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Rating: Exceptional!
This is the only adjective to describe the latest effort from Iced Earth: “The Glorious Burden”.
After the departure of the talented singer Matt Barlow, guitarist Jon Schaffer found a worthy replacement, a true icon of metal: Tim Owens, former singer of Judas Priest. Many of you might think this was merely a commercial operation; but no, because Owens brings out the best in himself on this album, giving us absolute performances.
But let's get to the songs. “The Glorious Burden” opens with “Declaration Day”, a song composed of a sharp and aggressive riff, accompanied by precise and driving double bass drums. The chorus resolves into a fairly evocative and patriotic chant (an element that we will find throughout the album). This track talks about the American declaration of independence and is dedicated to all the patriots who died for that cause.
“When The Eagle Cries” arrives just in time to calm things down. It's the classic ballad, very sweet at least in the verses. The chorus is driving, although a bit too repetitive. Topic: the disaster of September 11.
“The Reckoning” is the first single from the album. It presents itself as a classic Iced Earth track, very thrash. Owens delivers a monstrous vocal performance, always staying at very high peaks, even reaching to "screech" in some parts.
Two very similar songs follow as they are fast and aggressive: “Attila” and “Red Baron/Blue max”. The first opens with an intro of guitar and epic choruses. More power, with a dragging and emotional guitar refrain (it won't fail to make your head move up and down!!!). We also find a hint of growling from Owens and a bridge made of obsessive guitars and a dark chorus, which manage to create an atmosphere of tension. The second is much more thrash than the previous one, with acrobatic guitars and obsessive drums. In the chorus, the new singer gives an excellent vocal performance.
Not very interesting are “Hollow Man” and "Valley Forge”, two overly easy songs that do not hold up to comparison with the others. Emotional and dramatic instead is “Waterloo”, in which Napoleon's exploits are narrated. The guitars recall Maiden's Piece of Mind and we find Owens, as usual, at his best: now furious, now sad and cold, the former Priest gives the song an extra gear, giving the whole a very dramatic tone for one of the best songs on the album.
At the end, we find “Gettysburg”, the most representative track of the CD: divided into 3 parts (The Devil To Pay, Hold At All Costs, High Water Mark), it unfolds for over 30 minutes and is absolutely the best track of the entire album. The novelty is the use of a 55-piece orchestra, which manages to give an entirely new touch to the iced-sound. “Gettysburg” is a very realistic and dramatic track, with cannons and the rumble of weapons in the background, which transport us inside the battle where more than 150,000 men lost their lives. I particularly liked the first part, with a spine-chilling instrumental bridge, where the guitars blend perfectly with the orchestra.
The lyrics are well crafted and denote a very well-informed and knowledgeable Schaffer.
Noteworthy is also the care for the cover, very beautiful, and the booklet, in which the leader illustrates the theme along which the entire full-length develops.
Finally, in my opinion, one of the best releases of 2004 and the new era for Iced Earth could not have begun in a better way.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 When the Eagle Cries (04:06)
Another day just like any other
Out of the blue it turned to horror
How could they?
Why would they?
The innocent suffered hell’s inferno
A senseless act that goes unforgotten
How could they?
They will pay
Chorus
When the eagle cries
Blood will flow
When the eagle cries
For freedom’s fight
When the eagle cries
We love her so
When the eagle cries
We will sacrifice
Out of the ashes came a tempting vengeance
But we are focused, we seek redemption
We are free
We’ll stay free
All they’ve done is make us stronger
The sleeping giant is asleep no longer
If need be
We’ll die free
Chorus
When the eagle cries
Blood will flow
When the eagle cries
For freedom’s fight
When the eagle cries
We love her so
When the eagle cries
We will sacrifice
04 The Reckoning (Don't Tread on Me) (04:56)
CHORUS:
Destiny's called us
It's the reckoning
This time it's for blood
Don't tread on me
Revenge is not justice
It's the reckoning
This time it's for blood
Don't tread on me
You went too far this time
For this heinous crime
You will know defeat
Begging on your knees
One by one you'll fall
Your back's against the wall
Nowhere to turn
You're sure to burn
Destiny's called us
It's the reckoning
This time it's for blood
Don't tread on me
The hour's close at hand
We'll make our final stand
Justice shall be done
Nowhere to run
True evil broods in you
You're just a brainwashed fool
The coward kills then hides
Spewing forth his lies
Revenge is not justice
It's the reckoning
This time it's for blood
Don't tread on me
BRIDGE:
Born of destruction, bred in agony
Is this my salvation?
From these ashes, I am your devastation
If it was up to me
Eye for an eye I'd seek
But the high road we will take
Lady Justice is a stake
The judgement has been made
In blood it shall be paid
Death knows what to do
The horseman comes from you
CHORUS
05 Greenface (03:02)
A warrior down to the depths of my soul
I terrorize evil that's out of control
On land, in the air, at sea
On danger I feed
My war paint, the last thing my enemies see
Their teeth and their ears are trophies for me
On land, in the air, at sea
I'll be where the metal meets the meat
Greenface
Greenface
Lagoons deep in jungles are home for me
The desert nor mountains, they can't hide from me
On land, in the air, at sea
I'll be where the metal meets the meat
Greenface
Greenface
06 Attila (05:36)
He's ruled them for 20 years
And ravaged as their king
Conquest burns in his eyes
And ice shoots through his veins
Their leader's new ambition lies
Farther to the west
The empire that he seeks
The farther to the rest
Attila wants to take his place
Like the impetuous son
To make the entire world bow
To the kingdom of the Huns
Alliance has been made
With many others clans
Frank and Vandal forces
Held within his hand
And by Attila's hand it's said
His brother met with death
To make his rule his legacy
He did his awful best
Ethele and Etzell
By many names he's known
But scourge of god is the one
That rings the darkest tone
Chorus
Hell awaits behind gaul's gates
The Romans stand only to fall
They will die by his sword
The barbarian Lord
Attila hear's victory call
Bridge
(Huns)
Path of fire and plunder
Cities burn and crumble
Attila's fate beckons
He will come to conquer
(Romans)
Archers stand at ready
Centurions all together
Keep to your lines
And the Mongol's sure to falter
(Huns)
We will surely break them
We will overtake them
Fight till our deaths
Or the christians devastation
(Romans)
They won't overthrow us
God Will stand before us
Show us the path to the Hun's destruction
Sing to the sky, the battle cry
To propagate their fears
As terror is the weapon drawn
When battle has drawn near
And so the conflict is at hand
The gauntlet has been thrown
Contempt for the christian reign
This poison seed now sewn
And if by chance all is lost
Cut down by Roman steel
We'll suffer not as others have
Broken mind nor broken will
Repeat chorus
09 Valley Forge (04:46)
Close your eyes and imagine
The soldier, at Valley Forge
The suffering that he endured was real
Starvation, total war
Yet in his eyes, the iron will to win
And for the cause he won't relent
CHORUS:
Would he look upon us now in anger and disgust?
His providence, our birthright and our creed
Will we let ignorance and laziness bring our demise?
Complacency, we're blinded by our greed
Standing barefoot, frozen bloody hands
His musket clutched in iron grip
But for the cause he has but one regret
He's only got one life to give
CHORUS
It's time for us to open up our eyes
And cherish the lives we all can have
And to the ones who kept our freedom free
Words can't express all that you've done
CHORUS
10 Waterloo (05:48)
Usher in the rally cries
Revolution�s here again
The emperor�s bonds are broken
As free he shall remain
Escape, through narrow, was demand
While his reign remained in view
This fight for France, �till bitter end
He must see it through
Coalition forms of many lands
Against Napoleon, west to east
Dogs of war will take to arms
And soon will be unleashed
Prussian, Russian and Austrian
All follow British lead
At allies� helm is Wellington
Who must make his foe concede?
CHORUS:
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be forced to see
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
�And you will see your hundred days
Come to an end
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be forced to see
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
�It lies before you, fate shall befall you
Quickly, the allies gather force
Near the Franco-Belgian line
While 124,000 French
March there in double time
As the battle begins
Napoleon springs his audacious plan
He'll attack them in two fronts
Splitting up his warring band
As the Prussians sound retreat
Behind they leave 12,000 slain
Most of their force is still in tact
And will live to fight again
Wellington, who felt the loss
Of 5000 men
Would feel more under cannon fire
Bombardment from the French
CHORUS
BRIDGE:
Of all the wars I have waged
To propel my nations might
For this I'll be remembered
From now �till the end of time
If to the victor go the spoils
I may die an impoverished man
For in the end, irony
Has dealt the cruelest hand
The French force was swift and sure
But their attack would be repelled
And though their center battered
The Anglo-Dutch line would be held
As fate or skill would have it
An army moves from the east
The Prussians who slipped through his hands
Would soon spell his defeat
French lines now all broken
And being open to attack
The emperor has no choice
And the old guard pulls him back
45,000 wounded or dead
When the fight was finally through
On a three mile square of battlefield
Near a town named Waterloo
CHORUS
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Other reviews
By Rainbow Rising
"The Glorious Burden remains a great album, enjoyable even for those not too accustomed to the usual American offering."
"The Gettysburg trilogy represents the highest point of the entire album, made more solemn by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra."
