Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1

SPV

It’s no surprise that underground Metal legends Iced Earth would return to the forefront of the scene with their most involved and innovative collection of songs to be offered in the history of their career. Mainman Jon Schaeffer has literally poured his heart and soul into this magnificent creation and the impact of this epic masterpiece is already being felt around the world. Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 is an expansion of Schaffer’s original concept trilogy that first appeared on the 1998 album Something Wicked This Way Comes.

If my interpretation is correct the overall concept stems from a sci-fi fantasy like premise with spiritual territories reaching into various religions of the world. The story tells of the original occupants of the planet the Setians who are conquered by mankind. Only ten thousand Setians survive and go into hiding and begin to form a plan of retribution that will annihilate the human race and return control of the planet to the Setians. Through their influence on world religions they succeed in dividing the planets human population against itself and thus setting the stage for the coming of their prophesied messiah ‘Set Abominae’ who will likely be viewed as the anti-Christ at least from the Christian perspective. Needless to say Schaeffer has obviously spent many hours in deep thought to concoct such a fable.

Story lines aside Iced Earth are by far one of the strongest leaders of the underground Metal movement and the musical perception of this new venture is nothing short of astonishing to say the least. Always the master of the almighty riff, it is a great pleasure to once again hear the ever favorable crunch of Schaefer’s guitars not to mention that this is now the second installment for the powerful voice belonging to former Judas Priest frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens. His multi octave range suits Schaeffer’s vision of the band in absolute perfect detail. The emotionally charged outpouring that Framing Armageddon provokes can truly be felt in exhilarating tracks such as the driven “Ten Thousand Strong”, “A Charge To Keep”, the melancholic “The Clouding”, “Framing Armageddon” another heavy convulsing masterwork, “Order of the Rose” and “When Stars Collide”. Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 is definitely one of the top ten releases of 2007 and I can’t wait until the release of part 2. This latest installment is truly a stellar achievement on part of Schaefer and the rest of the band and will surely suffice for the bands diehard fans.

-Priest