Iced Earth
Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked - Part 1

THE REVIEW

The Iced Earth of 2007 seem increasingly to live in uncertainty: a shaky line-up bears witness to this. After the departure of Richard Christy, replaced by Brent Smedley, and that of Santolla, replaced by Troy Seele, they embark on a truly ambitious project: Schaffer already conceived it in 1998, during the recordings of "Something Wicked This Way Comes," and it is a concept album based on the infamous Something Wicked Trilogy, songs inspired by conspiracies and plots of an alien race (created by Schaffer's own imagination) to the detriment of humanity. But Jon decides to shelve the project to focus on the band's first live album, "Alive In Athens." This name should tell you something... It can be said that Schaffer made the best decision!!!

After almost 10 years, the project is taken up again, and thus the eighth LP of the American band is born: "Something Wicked Part I - Framing Armageddon," the first in a trilogy of epic proportions (the release of the second episode, Something Wicked Part II - Revelation Abomination, is expected by 2008).

What to say? The impression given is that Schaffer probably got a little bit carried away: sharp riffs, but sometimes too predictable ("Order Of The Rose"), songs filled with choruses that repeat endlessly and eventually become tiresome ("A Charge To Keep," "Ten Thousand Strong") and as many as eight interludes, between instrumentals ("Something Wicked Part II," "The Awekening") and introductions to subsequent songs ("Reflections," "Execution"). It almost seems like the band (actually, Schaffer, as Owens and Smedley seem to have been alienated from the project...) wrote under duress, and you can really feel the lack of that typical rage found in albums like "Night Of The Stormrider." It's evident that a good idea like a concept on Seth Abominae was somewhat spoiled by the excessive pomposity that some songs exude.

Of course, it's not all to be discarded: "The Clouding" is truly a pleasure to listen to, the chorus of "Infiltrate And Assimilate" is truly hypnotic, not to mention the power of songs like "Framing Armageddon" and "Setian Massacre," with really convincing and well-structured songwriting.

The promotional tour did not turn out to be a failure at all, a sign that the fans still want to headbang under the stage with the Iced, but certainly "Framing Armageddon" represents the least successful episode of the Owens era, although still a very listenable album: from Schaffer and company I expected more. Now we can only wait: Barlow has returned to the fold, to the great joy of all the fans, despite the excellent skill of his predecessor.

What will be the fate of the Earth? Will Seth Abominae manage to destroy the human race? But above all what will be the destiny of Iced Earth? We will find out with the release of "Revelation Abomination"!