Iced Earth
Album: Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1
Release Date: September 11, 2007
Label: SPV / Steamhammer

Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)

Track Listing
01. Overture
02. Something Wicked (Part 1)
03. Invasion
04. Motivation of Man
05. Setian Massacre
06. A Charge to Keep
07. Reflections
08. Ten Thousand Strong
09. Execution
10. Order of the Rose
11. Cataclysm
12. The Clouding
13. Infiltrate and Assimilate
14. Retribution Through the Ages
15. Something Wicked (Part 2)
16. The Domino Decree
17. Framing Armageddon
18. When Stars Collide (Born is He)
19. The Awakening

Reviewer: Eric

The second album to feature Tim Owens. Some thought he wouldn't last, rumors were going around that Owens and Jon Schaffer hated each other with a passion. If this is true then let them hate each other, I really don't care since Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1) is pure amazement in sixty nine minutes. It's the first of a double concept album, Revelation Abomination (Something Wicked Part 2) will hit store shelves in early 2008. The concept for these two albums come from the storyline in 1998's Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Schaffer's song writing has never been this good. The last Iced Earth album, the Glorious Burden, was already in a league of its own. I'm not sure what got into Schaffer, maybe it's old age but whatever it may be I hope it doesn't stop. Past Iced Earth albums were good don't get me wrong but when you can write an entire album about America's military history and have enough facts to make a History Channel nut go ape shit you know you're doing something right. It also helps if the music is catchy and full of greatness and the Glorious Burden delivered and Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1) does as well it just makes the Glorious Burden look like a piece of cake.

Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1) is an epic, both in length (almost seventy minutes) and musical vision, ranging from heavy, trash, progressive, and power metal influences. Each song unfolds more into the Something Wicked story. From the nine minute epic The Clouding to the simple, yet catchy Setian Massacre, you need to listen to this album more than once per sitting. When I first listened to this record I absorbed the music, listening to Owen's vocals and Schaffer and Seele's guitar playing. The second time around I was trying to hear the story and picture what was going on at the same time.

Final Verdict
I can honestly say that this is the best Iced Earth album out to date. Glorious Burden and Horror Show are also at the top, but when you compare these three albums there really isn't any competition. The musicianship in Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1) is solid, I am already counting the days in my head for Revelation Abomination (Something Wicked Part 2). Fans of most metal will eat this album up, from track one to track nineteen, there is never a slow point on Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1).

Rating
10 out of 10


Iced Earth - Ten Thousand Strong