Minions of the Watch

Stormrider · Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 4:41 pm Post subject:

It seems my reviews have been dead for a while, that is because I want to review fresh by listening to them once again and not reviewing by memory. Just with my new job (I am back at Wal Mart after an year and a half of living off the govment's disability checks, wish I still get them!) I haven't had much time. But I will review the rest and I just ordered the Slave To The Dark Box Set and will review that too. So Stay Tuned!

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"Once again we have laid another loved one to rest. As we fight the grief in our hearts, we must realize that the fate of death is inevitable. Thus in turn find that through our trials and tribulations death may be the only real piece of mind" - Funeral

Stormrider · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:00 pm Post subject:

On our last episode, Stormrider had just reviewed (and half assed as usual, lol!) Something Wicked This Way Comes. We now continue where he left off.

The Meloncholy EP

As most of you know there were two versions of this EP. One was the original promo version which only had the first five songs on it (Meloncholy, Shooting Star, Watching Over Me, Electric Funeral, and I Died For You), than apparently due to high demand (or the record company wanting to cash in on IE's popularity at the time, maybe a combo of both who knows), Century Media decided to release the album to the public and added two more songs (The Ripper and Colors Live, a live song from Alive In Athens that never made to that live album, a nifty bonus in that they put a song you couldn't get anywhere else at the time). That is the version I will review (though the original is the same songs, well the first five, so you can say I am reviewing that too, I guess).

The EP starts off with the what some folks might consider to be a power ballad, definitions aside, it is a great song, Meloncholy. I know I will probably get ragged here, but this is just my opinion. When Jon does the acoustic or slow type riffs, no matter the song it all seems the same. I don't play guitar so I can't be sure, but listening to the slow songs side by side they kinda sound alike. But maybe I'm just retarded oh well. Anyway then the album gets its first cover tune in the form of Shooting Star by Bad Company. I like Bad Company and IE does a very good version of the song, however this is for some strange reason my least favorite Bad Company song, so I can't enjoy it as much as I would have had it been almost any other Bad Company song they covered.

We continue with an original song called Watching Over Me, which is a tribute to Jon's friend who died in a motorcycle accident, that friend, Bill Blackmon, also suggested the name Iced Earth for the band. It's a good tribute to any fallen friend really. Though I don't like all the "he's an angel now" type stuff in it, cause I would hope my friends are burning in hell and cursing god for eternity like I will be doing when I die. I hate god so much, but that is a whole other story. But even with that "angel" non sense, it is a great song. And if folks like to believe that heaven stuff more power to ya.

Next is the second cover Black Sabbath's Electric Funeral. Black Sabbath is a great band one of the best ever, and this is a very cool song to cover, though my opinion the perfect BS song for IE to cover with Barlow on vocals is the Ian Gillen fronted BS song "Born Again" and hell throw in a cover of "Disturbing The Priest" why not. Those would be cool for IE to do, I think. Next is "I Died For You" which is one of the best songs off of Dark Saga. I'm going to skimp on this song just saying it's awesome and leave it at that.

Followed by the last of the covers Judas Priest's The Ripper. I don't know what to say here either. If you like Priest, and IE than this song rocks. At the time Meloncholy was released, this particular cover was only available on the Japanese version of Dark Saga and the Judas Priest Tribute Album. Finally is the at the time exclusive track Colors Live. Which like I said was from the Alive In Athens recordings but due to some mix up somewhere was not included on the album (the track list omitted the song, and they didn't want to reprint all the albums already printed so they left it off), so as I said a nifty exclusive bonus at the time (the song is now on the current release of Alive from the Slave To The Dark Box Set). Not sure which was released first this EP or Alive In Athens, both were in 1999 though.

I will add more reviews soon. Keep checking. Here is what I have left to review...

Alive in Athens
Frankenstien/Ghost Of Freedom Promo Single
Horror Show
Dark Genesis
Tribute To The Gods
The Reckoning Single
The Glorious Burden
The Blessed And The Damned
Gettysburg (1863) DVD
Alive In Athens DVD
Iced Earth / Type O Negative / Engel Split Promo
Setian Massacre Single (Online Only Single, I think)
Overture of the Wicked Single
Framing Armageddon
Slave To The Dark The Century Media Years Box Set
Enter The Realm Of The Gods
I Walk Among You Single
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"Once again we have laid another loved one to rest. As we fight the grief in our hearts, we must realize that the fate of death is inevitable. Thus in turn find that through our trials and tribulations death may be the only real piece of mind" - Funeral

Dante · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:54 am Post subject:

Great review Stormrider!
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c. 5502 BE (6 BC) - Jesus of Nazareth was born. --~?~---

Stormrider · Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 1:53 am Post subject:

Alive In Athens

First a little history on this release. Most of you know this as a 3 disc box set. Well there is a 2 disc version (which Jon says not to buy, he prefers his fans to get the 3 disc set) and I am not sure but I think a single disc version was put out at one time. If it was I have yet to find a copy of it anywhere. Anywho, I read on the net somewhere a long time ago that the song "Colors" was left off the set due to the fact the printing of the cd cases accidentally omitted the song from the track list, they didn't want to have to start over so just left it off. I think I mentioned this in the Melancholy review.

I don't really know what to say about this set. It is one of the best live albums EVER! If not THE best! It blows away Kiss Alive totally. I always thought that Kiss Alive was the best live album ever, than I found out not to long ago that most of the songs on that "live" album had been overdubbed and you are not actually hearing the live performances. But that is not so with Alive In Athens, this is IE LIVE no doubt about that. Barlow singing some of the best songs ever (of course he did, he was still in the band at the time) from the catalog back than. For anyone doubting getting this album (if you don't already have it) GET IT!!!

Frankenstein/Ghost Of Freedom Promo

This promo was to be a well promo for the 2001 tour with Judas Priest and Anthrax. It even has the tour dates listed. The tour was canceled after the 9/11 tragedy and never happened. There was no cover for the cd for some reason, and this apparently was not available to the public. I don't own this disc but I am currently the high bidder on ebay for it, and I hope I win, just to have it as part of my collection. This promo is nothing special as far as whats on it. Just the two songs, neither of which are remixed or remastered or anything. Well let me take back that "nothing special" comment, it does have an interview with Jon on it which is 10:22 long. Don't know much about that interview. One last note, those are not my pics though they are on my photobucket account. Those are the pics from the auction. If I win when I get it I will post better pics.
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"Once again we have laid another loved one to rest. As we fight the grief in our hearts, we must realize that the fate of death is inevitable. Thus in turn find that through our trials and tribulations death may be the only real piece of mind" - Funeral

The Sexiest Metalhead · High Priest Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 602

Must be quite rare.
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Cheese?

Stormrider · Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 10:35 pm Post subject:

Kanadwen · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:24 am Post subject:

Nice review buddy, and yes, that is quite rare! I need to be snooping eBay or something more often, although I do have a copy of the Melancholy EP.....Russian version! #$@!
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The Sexiest Metalhead · High Priest Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 602

Stormrider · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 1:59 pm Post subject:

Horror Show

Again as with most of my reviews, a little history of this album. We all know the concept of this album so I won't get into that. I will get into the many different releases this album saw. The first two releases were a single disc and a double disc version. The single disc had only the 10 songs and not the Iron Maiden cover of "Transylvania". However some non US versions of the single disc had "Transylvania" on it often as track 8 which put it between "Dragon's Child" and "Frankenstein". Some releases had it at the end making it track 11.

The two disc edition was made in two different versions, a jewel case version and a digi book style version (See the Digi Book version in the scans below). I use to have the jewel version but lost it now I need to get it back. I do have the digi book version. It comes in a slipcase that houses the "book". The two discs are stored in cardboard sleeves that are glued into the book, and the lyric booklet is glued into the book as well. The little sticker on the slipcase, I added it was from the cellophane wrap and contained tour dates for that tour in Europe or some other Non US place.

Horror Show "book" and slipcase

"Book" open

Anywho this was Matt Barlow's last album of Iced Earth Originals, Matt's final IE album would be the Tribute To The Gods. I have said it before (more than likely in this forum) that Damien is one of my favorite songs (hell almost all IE songs are one of my favorites!) followed by Dracula and Phantom Opera Ghost. Of course the whole album is awesome. I have read reviews about this by various folks and it seems a lot of them either love this album or hate it, there seems to be no in between. Of course as with all IE albums I love it (yes that includes the Gene Adam stuff). I can't go on about music structures and timing and other shit about the music like some reviewers do, cause frankly when I read those I have no idea what they mean. I am not a musician (a lyricist and vocalist, but not a musician) all I can say is the music is fucking great. But would we expect anything less from IE?

The second disc is just a long interview (and the "Transylvania" cover, which means IE recorded three Iron Maiden songs, which I think is the most covered band by IE at the moment, though KISS is there too, but they only have TWO songs from KISS recorded whereas the other KISS tunes are usually covers in concert, but I think they do other Maiden songs in concert sometimes which makes my "Most covered" statement true, but I could be wrong, it may be KISS, but than I am getting off topic, sorry.) I am not a fan of interviews on disc as usually they are boring, and although I said I would listen to all the albums again before reviewing them, I skipped this interview when listening to the album. I remember it as being a little boring, but I never gave it a chance. So maybe when I finally do, I will edit this post with a proper review of the interview.

Anyway the digi book version may be rare but not that rare. I got it for $5, yes only five bucks from Century Media Records Mail Order. It was on sale. They still have copies in stock, but it is now $6, a whole dollar more. That is cheap for such an awesome package. I think if they still have copies come next payday (next week) I will order another one and put it on ebay. But that might be considered dirty pool, selling it for twice as much as I paid for it when it still is easy to get at the cheap price, but they don't gots to know, it can be our secret. Shhhh. Twisted Evil

_________________
"Once again we have laid another loved one to rest. As we fight the grief in our hearts, we must realize that the fate of death is inevitable. Thus in turn find that through our trials and tribulations death may be the only real piece of mind" - Funeral