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ICED EARTH – THE DARK SAGA
1996 Century Media
THE DARK SAGA is a great album because it features amazing songs, dark lyrics and great guitar riffs. It's a concept album about Todd McFarlane's character Spawn. While Spawn is now widely known, back in 1996 he was more underground. What was amazing was that it was the best-selling comic book in the world. THE DARK SAGA chronicles in 10 songs the story of how Al Simmons became Spawn and how he goes through hell and back. Even the album art is from the cover of a Spawn comic. Vocalist Matthew Barlow puts a lot of passion into singing these songs, which in my opinion makes this one of Iced Earth's best albums. Some lyrics are lifted directly from the first issues of the comic itself.

The music is bare-bones, no-frills Power Metal riffing by the riff-master Jon Schaffer, with killer leads supplied by Randall Shawver. Pretty much the entire album is classic material, no filler songs, no instrumentals, no bullshit. Some of the best songs include "Dark Saga," "I Died For You," "Violate" and many others. The production of the album is supplied by none other than Jim Morris. I would say that Iced Earth had a real hand in making Spawn popular throughout the Metal community. The character got so popular that McFarlane was able to make a very successful feature film, released by New Line Cinema in August 1997. It would have been great if Iced Earth had been featured prominently on the soundtrack, but sadly they were not. Iced Earth have taken heat in the past for being too bread-and-butter in their approach to Power Metal, but I think they are one of the truest Metal bands of all-time. All their material is recommended.
DISCOGRAPHY:
ICED EARTH (1991) Century Media
NIGHT OF THE STORMRIDER (1992) Century Media
BURNT OFFERINGS (1995) Century Media
THE DARK SAGA (1996) Century Media
DAYS OF PURGATORY (1997) Century Media
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (1998) Century Media
THE MELANCHOLY EP (1999) Century Media
ALIVE IN ATHENS (LIVE) (1999) Century Media
HORROR SHOW (2001) Century Media
DARK GENESIS (BOX SET) (2001) Century Media
by Dr. Metal