The Crucible of Man (Something Wicked - Part 2)

Iced Earth back to their best? I had mixed feelings in anticipation of this, the second part of Jon Schaffer's vision, before release.
On the one hand, of course I was excited about the return of Matt Barlow. I believe he is the true voice of the band. This is one of the rare occasions when I can't imagine the band with another singer, I mean I enjoy all of Maiden and Sabbath's albums for example. Owens, who is a world class singer no doubt about that, just did not fit with the Iced Earth sound. They went from being partially power metally to overblown Judas Priest wannabes. Which brings me to my other point, the true problem with the last two records was not Owens at all, it was Schaffer's poor songwriting that let them down. Bland and boring with the couple of standout tracks, which gave me hope for this record.


And the album really delivers, for the first time since "Horror Show". Although it does take a few listens to really appreciate, it settles on your ears far more quickly than Part I ever did. The production here is far better, the riffs, while typical Iced Earth fare, are more varied and I'm glad there is no "album riff" like on the first part (you know, that plodding , slow one that's in "A Charge to Keep", "Framing Armageddon" etc). There are fewer interludes, and the album flows better as a result, even though I did not mind them too much on the last one, it still makes for a far easier listen this time through. The album is also a touch shorter and it feels like they want every song to count in the story, and to also hit you with all it's got first time.


As for the story, at the end of Part I the principle character, Set Abominae, is finally born and ready to wreak havoc on mankind in retribution for their crimes on the Setians. I find the story fascinating, and was looking forward to seeing how it concludes, and wasn't let down. What surprised me most about this album was that control freak Schaffer even let Barlow touch his baby, letting him write lyrics on three or four songs. ("Letting him" is accurate I'm sure.) The story is easy enough to follow with one look at the lyrics, same as the last record, so I do not understand some of the criticism levelled at them, you'd have to be a bit muddled in the head to not get it, to be honest. What is especially good about the second part though, is that the story telling is not done at the expense of the music, as I think on Part I Schaffer rarely found the right balance. Not so on Part II.


The album intro, "In Sacred Flames", is just epic, simple as. I can just see it being used as an intro live, and I think I'd cream in to my pants. To be honest the five or six songs that follow are the ones that require repeated listens. At first I enjoyed them, but on the third listen they really grew on me. "Behold the Wicked Child" is a great first proper track, with a catchy chorus and some good riffage. The next couple of songs are the shortest on the album, but are far from being throwaway numbers. "Minions of the Watch" has Barlow sneering his lyrics in an almost Ozzy style, that really suits the song. Musically, the song is not too strong, but it fades out into one of the album highlights, "The Revealing". I absolutely love the vocals, the riff and the power in this song. It slays. (The riff at 1:10 being particularly jizz-tastic.)


The first ballad of the album, "A Gift or a Curse" is, well, to be honest when I first heard it I thought it was a joke song. But again, it grows on you. Although I do not understand why Schaffer put his vocals higher in the mix than Barlow on the verses, and I think his slightly higher pitched voice lets it down a bit. The song really gets going at 2:30 or so, and Matt takes over again to really put the "power" in power ballad.
"Crown of the Fallen" is forgettable, serving the purpose of moving the story along without ever really grabbing your attention, same with "The Dimension Gauntlet". I guess that is really the album lowlight, it kind of sags in the middle. They are not bad songs at all, they just suffer from Part I's problem in being average and musically not interesting. Harsh words but I had to put the songs on whilst I write this just to remind me how they sound!


"I Walk Alone", the single released months ago that really whet my appetite is next and fits in well here, and the album begins to climb towards its peak from this point on, as the second half is just great. "Harbinger of Fate" is fantastic, even for an Iced Earth ballad, who I believe have never written a good one. This one breaks the trend. Superb vocals, lyrics, and music. I love the chanting, the short solo and riff over both. The song really appeals to me in the last verse, with Eastern tribal drumming playing over the vocals, along with Brent Smedley's drumming, which I should point out, is solid and truly ear catching on this record.
"Crucify the King" is your traditional Satanic fare, but I believe out of all the bands that write rubbish about Jesus, God and the Devil, Iced Earth excel on the subject. When they're writing about the Church ("Brainwashed" hits the spot superbly) or just destroying Christ ("Damien" has some epicly cheesy yet brutal lyrics) I reckon they're one of the best out there on the subject. This song is one of the best on the record, even with its slow, plodding riff, it fits the song perfectly, and with Barlow's evil singing it's a real standout.
Yet it gets even better, with "Sacrificial Kingdoms", check out the riff at 2:07. Enough said. "Something Wicked (Part 3) is pretty good too. It starts off pretty solid, then around 2:10 starts building up to something. And then I jizz. Every time. It's not the best riff, but the reprise of "The Coming Curse" riff at 2:30 is so brilliantly done, and it doesn't feel tacked on either, that it feels like a reward for the Iced Earth fans who have stuck with them, and I want to hug Jon Schaffer for this.


The climax of the album begins, with "Divide and Devour" being the "Framing Armageddon" of Part II. It doesn't pack as much punch, although I believe that is because this album is consistently solid throughout, whereas Part I really needed a kick in the balls. "Come What May", the last song on the album, is truly beautiful and thought provoking, and upon reading the lyrics it is a fitting conclusion to the saga. The verse riff of the song is great (I do love Schaffer's chugging riffs), and the flute in the middle of the song really fits well. "Epilogue" is basically a reprise of "Overture" from Part I, and closes the album fittingly. I do wonder if we've seen the last of Set Abominae though, but I hope Schaffer leaves it alone for a while, although he has mentioned re-recording Part I with Barlow on vocals, which would be interesting. From the re-recordings on "I Walk Among You", I don't think Barlow could save it too much. Except for "The Clouding". That song is pant shittingly good no matter who sings it.


Overall, the album is a grand return to form for the band. I do recommend a couple of listens to it, and a scanning of the lyrics as it packs more punch if you know what the hell is going on. The band is tight, and Schaffer has finally put as much effort into the music as the lyrics, for the first time since "Horror Show". I didn't think I'd say this about Iced Earth again after "The Glorious Burden" and "Framing Armageddon", but I truly can't wait for the next album from one of my all time favorites. They have gotten their act together, seem to finally have a solid core in the band of Smedley, Schaffer and Barlow, and I hope at least these three stick together for a while, and that Freddie Vidales will actually play bass on the next record.
Summary, if it hadn't been for Testament's orgasmic return this would definately be my album of the year.

Best track: Sacrificial Kingdoms or Harbinger of Fate
Worst track: Crown of the Fallen is alright