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1.  Dystopia
2.  Anthem
3.  Boiling Point
4.  Anguish of Youth
5.  V
6.  Dark City
7.  Equilibrium
8.  Days of Rage
9.  End of Innocence
10.  Tragedy & Triumph
11.  Anthem (String Mix)

Total playing time:  51:02

Release Date: October 17th 2011
Label: Century Media Records

Iced Earth - Dystopia

Reviewer: Garett

October 20, 2011

Iced Earth’s last three studio albums have been very polarizing, with opinions on their quality seemingly split down the middle.  The reasons for this divide have been documented to the point that there is really no reason for me go to into detail.  Personally, I liked parts of all three of those albums, but I felt that a bit of Iced Earth’s identity was getting lost in the Something Wicked concept.  Like many fans, I was chomping at the bit to hear what the reincarnated Matt Barlow fronted version of Iced Earth would do with that massive concept firmly behind them. That just wasn’t in the cards. The announcement that Barlow would once again be leaving the band left even the diehards scrambling for answers.

Enter Stu Block; the flamboyant frontman from Into Eternity, and the unlikely hero of this chapter of the Iced Earth story.   The decision to recruit Block left a lot of fans scratching their heads.  Known for his screeching falsetto, death metal change up, and over the top stage antics; Stu didn’t really look like a good fit on paper.  After hearing his performance on Dystopia, I can honestly say that I don’t think that Jon Schaffer could have made a better choice.  Block seems to have put a lot of work into his vocals, developing a style that is eerily similar to Matt Barlow’s classic mid-range, but also a lot more dynamic.

From a musical stand point, Dystopia is very much a back-to-basics album for Iced Earth.  The overblown theatrics that bogged down the Something Wicked albums are gone.  What remains is a hearty dose of Schaffer’s patented thrash-infused American power metal.  Mid-paced songs like the “Dystopia” and “Anthem” dominate the album, but there is a good deal of variety to be found.  “Dystopia” in particular is a fine example of the classic Iced Earth sound, and really shows off Block’s vocal abilities.  His new found mid-range dominates the song, but he makes strategic use of his falsetto adding just enough variety to put his personal stamp on it.  Through the duration of the album, Block reaches for the high end of his range just enough to spice things up, and his vocals never seem out of place.  Block’s vocals are accented at strategic points by a sprinkling of gang vocals.  This works really well and brings a bit of added punch to the more aggressive songs like “Boiling Point” and “Days of Rage.”  Iced Earth really goes on the offensive with those two songs, tapping into a more angry side of their style that I don’t think they have really successfully executed since The Dark Saga.  The inclusion of two ballads, “Anguish of Youth” and “End of Innocence,” further diversifies the album.  I tend to be pretty lukewarm on Iced Earth’s ballads, but both of these are competently done and do nothing to hurt the album.

Dystopia’s only real drawback is the back-to-basics approach that I mention earlier.  This is exactly what Iced Earth needed to do, but as a whole the album may be just a little too safe.  You have heard them do almost everything on here before, and do it just as well.  This is a collection of really good Iced Earth songs, and a great way to introduce the new vocalist to the fans.  It just seems to lack that little something that would catapult it from really good to great status.  Having said that, I do feel that everything was done exactly right to get the most out of this collection of songs.  The production is pristine, and a lot of thought seems to have gone into the track order.   

Dystopia should make a lot of Iced Earth fans happy.  It is the most consistently good album that they have done since Horror Show, and doesn’t really have a bad song on it.  Schaffer and company have given us an album that is a professional and classy sounding cross-section of everything that made Iced Earth great in the 90’s.  Dystopia might not make any of us forget about Night of the Stormrider, or Burnt Offerings, but it is a very enjoyable listen that left me with the feeling that Iced Earth still has a very bright future ahead of them.  It is also worth noting that the special edition of this album features two really good bonus tracks, and would be worth hunting down if you intend to purchase the album.