Iced Earth – “The Dark Saga”
If you have heard ICED EARTH before, and if you like this band, then you will definitely enjoy this latest release! If you have never heard this band, then find out by reading this. This band specializes in playing metal that is heavy, metal that is catchy, melodic, and powerful. The vocalist on this release is the kind of singer who at times sounds really heavy and at times sounds really tunefully soulful. He goes from an aggressive power metal voice to a melancholic high voice. The opening track, “Dark Saga”, is more or less what you would expect for an opening song. Listening to this song, one can here that they are all true to remaining true to classic heavy metal. This brings me to say something that will make no sense, unless you have followed and analyzed how the mentality of the “critics” have worked in the last decade or so. Nowadays, bands that “experiment” with mixing metal with grunge or techno are considered “cool”. The wimpier bands get, the better they are received by the “critics”. Anyway, if a band continues to play heavy, death, black, power, speed, thrash metal, then that band is termed “outdated” or “not with the program”. So that is why it is so refreshing to hear bands like NEVERMORE and ICED EARTH playing modern, true, no-compromise, no-sellout, straight ahead shredding metal. Neither of these two bands will be popular like METALLICA, so what? (Well ,let us remember that ROCKALLICA sold out a long time ago, so therefor, let us forget this “Load”- of shit band!) ICED EARTH proves that you do not have to play grunge regardless of what MTV says! Check this band out! Buy their CD or tape and enjoy!!