Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Iced Earth - Days of Purgatory - Reviewed by Nailer

Track Listing1. Enter The Realm 2. Colors 3. Angels Holocaust 4. Stormrider 5. Winter Nights 6. Nightmares 7. Before The Vision 8. Pure Evil 9. Solitude 10. The Funeral 11. When The Night Falls 12. Burnt Offerings 13. Cast In Stone 14. Desert Rain 15. Brainwashed 16. Life And Death 17. Creator Failure 18. Reaching The End 19. Travel In Stygian 20. Dantes Inferno 21. Iced Earth

When I think back on the great American power/thrash/speed period from '86-'88, some names come to mind instantly--Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth...had "Days of Purgatory" been released during that time, I would've added Iced Earth.

Days of Purgatory is a two CD release of early songs that were remixed and resung with recently departed vocalist, Mathew Barlow. Rhythm guitarist and dark wizard Jon Schaffer has put together a release that would be a worthy addition to any metal collection.

Solid and unyielding, Iced Earth doesn't pay any heed to the verse-chorus-verse, two riff songs of less musically inclined bands. These ain't sing-a-longs either. The 21 songs addressing, for the most part, death, hate and evil are complex and ever-changing with slower, clean parts and hyperfast rhythms.

Barlow's voice is one of the best in metal going from a smooth mid-range to a high pitch that will take the paint off your wigger neighbor's riced out Civic and maybe the rest of the cars on the block.

Imagine "Master of Puppets"-era Metallica with Maiden's "The Trooper" with Paul Stanley's vocals sent on a trip through Hell and you'll have DoP, I think. The only thing keeping me from giving DoP a perfect score is that I don't always feel like Iced Earth has given me a hard enough kick in the balls. Maybe the atmosphere of the songs are a little too serious. Maybe it's the precision production. Maybe its because my nuts are numb.

Prime cuts:
Disc 1--Angels Holocaust, Pure Evil, Stormrider
Disc 2--Burnt Offerings, Desert Rain, Travel in Stygian

Score = 9 of 10

--Nailer 9.30.03