Customer Reviews

Reckoning

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Many Iced Earth fans we're angry to find that the lead singer Matt Barlow had left the band earlier this year. Now with a new singer (Tim "the Ripper" Owens, ex-Judas Priest) IE has found a new beginning.

Now, contrary to what the reviewer "Matt" said Tim Owens is not another Blaze Bailey. When Blaze joined Iron Maiden their sound changed, radically, to a more goth approach.

One listen to this single will tell you that the iced earth 'sound' hasn't changed much. You still have your slow powerful ballads (HOLLOW MAN), the classic iced earth melodic-power-thrash songs (THE RECKONING) as well as those mid-tempo songs that made Something Wicked such a refreshing album (Valley Forge). The other song in this disc (WHEN THE EAGLE CRIES) is an acoustic version of the song in the album, and while it still kicks ass, it also makes one want to listen to the real thing.

And this is a themed album, like stated previously, not a concept-album. The last 3 songs in the album, however, will be about the battle of Gettysburg (each song telling the story of each of the 3 days there was fighting). The closing trilogy will features the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. 'Gettysburg' will consists of three songs, the first and the last one clocking in at about 12 minutes the second one at 7 minutes. (icedrealm)

I will not compare this to Iron Maiden's new album for that is a full album and this is just a 4 song sampler. But if this is a taste of things to come then January 13 will be a long, albeit worthwhile, wait for most, if not all, fans.

First of all, I love iced earth A LOT. One of my favorite bands ever. When i heard Matthew Barlow quit, i was frickin devestated. I just couldn't believe that someone with an amazing voice as his would just quit. ANYWAY, not only did he quit but he also caused album production to be pushed back a few months. The Glorious Burden was pushed back to Janurary 13th, so to tie the fans over until then, Iced Earth has released this EP/Single featuring 4 songs with new singer Tim Owens, who replaced Halford for judas priest. halford has joined back, so tim went with iced earth!

Please note that this cd has 4 songs even though amazon says it only has 3. now onto the songs:

Track One is The Reckoning (Don't Tread On Me). This song rules, a awesome thrash metal rythm guitar thanks to Jon. It starts out with the chorus, which sounds like a church choir then it goes into the blazing guitar part and you can really hear the bass, it rules. Then you hear Tim Owens come in with this very high picthed shrill. Not a power metal one but one kinda like chuck does on Death's Sound Of Perseverance.

Track Two is When The Eagle Cires (Unplugged). This sound is acoustic and really shows all Tim's voice. The chorus is tim saying, "when the eagle cries" with some really cool acoustic guitars playing. When the chorus comes around again, he says it with even more expression and even louder. Then there is this AWESOME latin soudning acoustic guitar solo.

Track 3 is Valley Forge and my favorite here! Got a really cool chorus and some very very awesome lead guitar. has two solos in it, one in the middle of the song and one at the end when tim is saying the chorus.

Track 4 is classic iced earth. As with a lot of their songs, it starts off slow and acoustic then turns heavy. The last half of the song is the best part because it has acoustic guitar with heavy guitar and another guitar doing a great solo.

All in all, this is a good little cd. If this is what the Glorious Burden is going to sound like then I must say it's going to be Iced Earth's best album. Tim is a very excellent replacement for matt, even though matt will always be in my top 5 singers of all time.

buy this. now

Up until the release of this single, Iced Earth had been laying low for some time. Everything was changing so fast; the band's beloved singer, Matt Barlow, had announced his departure to pursue a career in criminal justice; Larry Tarnowski had given up his position on lead guitar to call it quits; Ralph Santolla was recruited for lead guitar; and the notorious vocalist, Tim "Ripper" Owens had joined the band to fill in Barlow's enormous shoes. Owens' joining the band drew a lot of attention from everyone. This was the most talked-about line up change at the time.

Jon Schaffer's decision to recruit Owens was surrounded by skepticism, even from the long time fans of the Judas Priest vocalist who had originally "replaced" Rob Halford. Everyone pondered; how in the world could anyone ever replace Barlow? The majority thought that Ripper's style wasn't even right for Iced Earth, although Jon Schaffer insisted otherwise. Will the "Ripper" make the upcoming full-length a glorious victory, or will he be one of Iced Earth's burdens? Let's find out.

`The Reckoning' starts off quietly, and just when you thought it was safe, the galloping rhythm rides in hard and tramples the little tea party you thought you'd be having upon hearing the opening. Ride hard, rhythm! Slaughter all the terrorists! Pillage their homes and crush their hateful souls! This is one of the aspects that I love about Iced Earth - the thrashy and hard hitting rhythms and explosive drumming.

This rhythm doesn't ride in with just an ordinary thrash sword...it rides in with a heavy thrash sword imbued with the power of melody! Once the song gets a little more into it, the melodic properties flare up and present themselves outside of some crazy headbanging palm muted strumming. Halford erupts with raging screams and shrieks on this song and, wait...what...this can't be right? The notes say that Tim Owens is singing, but how is that possible? No one but Halford could do those high-pitched shrieks!

Damn, Tim Owens never sounded this good in Judas Priest! Ripper really can't be blamed for the bad song writing on the Priest albums, because he didn't have much to do with writing it. Priest, you had an awesome singer that could have sounded like Halford and you BLEW IT! Erase all conceptions you have of Ripper while he was in Judas Priest, because Judas Priest did him no justice compared to his singing in Iced Earth. Given that Tim Owens is not Matt Barlow, it's obvious that he will do a good job at filling in for him.

`When The Eagle Cries (Unplugged)' is probably the most melancholic track on the single, aside from `Hollow Man.' Unless you've been living under a rock for the past three years, then you'd know that the phrase `When The Eagle Cries' is a reference to 9/11 ("the day the eagle cried"). This track alone brought on a lot of criticism, because people began assuming Jon Schaffer was trying to cash-in on this tragedy or promote some kind of American arrogance (some people even claimed it was promoting imperialism!), despite the fact that he's written patriotic material prior to 9/11 (`1776' and `Ghost of Freedom' being prime examples). Musically, this is perfect for portraying the sorrow and aftermath of such a colossal incident with smooth piano and acoustic guitar riffs that introduce it. This version is unplugged, so don't expect any heavy riffing - there are only calm and focused riffs on every instrument.

My only complaint with this song is that the chorus is repeated way too many times. For obvious reasons, this song hits home with me. Matt Barlow's sad backing vocals only make it that more melancholic, as if the song reopens the wound some felt when it was announced that he was leaving. By no means, is this a headbanger. This is just one of those songs you listen to, reflect upon, and take more seriously. Even those who don't like metal should be able to appreciate this (maybe even like it).

`Valley Forge' starts off with a majestic and "foresty" acoustic guitar riff, and then the song kicks off with a punch in the face to heavy distorted crunch. Oh, great, a real heavy metal hitter! Bang that head along with the mid-paced chugging rhythm and down strokes! The inspirational lyrics tell the story of the soldier who suffered at Valley Forge as well as pays homage to those who "kept our freedom free" and reminds us not to take the lives we have for granted. You better like playing air guitar, because with a blazing fast solo like this, you will be forced to play by nature!

This track is way more tame than The Reckoning, but not nearly as calm as When the Eagle Cries, or Hollow Man. People outside of metal, as well as inside, should be able to stomach this one easily.

Hollow Man is on the more depressive side. Think along the lines of `I Died For You' off of the Dark Saga album and you're almost there. This is probably the worst song on the single, given that first of all, there isn't much differentiating this song from past deplorable songs written by Mr. Schaffer, and secondly, there isn't a whole lot of energy to it. As usual, the distorted riffs are bone crushing and possessed with atonality, but I just couldn't FEEL the passion in its entirety as I could with songs like `I Died For You' or `Watching Over Me.' I think what spoils the feeling of sorrow is the acoustic guitar that is used in different spots throughout the song.

To me, it doesn't give me a clear picture of what sorrow and sadness really are. The time changes are a little too fast on part of the acoustic guitar that I just can't imagine a composer saying to themselves "Yeah, I felt pretty pumped up for a brief moment while I was crying with my head in my hands." The distorted guitar parts are absolutely perfect with the mid-paced parts that also manage to slowly chug along, but the acoustic parts are what may throw some listeners off. This is not a bad song by any means, but I don't expect it to become an Iced Earth classic anytime soon. This is another song that most people who are not into metal should be able to enjoy, as well as fans of the genre.

Since The Glorious Burden is already released, I'd say purchasing this isn't really necessary. When I bought this, it had just been released and the new album was not out yet, so at the time it was a big thing. Other than good music, the single comes with a cool sticker which features the artwork for The Glorious Burden. At this point in time, I'd say purchasing this is only worth it if you're a collector or a die hard fan. If you want to hear this material with all of the other songs then just buy The Glorious Burden.

This is Metal as it was orignally intended. Not like what the Nu-Metal bands are doing now, but much like Metallica sounded pre-black.The new singer seems to fit well, though Matt will be missed by me as someone who doesn't really care much for high-pitched vocals. This Single makes my soul burn for The Glorious Burden. Due out on Jan. 13th.

i know this is just a single and has just a few songs but it'll hold me over just fine till "The Glorius Burden" is released in mid january. Classic IE, Tim "ripper" Owens is a perfect fit i was skeptical until i popped in the cd for the first time, but he fits in perfectly an his sound gels perfectly with IE, yeah this cd rocks, can't wait to hear the rest of it when GB comes out, if u consier yourself a big fan of these guys like me buy this if not wait an pony up the money till january, till then Rock on.

3 things: excellent guitar, excellent singing (don't get me wrong, Matt Barlow is god, but Tim can reach those high notes like crazy), and awesome drums (Richard Christ is the man). A definite must for an Iced Earth, affordable price to further wetten your appetite for The Glorius Burden. PS: Valley Forge is by far one of the greatest songs Iced Earth had ever written, with a killer guitar solo...Go get it, though some cheesy lyrics intact, the awesome songs are worth the bucks.

One of the first metal groups I discovered, Iced Earth has been one of my favorites ever since. I first heard them on Horror Show, their concept album about characters such as the Wolfman, Dracula, Frankenstein, Damien from the Omen, and Jack the Ripper. Despite being a less personal album than, say, Burnt Offerings or Something Wicked This Way Comes, Horror Show remains my personal favorite from the group. I was severely disappointed, like many fans I'm sure, when word came that lead singer Matt Barlow had quit the group in the middle of recording their latest album, The Glorious Burden. However, I sympathized with his reasons for doing so, and waited patiently and with great anticipation for group mastermind Jon Schaffer to select a new, possibly better singer.

I'll be perfectly honest: at the time, I had not heard any of the Judas Priest albums with Tim Owens, or "Ripper" as he's known in those circles. My friend Jeff, the guy responsible for introducing me to heavy metal, and the guy I look to for my purchasing advice, was NOT a fan of the "Ripper". As a loyal fan of Iced Earth, however, I decided to wait and see (or rather "hear") for myself. After listening several times to The Reckoning, I am happy to say I was not disappointed.

The single opens up with the title track in which "Ripper" brings the Halford-esque screams that won him his job last time. Personally, I have trouble seeing what people don't like about his voice. Few singers can do a melodic scream that goes that high and keep control of it (the only two that currently come to mind are Halford, and Bruce Dickinson. Even Matt Barlow hardly ever got that high pitched.) For me, this track is a lot like Jack on the Horror Show album for the simple reason that, while I wasn't wild about it at first, over several listens it has become one of my favorite songs by the group. It has a furious beat, great guitars, and a huge, epic sound. An excellent first taste of what's to come.

The next track up is an unplugged version of When the Eagle Cries (the "plugged" version to come later on the album.) Here Iced Earth slips back into ballad mode, which in my personal opinion is not a bad thing. I've always thought they've done great ballads, with I Died for You, Watching Over Me, and Ghosts of Freedom being personal favorites. After hearing this single, I'm happy to add Eagle and the last track Hollow Man to that list. It's nice to hear the band perform an entirely acoustic piece for a change too. The guitars, although obviously mellower than normal, are no less powerful. Tim's voice is not quite as suited to softer singing, but it still sounds pretty good, and once he has a chance to push his voice a little, he sounds great.

Valley Forge is up next, and we're back to pure metal. Starts out somewhat slowly, it never gets quite as furious as The Reckoning, but is still pretty awesome. Around the two minute mark, the song breaks into an awesome guitar solo to show off the group's new lead guitarist, Ralph Santolla (formerly of Death). This just goes to prove Jon Schaffer's excellent taste in choosing musicians to express his vision. Once again, Tim is in top form on this song.

The last song on the single is Hollow Man, which I have loved ever since I heard the sample on the SPV website. In my opinion, it is possibly one of the best ballads Iced Earth has ever done. The only nitpick is that, once again, Tim's voice doesn't sound quite as good when he's singing softer parts. Barlow is unquestionably better in this regard, but given the circumstances in which he departed, he's unlikely to reunite with the band like Halford & Bruce Dickinson have done. But I digress, the melody and musicianship on this song are unparalleled, and once again, Tim sounds great when he gets to sing higher and more forcefully. A top-notch ballad.

Is "Ripper" Owens, as several fans have put it, to Iced Earth and Judas Priest what Blaze Bayley was to Iron Maiden? Not by a long shot. Make no mistake: he's no Rob Halford or Matt Barlow. But in all fairness, the only ones who are, are Rob Halford and Matt Barlow. Jon Schaffer has said several times that Tim's voice is the voice he hears in his head when he's writing songs, which I think is pretty damn cool. And by all accounts, the two of them have a great rapport, so it's unlikely that Tim will be going anywhere any time soon. That means us fans are either going to have to get used to him or listen to something else. Speaking for myself, while I certainly miss Matt's voice, I look forward to many awesome years with "The Ripper."

i usually never buy singles but since i couldnt wait for The Glorious Burden i bought this....

Im not really ganna review it because others have allready stated its greatness

But, Ownes is not a bad singer as one of the previous reviewers claims

and not to nitpick but The Glorious Burden is not a concept album nor is it all songs about the revolutionary war

This album will be much like something wicked this way comes in the sense that the last three songs (unless they change this) will each be around 10 minutes and will be a trilogy about Gettysburg

if you want concept albums which Horror show isnt really a concept album its more of a themed album.... try The Dark Saga and or Night of The Storm Rider both great albums
yes get this single

If you don't know already, Iced Earth's amazing-beyond-belief vocalist Matt Borlow left the band earlier this year to pursue his interest in studying law enforcement, and they now have Ripper Owens from Judas Priest as their singer. This is somewhat of a major loss, because I think Matt Borlow is THE voice of Iced Earth as how Robert Plant is THE voice of Led Zeppelin. But I'm not going to be a fairweather person and dislike them just because he left,, and nonetheless this cd is EXCELLENT- probably the best release of 2003 along with Iron Maiden's "Dance of Death". Excellent heavy, melodic songs about The Revolutionary War (best concept they've done next to "Horror Show", their horror movie concept album)

Iced Earth of course will never be the same without the incredible voice of the all-mighty Matt Borlow,, but they're still ONE band that knows how to keep REAL metal alive!!! You can listen to "St Anger" all you want,, but for me, it's time for THE RECKONING!

by the way,, is it just me or does the cover look almost exactly like Iron Maiden's "The Trooper"?

Yes, they are back! They have found a new vocalist to replace the great Matthew Barlow, and this new man is...TIM OWENS! Yes, the very same Tim Owens that replaced Judas Priest's longtime vocalist Rob Halford upon his leave from the band. Yes, "The Ripper." I was so excited to see that he was now in the band, but then I thought about it. Wait, Tim Owens? Singing for Iced Earth? Is that really a good thing? After downloading the samples of new songs from their website, I see now that they could not have found a better choice.

Owens' voice is unreal in its power and range. When he screeches, it sounds like Cobra Commander on crack. And just as easily, he sings in a deeper voice that simply DRIPS emotion. He is a mighty singer, simply terrific. Yes, Virginia, there is a replacement for Matthew Barlow.

And don't get me wrong, nobody could ever beat Matthew Barlow in terms of a male singer for a metal band. He had unbelievable emotion and power in his pipes, and he will be missed greatly. On a separate note, a lot of people like to knock Matthew Barlow for leaving the band. Listen to this: he left because of September 11th. He was so affected by it, he wasn't giving the songs his all and therefore was not good for the band anymore. He felt that by singing for a metal band, he wasn't helping people, so he quit and is going to law school to get his Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Administration. I know, many of you who didn't know this are probably pissed now, but good lord, respect the man's decision! He is simply doing what he felt was best for himself - wouldn't you do the best for yourself if you felt you were not making good choices? I rest my case; LEAVE BARLOW ALONE! And besides, he does backing vocals on "When the Eagle Cries."

Now, back to the single. I'm not a big fan of singles, normally. They usually only have the title song, a remix, or perhaps one or two harder-to-find songs. However, this is Iced Earth here, after all. I also don't normally go track-by-track in my music reviews, but in this case, seeing as how this is a single with FOUR (Amazon's got the listing wrong) terrific songs, one of which is not going to be included on the upcoming album, THE GLORIOUS BURDEN, I think it's worth a track-by-track review.

"The Reckoning (Don't Tread on Me)" - this one was the first song I ever heard featuring Tim Owens on vocals. A fast-paced, galloping rollercoaster of metal fury. So what if there's no guitar solo in it, it is AMAZING! The ultra-fast riffs (signature Jon Schaffer sound) in the pre-verse is jaw-dropping in its speed, and Richard Christy's drumming is immaculate as always. An excellent choice for a single.

"When the Eagle Cries (Acoustic)" - a simply beautiful song, with layered acoustic guitars, piano, and MATTHEW BARLOW ON BACKING VOCALS! I can't wait to hear the electric version, however. That will be a whole other ball of wax. Nice acoustic guitar solo from longtime Iced Earth producer Jim Morris.

"Valley Forge" - acoustic verses build up nicely in their swift paces to powerful, ultra-heavy, CRUNCHING choruses. Tim Owens' voice is particularly menacing on this one. New lead guitarist Ralph Santolla (yet another former Death member) displays his soloing talent on this one, too. Excellent stuff.

"Hollow Man" - a ballad in the tradition of "Watching Over Me" and "Ghost of Freedom," this one is also acoustic-based but with heavy choruses. Beautiful, epic feeling. James MacDonough's bass is very present in this song, too. Tim Owens' singing is very heartfelt here, showing he can do more than just (perfectly) scream.

This single is clocks in at just under 18 minutes long, but it feels much longer. It gets me so excited to hear it, because if this SINGLE is this good, then when the new album, THE GLORIOUS BURDEN, comes out on January 13th, 2004, I know the world is in for a treat. ICED EARTH IS BACK, PEOPLE! GET THIS SINGLE IMMEDIATELY!