Customer Reviews

Glorious Burden

5 star:		(115)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

My wife and I were fortunate enough to have spent a weekend with Jon during the creation of what was to be The Glorious Burden. At the time (January 2003), there were no vocals, and not all of the songs were written. In fact, Jon recorded all the tracks himself. Even adding synth percussion on some of them.

As we sat in The Dungeon, Jon played the selection of songs he had composed to date -- for The Glorious Burden as well as a snippet or two from the forthcoming Demons and Wizards collaboration with Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian.

Yet, for all the simplicity of the arrangements, we were spellbound the entire weekend. Especially when we visited the Civil War Museum and saw first-hand the riveting -- and often emotional -- source material from which Jon drew. Plus, we couldn't help but feel overwhelmed as we watched the DVD of Gettysburg (in high-watt surround sound no less!) with Jon and Wendi until about 3:00 in the morning one night. It was a magical, emotional, unforgettable weekend.

Yet it got even better. Over the ensuing month or so, Jon would excitedly call me up from time to time to play the latest licks he had just written.

Even though the songs were still in an embryonic form, and I was hearing them through a phone line, they were still exciting. Even more exciting, however, was hearing Jon's passion. Man, this guy was on fire for the project! He was driven. Consumed.

Which would come in handy when long-time (and some would say quintessential) vocalist Matt Barlow parted ways with Jon mid-way through the project. (I don't fault Matt, though. He left for honorable reasons.)

Admittedly, I didn't care much for The Reckoning, the 4-track EP that preceeded The Glorious Burden. The songs just didn't reveal the totality of Jon's passion. And I couldn't get past the vocals of Tim "Ripper" Owens, which seemed to walk the fine line between superb and metal parody.

The Glorius Burden, on the other hand, is a masterpiece. Gettysburg, alone, is worth the price. There are parts of that trilogy of songs that give me the chills.

I have a vast CD collection, some 2,000 strong by now. But I must admit that Gettysburg ranks right up there with some of my all-time favorite prog rock epics. The arrangements are nothing short of electrifying -- especially the intro to "The Devil to Pay" and the driving beat at the beginning of "High Water Mark." The use of orchestration as a counterpoint to the riffs and Civil War themes is wonderful.

The music is better than anything Iced Earth has ever done. You can definitely tell it's Iced Earth (the guitar tone and a few of the chord progressions give it away), but a new-found maturity of writing and arranging is clearly evident. This is stunning stuff, folks! Even the cover art for The Glorious Burden -- a weak link on The Reckoning -- is stellar. The attention to detail on the cover only foreshadows Jon's attention to historic detail inside.

I still can't give thumbs up to Ripper's vocals, however, especially when he talk/sings/groans through some of the quieter (and, presumably, more poignant) parts. It sounds like a contestant on American Idol trying to be Bruce Dickinson.

This is a small thing, however, when compared to the big picture that is The Glorious Bruden.

Another favorite: The strains of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" combined with a driving riff, the sound of cannons going off and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (which begins around 5:35 into track one of Gettysburg) is nothing short of awe-inspiring. It's a magical. That's all I can say about it. It's magical.

Disc 1 of this 2-CD set contains some rousing and interesting music (despite Ripper's vocals) but -- to me -- it's Disc 2 -- the Gettysburg trilogy -- that makes The Glorious Burden the masterpiece that it is. Jon could retire now and do so with the pride of knowing he made a sizable contribution to the annals of music.

I can't wait to see Iced Earth when Jon makes a stop in Grand Rapids on June 7th!

At first listen TIm Owens just doesn't fit ICED EARTH. It is just a fact. But then, Matt offered a powerful presence. Tim does however bring a new element to ICED EARTH that was never offered. That is a good thing. it takes a couple of listens to embrace ICED EARTH's new vocal key. But as far as I'm concerned ICED EARTH is one of the only real good Metal bands coming out of the USA.

Much credit must first be given for the fact that this American History lesson put to music is out there and in such great form. Clearly, writer Jon Schaffer loves its country without reservation, refreshing at a time in the USA where patriotism is attacked as imperialism so often. This album offers a great solace in its looking back into the stories of American History. The war situation in the USA is here again, like it or not and this album couldn't come at a better time. The CD should play to the troops in Iraq and Afganistan daily to motivate them. The combination of strong powerful metal songs with its clear love for America and all it represents is of the highest order and is shockingly in the minority in the metal scene. MANOWAR has hinted at it at times, but not so brilliantly as this. There is a reminder here in that the United States has always had to go to war and fight for its democracy and freedom. That holds true today. We need to be reminded of how men died to defend the way of life here. And putting this theme to such powerful metal makes for a great marriage.

This CD spans 200 years of war and turmoil in the USA. All the while, bringing a pure metal sound without any of the "Nu" metal elements that pervades metal in the USA. Every song seems to have a powerful arc of emotion. The guitar bleeds RED, WHITE and BLUE. The lyrics are powerful, especially in the 32-minute gettysburgh section, which essentially is one huge song that transports you into that era entirely.

For those of you America haters or those not affected by the events of 9-11 ... this album will probably not move you. For those of you who are not afraid to at least hear the story of America, backed by a soundtrack of hard, guitar-driven metal, you just can't go wrong here. For those of you who can just appreciate a good metal album and not take it into the political realm, you will also enjoy this one.

This is by far one of the best albulms Iced Earth has put out. At first the new vocals by Tim Owen are a little disturbing, but the music seems to fit him. The instrumentation sounds crisper and cleaner than some of their previous albums, and Owens has a crisper and cleaner voice than Barlow. However halfway through the first song you dont even think about it.

DISC 1 is a standard type abulm with 11 songs. All of them are great, some are fast and heavy, other are more ballad like.

DISC 2 is a composition in 3 parts about The Battle of Gettysburg. Truth to tell I enjoyed this more than the main album. With long songs, in excess of 12 minutes for the first and final pieces, this is a masterpiece. Heck even my 52 year old father liked this.

I highly recomend getting this albulm. Be sure to get the LIMITED EDITION version for the Gettysburg disc.

It's good to see IE getting some airplay on MTV, finally. Well, if you're a longtime fan of these guys, getting used to The Ripper might take you a while. And if you're not a longtime fan, if you pick up their older albums after listening to this one, you'll probably scratch your head in wonder. Me, I'm a longtime fan of both IE and Judas Priest, so I was disappointed about Matt's departure yet pleasantly surprised that Tim is in. And man is he in. After I got to the blistering guitar work of Greenface, I was used to hearing Tim. This album is a concept album, like most of IE's releases, this one dealing with war. It's more of the same and that is a good thing, you have your ballads, your headbangers, your all out thrashers and your long epic. If you're a fan of Iced Earth, take a chance and pick this up. You may not regret it and you may end up loving it. I do.

Iced earth's newest album "The Glorious Burden", in my opinion is the best album of 2004. It ranks just above Megadeth's "The System has Failed".

This is a new thing for Iced Earth. Most of their previous works were based on fantasy type thinsgs, horror movies, etc. Any Iced Earth fan would no what I am talking about. So, they come out with a new album, all based on war.

Here's my opinion on the songs:

Amazing Songs: This section is made up of "Gettysburg(1863)", "Atilla", and "Waterloo". I'll talk about the two from the Disc 1 first. "Atilla" is an awesome song, with some very good and interesting guitar work. The vocals shine the most on this, I think. The chorus is just so great, it will blow your mind. "Waterloo", is just as great as "Atilla". They are a bit similar, because they both have good guitars, good verses, and extremely great choruses. Great songs. And then the whole Second Disc is made up of "Gettysburg." The 32-minute Epic Trilogy based on Gettysburg(obviously). It's split up into 3 different tracks. "The Devil to Pay", "Hold at all Costs", and "High Water Mark", in that order too. I just consider them as one big epic song, as I believe most people do and should do. It is an amazing trip through one of the greatest battles in the histroy of The United States of America. "The Devil to Pay" is a very good way to start it off. I love the intro, especially when Tim "Ripper" Owens goes "They'll be the Devil to Pay". On that line, you can tell right then and there that you are in for something fantastic. Next is "Hold at all Costs", which has the best chorus of any Iced earth, EVER. This part of "Gettysburg" is probably my favorite 7 minutes of the whole Trilogy, and it is so gtreat, that it should go down in metal history as one of the greatest 7 minutes in music history. Yes, it is truly that good. And just when you thought that it couldn't get any better n"High Water Mark", the thrid day of the battle and the last part of the Trilogy blares upon your ears. The drumming intro builds great anticipation for the finale of the epic. The role playing part after the drum intro is done, is one of my favorite parts of "Gettysburg". It has Tim Owens speaking the part of General Lee, and Jon Schaffer role playing the part of Longstreet, telling General Lee that he believes that his plan won't work. Then ending of "High Water Mark" is great too, as it shows so much emotion that it will almost make you cry. It almost made me cry, and I never cry. It's just flatout amazing.

Very Good Songs: The very good songs of the album consist of "Red Baron/Blue Max", "Declaration Day", and "The Reckoning(Don't Tread on Me)". The reckoning is a great song, Owens hits some great high pitched notes in it. "Declaration Day" has another one of those great melodic Iced Earth choruses that will blow you away. And "Red Baron/Blue Max" is a great thrasy heavy song about the famous Fighter Pilot Red Baron.

Good Songs: The good songs on the album consist of "Greenface", "Valley Forge", "When the Eagle Cries", and "The Star Spangled Banner". "The Star Spangled Banner" speaks for itself, as it is a metalish version of Francis Scott Key's Star Spangled Banner. "When the Eagle Cries", is a slower song about the semi-recent 9/11 attacks. I listen to it a lot, as it is a truly emotional song, and that day has a special place in my heart, and for more then just 1 reason. "Greenface" is a nice heavy song, even though the riff in it sounds oddly similar to a riff in "The Reckoning". "Valley Forge" has probably some of the best lyrics on the whole album, and the song is good too.

The one song I didn't name is "Hollow Man", as I believe it isn't up to par with the rest of the album. Even though, it isn't that bad.

Also, kudos to Jon Schaffer for writing and making this masterpiece. Especially "Gettysburg."

I find myself searching the globe for music I can appreciate anymore. The United States music scene leaves me completely underwhelmed these days. So, when I recently discovered Iced Earth, I was a bit surprised to learn the lead guitarist and main song writer, Jon Schaffer, appears to live about one hour north of me in Indiana. I feel bad that I let this band slip under my radar screen. The Glorious Burden is a fantastic epic CD where great effort was made to tie the music in with the lyrics. You can tell that the music was written to set a mood for what the lyrics were about to teach...and I mean teach. This CD reminds me so much of the music Iron Maiden puts out. Not from a strong structure standpoint, but from a lyrical perspective. It made me think of songs like Aces High, The Trooper, Tailgunner and most recently Paschendale. I love it when musicians go to the trouble of telling a story or turning world history into poetry. This CD falls into that category. In some ways it is like reading a great novel that paints a picture in your head. The music here does much the same.
Musically I think this works stands alone. With Tim Owens, formally of Judas Priest, now handling singing duties, it gives it a bit of a Priest feeling I suppose. Still, I think Schaffer has gone to great lengths to do his own thing and not copy anyone else. That I greatly appreciate.
One important note about this CD. You would be making a huge mistake if you did not purchase the Limited Edition CD. This one has an extra CD with 32 minutes of additional music all based upon the Battle of Gettyburg in 1863. Not only it is a great history lesson, but musically it is my favorite piece on the CD. I recommend putting your headphones on, turning out the lights in your room and putting this CD in. It sweeps you away to another time and place in history.
This is a fantastic recording. The artwork inside is also outstanding. I would love to see the bonus CD be given to every High School American History teacher in the United States to play for their students. It would be a great way to learn about the Civil War. It was for me.

At the end of 2003 one of metal's best singers, Matt Barlow, left the power/thrash metal band Iced Earth. Finding a replacement worthy of replacing the might Barlow was certainly a hard task. Enter Tim Owens. With Judas Priest reuniting with Rob Halford Owens was left without a band. Taken in by Jon Schaffer he was put to work on The Glorious Burden and finished the vocal work in 5 days!!! But enough with the history and on the to history album.

1. Star Spangled Banner - Great intro. Works well with the album's themes. I don't want to hear any more complaining about pro-Americanism... grr... 8/10
2. Declaration Day - WOW... the transition alone is worth not skipping the Star Spangled Banner... awesome work here... guitar parts a little repetitive... awesome vocal work by Owens. Very high shrieks... 9/10
3. When the Eagle Cries - good ballad with a very touching theme.. a bit repetitive but the emotional vocal work by Tim makes up for this song's shortcomings. 8/10
4. The Reckoning (Don't Tread on Me) - released prior as a single this song is a good thrasher which shows off some Schaffer trademark riffing and Owen's schreeching 9/10
5. Greenface - How could someone write such cheesy lyrics and uninspiring music... the only good parts are Owen's screams one of the low points of the album 5/10
6. Attila - WOW!!! This song is the highpoint of the album other than Gettysburg, evil riffs, awesome dueling vocals in the bridge and Owens shrieking like a demon... 10/10
7. Red Baron/Blue Max - while I can get into this song easier than Greenface it is still missing something important... Owens does another incredible vocal performance... the solo is also rather nice but a bit short 6/10
8. Hollow Man - Can someone say Horror Show castoff? decent song but totally out of place on this album... 7/10
9. Valley Forge - 2 ballads in a row? another decent song with a good message. 7/10
10. Waterloo - great song... reminds me of Maiden in an awesome way... 9/10
11. When the Eagle Cries(unplugged) - not necessary, but you can actually hear the wonderful Matt Barlow's backing vocals... a bit more emotional than the other version... 9/10

2nd Disc: Gettysburg(1863):
1. Devil to Pay - BAGPIPES!!!! what a great way to begin the best Iced Earth epic to date... not the best song of the trilogy, but still awesome... 10/10
2. Hold At All Costs - the beginning of this song makes me want to cry everytime I hear it... this song is so moving 11/10
3. High Water Mark - Here it comes!! starting with a flurry of percussion is the final day of the battle, starts with a dueling vocal piece with Owens and Schaffer, great stuff, the end with Tim screaming "It's all my fault!" makes me want to cry more than anything on any album 15/10

Now for the slight complaints... not enough bass... the whole mix seems to favor treble and leave out the dark side that prevailed in previous Iced Earth recordings... leaves something to be desired, but it may also be Owen's voice... who knows...

Ok, if your reading this you are pondering whether to get the single disc version or the limited 2 disc version. Well quit pondering! There is no dicision to be made! Get the two disc version! Pay the extra few bucks or else you will be cheating yourself! This 2 disc version comes with two extra tracks; When the Eagle Cried (Unplugged) and Waterloo. The Unplugged version of When the Eagle Cried is arguably better than the the original version but it is the song Waterloo that makes this edition a must buy. This is a song of epic preportions that sounds very similar to Iron Maiden material (one of the groups that inspired Iced Earth). This 2 disc edition comes in digipak that fits nicely into a slipcase which includes a oversized booklet! The epic Gettysburg trilogy is present on the second disc and the rest of the tracks (including the 2 bonus songs) are present on the first. This is a must get for any metal fan!

This CD has me confused. I really admire what Jon Schaffer is trying to do, the concept and the approach- yet I strangely feel unfullied when I listen to this CD compared to the high standards set by Schaffer himself.

Like many people reviewing this CD, I am a huge Iced Earth fan that was prepared to depart with my $33 CAD to buy the digipak version as soon as it was available. Let's be clear, Schaffer is the riff-meister from hell and every Iced Earth CD (except the one with Adam as vocalist) gets taken out and played periodically because I really enjoy them still today.

I just can't say I'll be periodically playing the Glorious Burden after the initial rush of listening to new work. It's still good but in comparison to previous work it plods (or gallops at the same level) and despite the subject and orchestration etc. lacks the emotion Ievels I expect of Iced Earth's material. I do admire Owen's performance - 5 days to lay down the tracks is awesome. I also note Schaffer's claim that he did not have to play with his voice in the studio as much as Barlow's but maybe he should have as it does not sound as full as vocal's on previous Iced Earth CDs.

I am one of the many that disagree with Schaffer that Owen's voice is the best voice that suits Iced Earth. After 8 years of spoiling us with Barlow, the guy (whether Jon likes it or not) defined alot of what Iced Earth was about - why else would Jon have rerecorded old material with Barlow's voice. (Hint to Matt if you read this - use your talent and get behind a mic again with Iced Earth or with somebody else). But, as I said above Owen did a pretty job good (although the Screetches - Greenface! bug the hell out of me)and my feelings on the CD pre-dominately reflect my thoughts on the music.

The other line-up change of note of the Glorious Burden was the replacement of Tarnowski with Santolla. I've read Schaffer's impressions of Tarnowski but I have to think after listening to the solo on Watching Over Me on Something Wicked that the move wasn't good!

Standout Songs- none. Bad Songs - none. To me that is the story of ths CD and that is why I feel unfullfilled. Man I love this band, so giving less than 5 stars pains me but this is honestly how I feel.

WHAT AN AMAZING ALBUM! Jon Schaffer has outdone himself, for sure! I can't get over how emotional and amazing this CD was!

FIRST OFF, for those who hate this cause Barlow isn't in it. Who cares? Barlow was AWESOME, I will not take anything from him, and I agree he's better than Tim for this band. But he left on his own and pursued another career. He was backing vocals and even helped write one of the songs.

I own both 1 disc album and 2 disc version with the Gettysburg trilogy and both are awesome. But get the 2 disc version, it's worth the money. The "Waterloo" song is most excellent and the unplugged version of "When the Eagle Cries" is more emotional than the plugged. Making this CD just freaking awesome.

It's fighting "Something Wicked This Way Comes" for first on my list. It's very tough choices, but "Something Wicked" might win only because I enjoyed the songs a little more overall.

But this album has a lot of ups and very little downs. And the fact that Barlow isn't the lead vocals anymore should NOT turn you off to this band or this album.