Dystopia (Iced Earth album)
Encyclopedia
Dystopia is the tenth studio album
from American
heavy metal
band Iced Earth
. Released on October 17, 2011, it's the band's first album with vocalist Stu Block
, who joined after former vocalist Matt Barlow
left the band for a second time on August 6, 2011.
The album was recorded during the summer of 2011 at Morrisound Recording
, with co-producer Jim Morris, who has worked with band on most of their studio efforts. Some of the recording and mixing process was chronicled in five "making of" -episodes, released between September 16 and October 21. While not a concept album, many of the albums songs are inspired by dystopian themes and films, very much like the groups 2001 album Horror Show
, which was largely inspired by horror movies and similar subjects. Two of the albums songs ("Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph") also feature the return of band leader Jon Schaffer
's "Something Wicked
" -storyline which has appeared on many of the bands previous albums.
During its first week the album sold over 6,000 copies in the United States
and charted in many countries, such Germany
, Finland
and the UK
. The album was met with a very positive response, with some calling it one of Iced Earth's best albums. Many also praised Stu Block's vocal performance and his wide range.
issued a statement on the band's official website, stating that he was retiring from the band (for a second time) in order to spend more time with his family. Barlow was still going to take part in the bands upcoming festival gigs during the summer, and he played his final show with Iced Earth on August 6th, at the Wacken
-festival in Germany
.
Shortly after announcing Barlow's departure from the band, Iced Earth announced that Into Eternity -frontman Stu Block
had been chosen as the bands new lead vocalist. In an interview with "Hard Force TV," band leader and rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer
told how he was introduced to Stu Block:
In the same interview, Stu Block told how he got the gig in Iced Earth:
, Dark City, Soylent Green
, and Equilibrium
. Two of the albums songs ("Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph") also feature the return of the "Something Wicked
" -storyline and the bands mascot Set Abominae previously featured on previous albums Something Wicked This Way Comes, Overture of the Wicked
, Framing Armageddon
and The Crucible of Man
. According to Jon Schaffer and Stu Block, writing the lyrics was basically the two of them drinking beer and watching movies. A lot of the writing was done, according to Block, at Schaffer's home studio in Indiana
. In an interview with "The Aebyss," Block talked about writing the lyrics:
The album was recorded at Morrisound Recording
between May and July with producer Jim Morris, who has worked as producer/co-producer and occasional musician on all of the bands albums from Burnt Offerings
on (his brother Tom Morris produced the bands first two albums). On July 13th, Jon Schaffer posted an update from the studio stating that they were currently master tracking the album in Florida
.
Between September 16 and October 21 the band released five "making of" -episodes chronicling the making of Dystopia. During these episodes we saw the recording and mixing process' of "Dark City," "Anthem" and "Tragedy and Triumph."
On the origin of the idea of continuing the "Something Wicked" -storyline, Schaffer said:
"Dystopia" is also one of Jon Schaffer's and Stu Block's favorite tracks on the album.
On October 6, "Dystopia" was released on Revolver magazine's
official website.
On October 28, the music video
for "Dystopia" was released.
Block further described "Anthem" in his interview on "The Aebyss":
"Anthem" (along with "Days of Rage"), was released early on promotional CD that came with the October 2011 issue of Rock Hard
magazine.
The music video for "Anthem" will be filmed at Cologne, Germany
on December 7, 2011, during the band's World Dystopia Tour
.
, and is terminal. In his interview, Block describes the song:
In an interview on "The Aebyss", Schaffer was asked if "Tragedy and Triumph" will be the end of the "Something Wicked Saga", to which he replied:
"Tragedy and Triumph" is also one of Schaffer's and Stu Blocks favorite tracks on the album. Block talked about the song in an interview.
and on October 18 in the US.
On September 7, the band released a new re-recording of the song "Dante's Inferno
," from their album Burnt Offerings. This was the first Iced Earth -song with vocalist Stu Block to be released to the public.
"Anthem" and "Days of Rage" was released early on promotional CD that came with the October 2011 issue of Rock Hard magazine.
On October 6, the title-track was released on Revolver magazine's official website.
The album was released via Century Media Records
on October 17 in Europe, and on October 18 in the US. The album was made available as a normal CD, a gatefold LP
and as a digital download
as well as two limited editions. The first is a limited digipak
that includes two bonus tracks, a slipcase, and a printed patch. The second is a limited deluxe box set containing the limited digipak with the printed patch and bonus tracks, as well as a belt buckle, a lighter, a wrist band, a printed patch, a beer coaster, and a set of 3 buttons
.
The album was followed by a massive world tour, which kicked off on October 30, 2011 in Bochum
, Germany. Prior to the albums release, the tour was named "the most extensive world tour Iced Earth has ever undertaken" and that it would take the band "to countries it has never previously played."
So far, 36 European
, 7 South American
, 2 Australian
and 37 North American
tour dates have been confirmed.
On October 16, the band announced Fury UK
and White Wizzard
as the supporting acts for the European leg of the tour. On October 31, Iced Earth announced a co-headlining tour across North America with Symphony X
, with supporting act Warbringer
, who will also be supporting Iced Earth at their own shows across North America.
, maybe even better than that," while Max Lussier from "The Newreview" called the album "easily the best thing to come from the IE camp in nearly a decade." Caj Källmalmm from "Hallowed" also called Dystopia "by far the best full length album from Iced Earth."
Many of the songs, such as the title track, "Anthem" and "Tragedy and Triumph", have been praised. Mape Ollila described the title-track as "a fast, classic Iced Earth composition" and Juha Attola from "Kaaos" called it "familiar Iced Earth." The title-track was also one of "Allmusic's" track picks. Caj Källmann named "Anthem" as one the albums best songs and Chad Bowar from "About
" described it as "appropriately enough, anthemic." Keith Chachkes of "Metal Army America" also called "Anthem" "a rousing call to arms against hypocrisy and sycophants who seem to be overrunning the world these days." Jay Brown from "Ultimate Guitar" named "Tragedy and Triumph" his favorite track on the album, while Ollila called the track "one of the biggest rally's
of Iced Earth's career", and that it makes "an over aged fan boy do a one man circle pit across his living room."
Many have also praised Stu Block's performance as the new lead vocalist. Jay Brown felt that Stu Block "makes himself at home as Iced Earth's new singer on Dystopia." Caj Källmalmm called his vocals "very much like Matt Barlow['s], but much better." Mark Gromen from "Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
" praised Block on how he shows off "his ability to tread the lines of both Tim "Ripper" Owens and Matt Barlow, yet make the song his own"while Chad Bowar also praised Block on how he "brings a varied performance, and delivers the lyrics convincingly no matter if it's an aggressive lower pitched section, traditional singing or belting it out." Keith Chachkes also said that "Stu Block steps right in and does a fantastic job."
On the other hand, some have criticized the album. Juha Attola criticized the album for being too much like the bands previous outputs, but still gave positive feedback of Stu Block's vocals. In the end Attola "was left with a somewhat subdued image of the album", but recommended it for "fans of the band, and for anyone who likes traditional heavy metal." Baz Anderson from "Metal Storm
" also recommended the album as "a confidence-boosting album that will be much appreciated and gladly received by anyone with an interest in this long-running and respectable band," but also said that the album "doesn't go beyond being just good."
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
from American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Iced Earth
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio albums, one live album, three EP's, two compilations and boxsets...
. Released on October 17, 2011, it's the band's first album with vocalist Stu Block
Stu Block
Stuart Block is a Canadian musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Commonly known as Stuie.B, or simply, Stu, he is the vocalist for heavy metal bands Iced Earth and Into Eternity. He has a large vocal range, utilizing styles from death growls to higher raspier shrieks which are common...
, who joined after former vocalist Matt Barlow
Matt Barlow
Matthew Barlow is an American heavy metal singer and police officer. He is the former lead singer for Iced Earth. He is Jon Schaffer's brother-in-law.-History:...
left the band for a second time on August 6, 2011.
The album was recorded during the summer of 2011 at Morrisound Recording
Morrisound Recording
Morrisound Recording is an audio recording facility in Temple Terrace, Florida, owned and operated by brothers Jim and Tom Morris. Since its opening in 1981, Morrisound has been responsible for the popularization of genres such as heavy metal and death metal, but of course caters to every genre of...
, with co-producer Jim Morris, who has worked with band on most of their studio efforts. Some of the recording and mixing process was chronicled in five "making of" -episodes, released between September 16 and October 21. While not a concept album, many of the albums songs are inspired by dystopian themes and films, very much like the groups 2001 album Horror Show
Horror Show (album)
Horror Show is the debut EP by Springfield, IL rock band The Graduate. The album was self-produced and released independently in May 2006. After the CD's release, The Graduate were signed to Icon MES Records.- Track listing :# "Sit & Sink" - 3:34...
, which was largely inspired by horror movies and similar subjects. Two of the albums songs ("Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph") also feature the return of band leader Jon Schaffer
Jon Schaffer
Jon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...
's "Something Wicked
Something Wicked Saga
The Something Wicked Saga is a fictional story featured in the works of American heavy metal guitarist Jon Schaffer from the band Iced Earth. The saga is a tale that begins with the origins of man, by way of descension upon the primitive Setian race, all the way to its downfall as paved by the...
" -storyline which has appeared on many of the bands previous albums.
During its first week the album sold over 6,000 copies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and charted in many countries, such Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The album was met with a very positive response, with some calling it one of Iced Earth's best albums. Many also praised Stu Block's vocal performance and his wide range.
Matt Barlow's departure and the addition of Stu Block
On March 3, 2011, Iced Earth -vocalist Matt BarlowMatt Barlow
Matthew Barlow is an American heavy metal singer and police officer. He is the former lead singer for Iced Earth. He is Jon Schaffer's brother-in-law.-History:...
issued a statement on the band's official website, stating that he was retiring from the band (for a second time) in order to spend more time with his family. Barlow was still going to take part in the bands upcoming festival gigs during the summer, and he played his final show with Iced Earth on August 6th, at the Wacken
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
-festival in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Shortly after announcing Barlow's departure from the band, Iced Earth announced that Into Eternity -frontman Stu Block
Stu Block
Stuart Block is a Canadian musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Commonly known as Stuie.B, or simply, Stu, he is the vocalist for heavy metal bands Iced Earth and Into Eternity. He has a large vocal range, utilizing styles from death growls to higher raspier shrieks which are common...
had been chosen as the bands new lead vocalist. In an interview with "Hard Force TV," band leader and rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer
Jon Schaffer
Jon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...
told how he was introduced to Stu Block:
"Robert Kampf, the guy whose one of the CEO's at Century MediaCentury Media RecordsCentury Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
, told me to check out Stu. And so I looked at a couple of the Into Eternity -videos and I really liked the presence, the look in his eyes, the passion. I wasn't sure about the voice at that point, if it was the right thing, because he was singing pretty differently in Into Eternity, so, you know, the next step was to get in contact and get him out there for an audition. And that's what we did."
In the same interview, Stu Block told how he got the gig in Iced Earth:
"Well, basically, you know, I got a phone call from a Century Media -representative, and of course I, you know, they had told me who was looking for a singer and I was totally happy, I was, I was actually impressed that they would think of me. And so I got Jon's phone number, and I phoned him and we hit it off on the phone and I was sent some instrumental tracks [of] older songs. I recorded them, sent them to him. I don't have the best recording skills in the world, so he needed to hear more, you know, behind a better microphone, and all that kind of stuff, so he flew me out and we wrote two songs together, "End of Innocence" and "Dark City," which are now on the album. So basically, after that experience, he also needed someone who could contribute to the writing also, so, I mean, I've got a fairly decent grasp on how to write a verse and how to, you know, I can listen for different chorus melodies and all that kind of stuff, so. It's was a great match, it was really great chemistry right away and then he offered me the job and I of course said yes, because it's a great opportunity. I've been a fan of Iced Earth ever since Burnt OfferingsBurnt OfferingsBurnt Offerings may mean:Burnt offering, a form of animal sacrifice.Capitalized*Burnt Offerings , a 1973 novel by Robert Marasco...
, so. I think it was a great experience and a great match."
Writing and recording
Although not a concept album, many of the lyrics are inspired by dystopian themes and movies, such as V for VendettaV for Vendetta (film)
V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian thriller film directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. It is an adaptation of the V for Vendetta comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd...
, Dark City, Soylent Green
Soylent Green
Soylent Green is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Charlton Heston, the film overlays the police procedural and science fiction genres as it depicts the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman in a dystopian future suffering from pollution,...
, and Equilibrium
Equilibrium (film)
Equilibrium is a 2002 American science fiction action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer. It stars Christian Bale as John Preston, a warrior-priest and enforcement officer in a future dystopia where both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and citizens take daily injections of drugs...
. Two of the albums songs ("Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph") also feature the return of the "Something Wicked
Something Wicked Saga
The Something Wicked Saga is a fictional story featured in the works of American heavy metal guitarist Jon Schaffer from the band Iced Earth. The saga is a tale that begins with the origins of man, by way of descension upon the primitive Setian race, all the way to its downfall as paved by the...
" -storyline and the bands mascot Set Abominae previously featured on previous albums Something Wicked This Way Comes, Overture of the Wicked
Overture of the Wicked
- Personnel :*Jon Schaffer – rhythm & lead guitars, bass guitar, backing vocals*Tim Owens – lead vocals*Tim Mills – lead guitar*Brent Smedley – drums...
, Framing Armageddon
Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1
- Personnel :*Jon Schaffer - Lead/Rhythm/Acoustic Guitars; Bass Guitars; Backing Vocals*Tim "Ripper" Owens - Lead/Backing Vocals*Brent Smedley - Drums/Backing Vocals-Additional personnel:*Troy Seele - Guitar Solos...
and The Crucible of Man
The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2
- Additional information :* The booklet that came with the album included lyrics and illustrations for each song, except for the song "The Revealing", which was altogether not included in the booklet....
. According to Jon Schaffer and Stu Block, writing the lyrics was basically the two of them drinking beer and watching movies. A lot of the writing was done, according to Block, at Schaffer's home studio in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. In an interview with "The Aebyss," Block talked about writing the lyrics:
"Every day, at the end of the day, if we wanted to write a song about a movie, lets say for instance V for Vendetta, I think we were eating pork rindsPork rindPork rind , is the fried or roasted skin of a pig. Frying melts most of the fat from the pork rind...
, drinking some beer and I had a pad of paper and a pencil and we'd just watch the movie jot notes down about the plot and certain things, ideas and all that kind of stuff. And the next morning I'd wake up and start writing to the music."
The album was recorded at Morrisound Recording
Morrisound Recording
Morrisound Recording is an audio recording facility in Temple Terrace, Florida, owned and operated by brothers Jim and Tom Morris. Since its opening in 1981, Morrisound has been responsible for the popularization of genres such as heavy metal and death metal, but of course caters to every genre of...
between May and July with producer Jim Morris, who has worked as producer/co-producer and occasional musician on all of the bands albums from Burnt Offerings
Burnt Offerings (album)
Burnt Offerings is American heavy metal band Iced Earth's third album, released April 18, 1995, by Century Media Records. This album marked the introduction of vocalist Matt Barlow and was the only Iced Earth album featuring drummer Rodney Beasley...
on (his brother Tom Morris produced the bands first two albums). On July 13th, Jon Schaffer posted an update from the studio stating that they were currently master tracking the album in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Between September 16 and October 21 the band released five "making of" -episodes chronicling the making of Dystopia. During these episodes we saw the recording and mixing process' of "Dark City," "Anthem" and "Tragedy and Triumph."
Dystopia
The album's title track features the return of the "Something Wicked" -storyline and the bands mascot Set Abominae. In an update on the bands official website, Jon Schaffer told how "Dystopia" fits in to the "Somethin Wicked Saga":"The opening song is a step back timeline-wise from the 'Come What MayThe Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2- Additional information :* The booklet that came with the album included lyrics and illustrations for each song, except for the song "The Revealing", which was altogether not included in the booklet....
.' 'Come What May' sets the scenario that it's up to us and the decisions we make that will determine the future of the human race. These two songs ['Dystopia' and 'Tragedy and Triumph'] take place at a time when people are in highly controlled prison-like city states, and their eventual emancipation in the closer, 'Tragedy and Triumph'."
On the origin of the idea of continuing the "Something Wicked" -storyline, Schaffer said:
"I remember it hit me like a ton of bricks in '97, the whole 'Something Wicked' story did. I thought, 'Man, this is going to be so cool.' Many years later, we were on tour for 'Crucible' and we were doing an interview over in Eastern Europe. A buddy of mine said, 'You know, Jon, this whole 'Something Wicked' thing could be true.' I thought about it a moment and said, 'Well, I don't know about that. But there are some creepy parallels in contemporary life.' So as I was thinking about all of the great movies, albums, and books with dystopian themes, I remembered that conversation and it occurred to me that the 'Something Wicked' story could continue in a few tracks here very nicely"
"Dystopia" is also one of Jon Schaffer's and Stu Block's favorite tracks on the album.
On October 6, "Dystopia" was released on Revolver magazine's
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
official website.
On October 28, the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Dystopia" was released.
Anthem
The second track, "Anthem", is one of Stu Block's favorites on the album. In an interview with "Heavy Metal Thunder", Block talked about the song:"It's a very, very epic song. It celebrates life. It celebrates the human spirit. It's a celebration of people and I think that's a very good subject matter. It's a very catchy song."
Block further described "Anthem" in his interview on "The Aebyss":
"It's so positive. It touches on aspects of people's lives and it's just, you know, giving a really positive message, 'you have the key to your own success, you have the key to your own life, don't let anybody get you down and tell you what to do' kind of thing."
"Anthem" (along with "Days of Rage"), was released early on promotional CD that came with the October 2011 issue of Rock Hard
Rock Hard (magazine)
Rock Hard is a heavy metal magazine originally released in Germany. It was founded in 1983 by Holger Stratmann and is dedicated to all styles of rock and heavy metal. The magazine has independent offspring with the same name in France, Greece, Italy and Spain....
magazine.
The music video for "Anthem" will be filmed at Cologne, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on December 7, 2011, during the band's World Dystopia Tour
World Dystopia Tour
The World Dystopia Tour is a worldwide concert tour by the American heavy metal group Iced Earth, in support of their 2011 album Dystopia. The tour is also the first with new lead vocalist Stu Block, who joined the band in early 2011....
.
End of Innocence
Another one of Block's favorites, "End of Innocence" was written by Block for his mother, who is battling cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, and is terminal. In his interview, Block describes the song:
"It's a very, very close subject for me, and I'm very proud of this song. I'm proud to show it to my mother and I think, because it's coming from a very, very true place, the fans will connect to this."
Tragedy and Triumph
The last track on the album, "Tragedy and Triumph," is the second song to feature the "Something Wicked Saga." Jon Schaffer talked about "Tragedy and Triumph" as well as the title track:"The opening song is a step back timeline-wise from the 'Come What May'. 'Come What May' sets the scenario that it's up to us and the decisions we make that will determine the future of the human race. These two songs ['Dystopia' and 'Tragedy an Triumph'] take place at a time when people are in highly controlled prison-like city states, and their eventual emancipation in the closer, 'Tragedy and Triumph'."
In an interview on "The Aebyss", Schaffer was asked if "Tragedy and Triumph" will be the end of the "Something Wicked Saga", to which he replied:
"It's my wishful thinking I think, but, you know, at the end of the day that doesn't mean I won't write anything more. I mean the cool thing about the "Something Wicked" -story is that you can take any period of human history, and apply it to the "Something Wicked" -universe and come-up with a badass story to write about, so to say that there's never going to be anymore songs about it would be foolish, because I don't know that, I mean, I'm not thinking about the next record right now, you know. That'll come up in due time and I'll write about whatever I feel like. [That] is the right thing to do just like I always do. What that'll be I don't know, but I know I could tell hours and hours more stories related to the "Something Wicked Saga." That's easy. And it's actually fun to do it."
"Tragedy and Triumph" is also one of Schaffer's and Stu Blocks favorite tracks on the album. Block talked about the song in an interview.
"Tragedy and Triumph' is another great song about achieving your goals, about triumphing over diversity's in your life, people that struggle every day with things that they've been hit with."
Track Listing
Release
On July 27, the cover art and release dates for Dystopia were released. The album was announced to be released on October 17 in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and on October 18 in the US.
On September 7, the band released a new re-recording of the song "Dante's Inferno
Dante's Inferno (song)
"Dante's Inferno" is a song by the American heavy metal band Iced Earth. The song was originally released on the groups 1995 album Burnt Offerings, but was re-recorded in 2011, with the current line-up of the band...
," from their album Burnt Offerings. This was the first Iced Earth -song with vocalist Stu Block to be released to the public.
"Anthem" and "Days of Rage" was released early on promotional CD that came with the October 2011 issue of Rock Hard magazine.
On October 6, the title-track was released on Revolver magazine's official website.
The album was released via Century Media Records
Century Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
on October 17 in Europe, and on October 18 in the US. The album was made available as a normal CD, a gatefold LP
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
and as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
as well as two limited editions. The first is a limited digipak
Digipak
Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
that includes two bonus tracks, a slipcase, and a printed patch. The second is a limited deluxe box set containing the limited digipak with the printed patch and bonus tracks, as well as a belt buckle, a lighter, a wrist band, a printed patch, a beer coaster, and a set of 3 buttons
Pin-back button
A pin-back button or pinback button, pin button, button badge or simply pin-back, is a button or badge that can be temporarily fastened to the surface of a garment using a safety pin, or a pin formed from wire, a clutch or other mechanism...
.
World Dystopia Tour
Main article: World Dystopia TourWorld Dystopia Tour
The World Dystopia Tour is a worldwide concert tour by the American heavy metal group Iced Earth, in support of their 2011 album Dystopia. The tour is also the first with new lead vocalist Stu Block, who joined the band in early 2011....
The album was followed by a massive world tour, which kicked off on October 30, 2011 in Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
, Germany. Prior to the albums release, the tour was named "the most extensive world tour Iced Earth has ever undertaken" and that it would take the band "to countries it has never previously played."
So far, 36 European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, 7 South American
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, 2 Australian
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and 37 North American
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
tour dates have been confirmed.
On October 16, the band announced Fury UK
Fury UK
- Early History :Fury UK is a metal band based in Manchester, UK. The band was first formed around 2002 by Chris Appleton, lead guitarist & lead vocalist, whilst still in his early teens. The line-up was re-shaped several times over the early years, whilst still nothing more than a local band,...
and White Wizzard
White Wizzard
White Wizzard are an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. The band has released two EP's and two albums, Over the Top released in 2010, and Flying Tigers released in 2011.-History:...
as the supporting acts for the European leg of the tour. On October 31, Iced Earth announced a co-headlining tour across North America with Symphony X
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
, with supporting act Warbringer
Warbringer
Warbringer is an American thrash metal band. The band formed in 2004. Warbringer is signed to Century Media Records. Century Media signed Warbringer after seeing them at a local show in LA. Originally, a Century Media rep was at the show to see another LA thrash metal band but decided to sign...
, who will also be supporting Iced Earth at their own shows across North America.
Reviews
The response to the album has been mostly positive. Mape Ollila, from "Imperiumi," called the album "without a doubt Iced Earth's best album as whole since 1996's The Dark SagaThe Dark Saga
-European Limited Digipak bonus track:-2008 Slave to the Dark bonus tracks:-Credits :*Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, vocals*Matt Barlow – lead vocals*Randall Shawver – lead guitar*Dave Abell – bass guitar*Mark Prator – drums...
, maybe even better than that," while Max Lussier from "The Newreview" called the album "easily the best thing to come from the IE camp in nearly a decade." Caj Källmalmm from "Hallowed" also called Dystopia "by far the best full length album from Iced Earth."
Many of the songs, such as the title track, "Anthem" and "Tragedy and Triumph", have been praised. Mape Ollila described the title-track as "a fast, classic Iced Earth composition" and Juha Attola from "Kaaos" called it "familiar Iced Earth." The title-track was also one of "Allmusic's" track picks. Caj Källmann named "Anthem" as one the albums best songs and Chad Bowar from "About
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
" described it as "appropriately enough, anthemic." Keith Chachkes of "Metal Army America" also called "Anthem" "a rousing call to arms against hypocrisy and sycophants who seem to be overrunning the world these days." Jay Brown from "Ultimate Guitar" named "Tragedy and Triumph" his favorite track on the album, while Ollila called the track "one of the biggest rally's
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
of Iced Earth's career", and that it makes "an over aged fan boy do a one man circle pit across his living room."
Many have also praised Stu Block's performance as the new lead vocalist. Jay Brown felt that Stu Block "makes himself at home as Iced Earth's new singer on Dystopia." Caj Källmalmm called his vocals "very much like Matt Barlow['s], but much better." Mark Gromen from "Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
-External links:* *...
" praised Block on how he shows off "his ability to tread the lines of both Tim "Ripper" Owens and Matt Barlow, yet make the song his own"while Chad Bowar also praised Block on how he "brings a varied performance, and delivers the lyrics convincingly no matter if it's an aggressive lower pitched section, traditional singing or belting it out." Keith Chachkes also said that "Stu Block steps right in and does a fantastic job."
On the other hand, some have criticized the album. Juha Attola criticized the album for being too much like the bands previous outputs, but still gave positive feedback of Stu Block's vocals. In the end Attola "was left with a somewhat subdued image of the album", but recommended it for "fans of the band, and for anyone who likes traditional heavy metal." Baz Anderson from "Metal Storm
Metal Storm (webzine)
Metal Storm is a webzine specializing in various forms of heavy metal music. It is based in Tallinn, Estonia but caters to an international audience, symbolically recognized by the acquisition of an EU domain in 2008...
" also recommended the album as "a confidence-boosting album that will be much appreciated and gladly received by anyone with an interest in this long-running and respectable band," but also said that the album "doesn't go beyond being just good."
Sales and chart positions
During its first week, Dystopia sold 6,100 copies in the United States.| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | UK Rock Charts UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
18 |
| German Charts Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
23 | |
| Finnish Charts | 34 | |
| Austrian Charts Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
51 | |
| Swiss Charts Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
53 | |
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
67 | |
| Dutch Charts | 85 | |
| Belgian Charts Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
96 |
Iced Earth
- Jon SchafferJon SchafferJon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...
— rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, backing vocals, co-producer - Stu BlockStu BlockStuart Block is a Canadian musician from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Commonly known as Stuie.B, or simply, Stu, he is the vocalist for heavy metal bands Iced Earth and Into Eternity. He has a large vocal range, utilizing styles from death growls to higher raspier shrieks which are common...
— lead vocals - Troy Seele — lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Freddie Vidales — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Brent Smedley — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Other personnel
- Jim Morris - co-producer, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixerMixing engineerA mix engineer is the person responsible for incorporating all the different recorded elements of music to make the final version of a song. These mixing professionals have many years of experience and training with audio equipment which has enabled them to master the art of audio mixing...
, backing vocals - Howard Helm - backing vocals
- Lindsay Vitola - backing vocals (on "Anguish of Youth")
- BJ Ramone - assistantAssistantAssistant may refer to:* The Assistant , a hardcore band from NJ* Assistant , a software tool to assist in computer configuration* The Assistant , an MTV reality show* ST Assistant, a British tugboat-See also:...
- Jason "Black Bart" Blackerby - assistantAssistantAssistant may refer to:* The Assistant , a hardcore band from NJ* Assistant , a software tool to assist in computer configuration* The Assistant , an MTV reality show* ST Assistant, a British tugboat-See also:...
- Nathan Perry - cover and inner sleeve artCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
- Felipe Machado Franco - cover and inner sleeve artCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
- Carsten Drescher - layout