Iced Earth

Horror Show

A good album, but not Iced Earth's best.

Review Score:

(8/10)
Iced Earth has released six solid albums, and although the first three were much better than the last, they haven't lost their ability to create interesting songs and perform them to perfection. Horror Show is no exception, although I would rate it slightly behind Something Wicked and slightly ahead of the Dark Saga. As for the songs:

Wolf: A fast and thrashy opener that showcases Matt Barlow's vocal talents as well as the skills of new drummer Richard Christy. This is one of the best songs on the disc.

Damien: This song has a lot of potential, but like a lot of recent Iced Earth songs, it gets boring due to a lack of riffs and complexity.

Jack: One of the bad songs on the disc. Nothing interesting happens, and the lyrics are pretty bad here too.

Ghost of Freedom: This is one of Iced Earth's better ballads, although the style isn't their strong suit.

Im-ho-tep: This song is outstanding, with a killer backbeat during the chorus and an interesting riff under the guitar solo. If Iced Earth is going to write simple songs, this is the way they should be!

Jekyll and Hyde: I don't care for this song, though I don't know why. it just doesn't grab me.

Dragon's Child: Another simple song that really turned out well. It has one of Barlow's best performances!

Frankenstein: Like Im-ho-tep, this song is based on one guitar riff. The highlight here is the vocal harmony between Schaffer and Barlow during the chorus.

Dracula: Iced Earth displays their power metal influences here. I know this is technically a good song, but it isn't my favorite.

Phantom Opera Ghost: Not as good as Maiden's version, but the best song on this disc. The female vocals fit right in and the riffing here is the best on the cd.

So, overall, buy Night of the Stormrider first, but if you are already an Iced Earth fan, pick up this cd, and you won't be disappointed!

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