Iced Earth-The Music

Ok, I dont think we need to discuss what Jon did, in this thread we ONLY discuss the music of Iced Earth, not any politics or that. So, would you consider IE to be Power Metal? Listening to some of their stuff, it doesnt really resemble power metal as we know it, if anything it sounds more like traditional metal with some harsher vocals (at least on the pre-Ripper albums). Yet I see them listed on lists of "greatest power metal bands ever" all the time.

I consider IE traditional metal with some thrash tendencies. Kinda like Metal Church used to be.

What Troublezone said.

US Power Metal can be many things from speed to traditional to thrash. I could see them having at least one foot in that.

How about thrashy power metal with slight progressive tendencies! Seriously, I think their lyric content is definitely from the power metal world, in that Jon tends to write about dark fantasy and historical topics. Musically they are on the heavier end of things, very thrash oriented in their faster/heavier songs, and a few songs tend to epic, progressive length. I think the longer epics, various trilogies, and concept albums (love them or hate them) show Jon's interest in and respect for some things progressive.

Didn’t much care for their latest releases, but I love the band. Burt Offerings is one of the best albums ever recorded IMO. Hell all of them are great up until they got rid of Ripper, then I started getting bored with them a bit. Still good, just not great.

Troublezone wrote:

I consider IE traditional metal with some thrash tendencies. Kinda like Metal Church used to be.

What he said.

I.E. was one of my favorite bands in the early/mid 90s and into the 00s. I saw them on the Horror Show tour, which was kinda their peak of popularity, so that was pretty badass.  However, I started losing interest in them after Glorious Burden. I got tired of needing a score card to see who was in the band on any given week (Matt's out! Ripper Owens is in! Ripper's out! Matt's back in! Nope, Matt's out again!) and the post-Glorious stuff just wasn't as strong as Stormrider, Burnt Offerings, or Something Wicked This Way Comes IMO.

Since Jon has pretty much shot himself in the foot with his, errrr --- let's call them "extra-curricular activities" and leave it at that -- I dont' have high hopes for any further music from I.E.

At least I have the memories.

I was into IE for a relatively short period. I first heard them in 1998 with the excellent Something Wicked album. Kept them on my radar up to Glorious Burden.

Horror Show still stands as my favorite.

I'd just say they are metal and like AC/DC, pretty much wrote the same song over and over. I never really liked them though. But a LOT do.