Iced Earth "Dystopia" Review

Today October 18th 2011, marked the release of “Dystopia” the tenth studio album from Floridian thrashers Iced Earth.

From the inception of the band, Iced Earth have always featured a revolving door of musicians barring guitarist and founder Jon Schaffer. “Dystopia” continues this trend as it is the first record with new vocalist Stu Block after the departure of Matt Barlow and Tim “Ripper” Owens. Yet despite the change in vocals, Iced Earth remains as metal as ever and deliver an entertaining release with “Dystopia.”

Musically, “Dystopia” is a pure in your face thrash record. Jon Schaffer proves on this record why he was a nominee for the Golden God Riff Lord award back in 2008, as “Dystopia” is filled with infectious head banging riffs right from the get go. Each song is catchy and showcase impressive solos which compliment each song perfectly.

Although it is a thrash record, Iced Earth experiment on “Dystopia” as one of the standout tracks on the record “Anthem” has a Metallica “One” type feel. The song begins with a slow, gloomy brooding intro with the bass at the forefront before turning into an all out high energy, ass kicking song, which will certainty keep your head nodding.

While Schaffer is to be credited for the flow of the album, new vocalist Stu Block sets the tone with his brilliant performance. Block has a wide vocal range and in my opinion is the best vocalist Iced Earth has had yet. Being able to belt out both Barlow's deep growls and Owens' Rob Halford-esque screeches, Block delivers the best of both worlds to Iced Earth fans. He is a real treat to listen to, especially on the track “End of Innocence” which is a true vocal standout.

For fans of the band, the lyrics on “Dystopia” sustain the futuristic themes from previous records. The opening title track and the closer “Tragedy & Triumph” continue the “Something Wicked Saga” concept and are two of the strongest tracks on the record.

However, all the lyrics do not deal with dystopian themes as over half the songs are positive and uplifting. Songs such as “Anthem” celebrate life and the human spirit as well as reminding you that you hold the key to your own success. “End of Innocence”, “V” and “Tragedy & Triumph” all preach positive messages with the latter singing about achieving your goals and conquering diversity.

While Iced Earth's “Dystopia” is not ground breaking in any fashion, it is still a solid, fun and enjoyable record. It is a very simple album to get into which metal fans of any genre will appreciate from a long running respectable band.

In anticipation of Metallica and Megadeth's upcoming releases at the end of this month, “Dystopia” is a perfect album to hold any metal head over until those records are released. To be honest, from what I have heard so far, it is highly possible that Iced Earth will put out the best metal album of October.

Hopefully, this lineup of Iced Earth sticks together and release more records since “Dystopia” is the best front to end Iced Earth record I have heard in quite some time.

Ranked on the Beavis' and Butthead Scale:
4.5 Beavis' out of 5 Butthead's

Songs I Recommend:
Dystopia, Anthem, End of Innocence, Iron Will, Tragedy & Triumph

Tracklist:
1. Dystopia
2. Anthem
3. Boiling Point
4. Anguish of Youth
5. V
6. Dark City
7. Equilibrium
8. Day of Rage
9. End of Innocence
10. Soylent Green (Bonus)
11. Iron Will (Bonus)
12. Tragedy & Triumph
13. Anthem (String Mix) (Bonus)