torture is real and time stands still
Eight fiery steps and we're closer to the end
In a cold and timeless grave buried head first in shit
Praying all the while for a quick & painless death
Scratching furiously at scabbed and oozing wounds
Lucifer ... angel of light
Cast below god of ice
Ruling hell unholy trinity
The traitors freeze for all eternity
Lucifer ... betrayer of god
Tormentor ruthless and cold
Judas' screaming here in agony
The traitors freeze for all eternity
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