This was the second Iced Earth album I bought, the first being 2001's Horror Show. After enjoying that particular album I was very interested in listening to the rest of Iced Earth's discography. I heard Something Wicked This Way Comes was among the band's best, so that became my next purchase by them. Well, after listening to it and every other Iced Earth album dozens of times I'm pleased to say that Something Wicked is not only Iced Earth's best album, but it is also among the best albums of the late 90's.

While Horror Show more or less tried to replicate the sound of 1996's also-excellent Dark Saga, Something Wicked is a little different from previous Iced Earths. Much emphasis is placed on deep lyrics and moody songwriting, as opposed to the more fantasy-themed lyrics of albums like Burnt Offerings. Almost half the album's songs are ballads dealing with issues like warfare and friendship. True, just about every Iced Earth album has at least three or four ballads. But Something Wicked makes them an even more integral part of the listening experience.

Something Wicked, much like Burnt Offerings, instrumentally places a lot of emphasis on heavy guitars and awesome solos as opposed to the more percussion-heavy Dark Saga. This gives the album a greater sense of melody as well as greater memorabilia as far as music goes. After all, it's mostly the guitars that supply the melody in a heavy metal album. The drumming simply adds that extra dose of heaviness to it.

As it is, the drumming is solid throughout. Though Iced Earth still has that tendency to mute out their drum tracks in some songs, which at times causes them to lose a bit of their heaviness.

Since his debut on 1995's Burnt Offerings, Matt Barlow's vocals have improved with every Iced Earth release. And Something Wicked is no exception. His softer singing in particular is much improved over Burnt Offerings and Dark Saga. While during the heavier songs he sings with a lot of passion and enthusiasm, without sounding too cheesy or overbearing (a first as far as progressive/power metal is concerned).

Here is a rundown of each song on the album:

1. Burning Times - Extremely heavy opener, and one of the best on this album. Matt Barlow's vocal range really shines during the verses, and the song's solo simply kills. The lyrics are a little on the strange side though.

2. The Melancholy - The first ballad of the album and a very fine one at that. The Melancholy opens with an excellent acoustic riff and then kicks into some HEAVY guitaring as the chorus comes in. The lyrics, told from the point of view of somebody wishing to be a hero, are very deep and meaningful. And the solo is, once again, outstanding. A definite classic.

3. Disciples Of The Lie - Another one of my favorite tracks on the album, Disciples Of The Lie is a faster, heavier song with a catchy chorus and some very powerful lyrics (dealing with these scamming televangelists). Matt Barlow's vocally distorted speech during the song's middle portion is particularly haunting.

4. Watching Over Me - Another ballad, albeit not quite as good as The Melancholy. Watching over me is a very good song with some nice lyrics and great acoustic work. But it just didn't quite hook me the way The Melancholy did. Perhaps this is just a matter of personal taste. A great song none-the-less.

5. Stand Alone - My other favorite track on this album (the two others being Disciples Of The Lie and Burning Times), Stand Alone is a faster song with some amazingly passionate lyrics (stating that we as humans should be thinking for ourselves rather than letting others do the thinking for us). I love the "Staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand Alone!" part of the song's chorus, and the Slayer-like opening riff rocks. The song's solo is also a plus.

6. Confessions - A deep and soulful ballad, questioning whether or not warfare is really the answer to our problems. Matt's singing really shines here, as does the acoustic work. The song really picks up during its second half.

7. My Own Savior - An all around fast and fun track with a catchy chorus and almost humorous lyrics (telling the story of somebody who led a life of loot/plunder and is now aiming to commit suicide). The line "Life's A B*tch! Life's A Wh*re!" simply never gets old.

8. Reaping Stone - This slower song has some of the best riff work Iced Earth has ever done, as well as a very catchy melody. Barlow's vocals are once again spot on. And the middle portion (where the tempo speeds up a little) simply rocks. Lyrics could have used a little work though.

9. 1776 - The instrumental of the album, and what an instrumental. The song has a powerful Iron Maiden-style riff, complementing some excellent drumming. The flute passages towards the end were a very nice touch.

10. Blessed Are You - This ballad is obviously supposed to be Iced Earth's tribute to their fans. Not one of my favorites, but still a very good, passionate song. Though referring to us as "children of the night" was just a little cheesy IMO.

11, 12, 13. Something Wicked Trilogy - I'm reviewing the entire Something Wicked Trilogy (Prophecy, Birth Of The Wicked, and The Coming Curse) as a whole since all three of its songs sort of tie together to tell a story (which Iced Earth will expand upon in their next release). Of the three, The Coming Curse is definitely the best IMO. The song opens with a beautiful piano piece, and then the guitars crash in and Matt's amazingly passionate vocals send the song soaring. The male/female chorus in particular helps to give the song a more moody sound. And the solo, while fairly simple, is quite catchy. Not to mention the song makes some excellent transitions from acoustic passages to heavy guitars (an Iced Earth trademark).

As you can see, there isn't a single song on this album that falls below "great." The three best songs (Burning Times, Disciples of The Lie, and Stand Alone) are some of the finest metal songs ever IMO, while the three weakest songs (Watching Over Me, Prophecy, and Blessed Are You) are still very good overall.

Many will label Iced Earth "thrash metal." I am going to say for the record that Iced Earth is no thrash band. They don't rely on blazing speeds nor intensely brutal lyrics for their greatness. They rely on moody passages and passionate songwriting. With just a little radio airplay, Iced Earth may very well become something big in the future.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving