Well well well. The famous Iced Earth's EP sold in 45 minutes via Internet (I think it was 1500 copies at that time) is finally available through Century Media. Iced Earth is my favorite band, 'cause their heavy/power/thrash music & sound is unique. Iced Earth's guitars sound has been copied a thousand time, but it will belong forever to Mr. Jon Schaffer (guitar & songwriter). Some of you who have elected Demons & Wizards as one of the best record of 2001 will agree with me: Jon Schaffer is today one of the best heavy metal songwriter around. A genius!

On this EP, nothing really new for Iced Earth's fans (I have previously downloaded those songs from the official Iced Earth's website) If you still don't know this band (but I can't believe this!) and are a fan of the 80's, Iced Earth is the extension of Iron Maiden. Imagine Iron Maiden meeting Metallica and there is absolutely no copy cat here, because Jon Schaffer has created his own sound, his own music, his own ... metal style.

I won't go further describing Iced Earth, because this EP is only one face of Iced Earth and is not representative of their discography. However, inside this CD you will find one of the best ballad ever written by a metal band (the other one that comes to my mind is Metallica's Nothing Else Matters). It is called Melancholy (Holy Martyr) and is taken from their album Something Wicked This Way Comes (simply elected the best album in 1998 by lots of European countries, classic review will follow soon). Lyrics are very very strong and I suggest you take 5 minutes to carefully read these lyrics (find them on www.icedearth.com, discography).

There are two others Iced Earth's ballad in The Melancholy EP : Watching Over Me (this song talks about Schaffer's best friend who died when he was young and this song is taken from Something Wicked This Way Comes) & I Died For You (from Dark Saga album). They are both excellent!!! Shooting Star (Bad Company), Electric Funeral (Black Sabbath) and The Ripper (Judas Priest) are three wonderful covers. Mattew Barlow explodes everything on this EP with his vocals "à la" Paul Stanley. And when I say this guy sing like Paul Stanley (Kiss' singer), if you are a fan of Kiss and you have never heard Iced Earth before, you will simply don't believe ... this is NOT Paul Stanley singing.

Colors (from Alive in Athens sessions, but was not released on the live album) ended this EP. I could talk or write till the end of next millennium when it comes to Iced Earth ... so I will keep my fingers crossed for what should be one of the major event of 2001 :
The new full album of Iced Earth called Horror Show.