Dante's Inferno 2011

The notion of recent Into Eternity impressario Stu Block being the new front man of Iced Earth was an idea altogether foreign to most. Sure, the occasional nod to Halford amongst all the guttural and sepulchral noises common to death metal might have given a hint of a possibility, but the numerous other potential candidates obscured the notion considerably. Nevertheless, Stu has often been dubbed a master of impersonation, and in that respect his presence on a rerecording of an existing classic is not unexpected.

The mythos surrounding Jon Schaffer's musical interpretation of "Dante's Inferno" is wholly justified and accurate. While I have a stylistic preference to most of the work found on "Night Of The Stormrider", it is undeniable that this song towers above not only the vast majority of Iced Earth's works, but even amongst a number of epic compositions thrown forth by a number of older and more seasoned thrash metal outfits. The sheer number of different ideas melded together form a complex painting befitting of the multifaceted horrors depicted in the literary work it is emulating.

However, given that this is an already existing song with 2 different mastered versions, the interpretation here features more than just a different vocalist. In fact, Stu spends most of the time directly parroting Matt Barlow's style in a somewhat less deep manner, leaving the music to carry most of the contrast with the past. This comes forth in a song with a very different overall feel, one that is even more guitar heavy than before, and while still fairly atmospheric, one that is free of all the orcestral and choral pomp of the original. The addition of guitarist Troy Seele also brings in a more intricate lead guitar interpretation that flows a bit more and is more asymetrical than Randy Shawver's original solos.

Ultimately the newer interpretation of the song works well, but something is lost from the original that gave it the inherent creepiness needed to full do justice to Dante's vision. This is more so an issue in the general production of the song, and particularly the absense of the dense orchestral backdrop, than with Stu's derivative but more than adequate vocal performance. But given that this is a freebee available for download, it is definitely a highly recommended listen, particularly as a preview for what is to come on "Dystopia".