Something Wicked This Way Comes (Iced Earth album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Something Wicked This Way Comes
Type = studio
Artist = Iced Earth


Released = July 7, 1998
Recorded = Morrisound Studios Tampa, Florida
Genre = Power metal, heavy metal
Length = 61:56
Label = Century Media
Producer = Jim Morris
Reviews =
*Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:whuj6j7o71t0 link]
*The Metal Observer rating|10|10 [http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=204 link]
Last album = "Days of Purgatory"
(1997)
This album = "Something Wicked This Way Comes"
(1998)
Next album = "The Melancholy E.P."
(1999/2001)

"Something Wicked This Way Comes" is American heavy metal band Iced Earth's fifth album, released on July 7, 1998, by Century Media Records. It is the band's first album featuring lead guitarist Larry Tarnowski, and also features the return of former studio drummer Mark Prator, who wasn't part of the band during re-recording sessions for "Days of Purgatory".

Track listing

tracklist

writing_credits = yes

title1 = Burning Times
length1 = 3:44
writer1 = Matt Barlow, Jon Schaffer

title2 = Melancholy (Holy Martyr)
length2 = 4:47
writer2 = Schaffer

title3 = Disciples of the Lie
length3 = 4:03
writer3 = Schaffer

title4 = Watching Over Me
length4 = 4:28
writer4 = Schaffer

title5 = Stand Alone
length5 = 2:44
writer5 = Barlow, Schaffer

title6 = Consequences
length6 = 5:36
writer6 = Schaffer

title7 = My Own Savior
length7 = 3:39
writer7 = Barlow, Schaffer, Jim Morris

title8 = Reaping Stone
length8 = 4:02
writer8 = Barlow, Schaffer, James MacDonough

title9 = 1776
length9 = 3:33
writer9 = Schaffer

title10 = Blessed Are You
length10 = 5:05
writer10 = Schaffer

title11 = Prophecy
length11 = 6:18
writer11 = Schaffer

title12 = Birth of the Wicked
length12 = 4:16
writer12 = Schaffer

title13 = The Coming Curse
length13 = 9:33
writer13 = Schaffer

Bonus tracks (2008 re-release)

tracklist

writing_credits = yes

title14 = Shooting Star
note14 = originally by Bad Company
length14 = 5:16
writer14 = Paul Rodgers

title15 = Electric Funeral
note15 = originally by Black Sabbath
length15 = 4:53
writer15 = Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward

title16 = The Ripper
note16 = originally by Judas Priest
length16 = 2:44
writer16 = Glenn Tipton

Bonus tracks (Japanese edition)

tracklist

lyrics_credits = yes

title14 = Stormrider (live)
lyrics14 = Schaffer
music14 = Randall Shawver, Schaffer
length14 = 4:48

Trivia

*The song "Watching Over Me" was written in memory of Bill Blackmon, a friend of Jon Schaffer's who had died in a motorcycle accident. He also suggested the name Iced Earth to Jon.
*The final three tracks of the album comprise the "Something Wicked" trilogy song cycle. It introduces Iced Earth's mascot, Set Abominae, and provides the backstory to the upcoming albums based on Set, , released in September of 2007, and . To keep a continuity between the original trilogy and the new albums, the band released an EP entitled "Overture of the Wicked" with the original song cycle re-recorded with then-current singer Tim "Ripper" Owens.
*The title of the album is a quotation of a phrase in William Shakespeare's Macbeth in Act IV Scene 1. The full line of the second witch says: "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
*The live version of "Stormrider" included as a bonus track on the Japanese release (As well as the 2008 reissue of Night of the Stormrider) was recorded at the 1998 Wacken Open Air festival.

Personnel

Iced Earth

*Jon Schaffer – lead & rhythm guitar, backing vocals
*Matthew Barlow – lead vocals
*James MacDonough – bass guitar

Guest appearances

*Larry Tarnowski – guitar solos on all tracks except "Watching Over Me"
*Mark Prator – drums
*Susan McQuinn – flute on "1776"
*Howard Helm – piano intro to "Coming Curse"
*Tracy Marie LaBarbera – backing vocals on "My Own Savior", "Melancholy", and "Watching Over Me"
*Jim Morris – producer, engineer, keyboards, guitar solo on "Watching Over Me", backing vocals
*Roger Hughes – mandolin on "Blessed Are You"