ICED EARTH — Dystopia (review)

ICED EARTH — Dystopia album cover Album · 2011 · US Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Stephen
'Dystopia' featured the debut performance of Stu Block, ex-singer of INTO ETERNITY, that replaced Matt Barlow and many doubt how Stu will carry ICED EARTH's torch, maybe because he has a different style of singing, but honestly this album clears the smoke and I think this is a really very good album, a huge surprise to see their progress, and I consider this a big scene-comeback after laying low for a while.

The first track is fast paced, wrapped with a fantastic riffs, and a highly melodic chorus. A nice move to start the album, and the next track, 'Anthem', started slow, reminds me of METALLICA's 'Sad But True' chugging style, is also good, though I kinda favor the string mix on the bonus track. Another reason to go after the special edition is the other bonus track, 'Iron Will', is a monster, I can't think how ICED EARTH can compose such furious riffs yet very melodic.

'Boiling Point' is bone-cracking and you can hear how Stu scream his lungs out here, another awesome short track, and 'Anguish of Youth' sounds so contrast, an accessible ballad for the non-metal community. I found this to be okay, nothing's special, and I felt the same way with the other ballad, 'End of Innocence', but a bold move to put such things because their loyal fans might not dig it.

'Days of Rage' and 'Soylent Green' are quite average to me, but 'Dark City' and 'Equilibrium' are two big songs here. 'Dark City' reminds me a lot of IRON MAIDEN, especially on the riffs part, while 'Equilibrium' is incredibly fast, stampeding, and also very catchy. Other fans might rate this higher, but to me, a 80% is quite reasonable and a must-try if you're a fan of the band or curious to see how Stu blend with ICED EARTH here.
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