Iced Earth - Via Funchal – São Paulo – February 6TH , 2010
By: Daniel Croce Pictures: Daniel Croce
How many years, indeed? For me that would be easily 12. More than a decade waiting, actually since what I call: “the raise of American heavy metal”, the “takeover”, there by the 90’s endings, re-forming what we’d call a “scene”, and conquering again respect by media. It is very known that the 90’s were not good for metal at all, by the way, the worst years ever for one to perform old school traditional metal, power, progressive, and everything else not “aligned” to the so called “nu metal”. And the funniest thing of all: also the new metal bands despised the name “metal” as surname to their labels, for they wanted to be at the top of fashion, trending, and, com’on, “metal” is not fashion, nor a trend anymore. In my humble ways of seeing things, there are 3 great bands which are still active today with many years of respect and reknown by their fans, being directly responsible for ignoring that time’s fashion, just doing what they were born and meant to: Dream Theater, Symphony X and Iced Earth.
And this last one, more than 10 years later, being part of a business to take back “what is ours”, finally arrived here. And when I say more than ten years ago, it’s because is exactly the timeline when we started to import CDs for an unbelievable price - right before US dollar’s raise here in January 99’ – or Brazilian companies started to represent Foreigner Record labels here, such as Laser Company, Hellion, and from 96 to 98, there was a vast consume of music comprehending two Iced Earth’s masterpieces inside these 3 years: “Dark Saga” and “Something Wicked this Way Comes”.
And for sure, there was a bag full of emotions, restrained within these last 12 years, inside each human being, amongst a few of thousand people forming the lynch mob on the night of Feb 6th, at the concert hall located at vila Olímpia, São Paulo’s southern zone. I had this great privilege and opportunity not to only being´ given free pass as a reporter, but also as a photographer at the eleventh hour, which grants you the right to be placed beyond audience’s front row, at stage’s edge, where measurements and song’s grandiloquence become even more deadly to ears and eyes, and these feelings, incubated for years, take “Olympic” dimensions, playing with words using that neighborhood's name. And indeed, it’s far intimidating putting your eyes on that ginger but yet bald figure of Mr. Matthew Barlow, even it’s an odd thing to notice that Mr. Jon Schaffer has long and grey hair and beard, songwriting partners at an almost perfection level, and brothers in Law at the eyes of USA’s justice court (once Matt is married to Jon’s sister). Not to forget mentioning that for journalistic reasons, at the end of the day, you’ll be paying attention to the supporting band, always a nemesis to Iced Earth for it’s everchanging line-up to every record and tour (but the big boss Schaffer seems not to care much about this, once he can hold his own back, perfectly), now comprised by Brent Smedley on drums (a long time member of this family, even with his comes and goes) and by the freshmen Troy Seele on lead , and Freddie Vidales on bass and backing vocals (notably happy and singing along every song, even far from the mic, probably enjoying very much his duties there). I did miss a keyboard player, even “samplers” were missing, and they are always useful to cover a few lacks. But honestly, when you have a man with Barlow’s firepower and the mythical figure of his brother in Law leading the troops, WHAT THE HELL, WHO CARES?
Impossible to write something about Iced Earth and not notice and get SHOCKED with their vocalist’s tone and range. Not even a tenor he is, and I guess he has not been warned about it, as matter of fact, he’s caring a little or nothing for this because he can actually do WHATEVER HE WANTS with his voice (and soon, in March 2010, he’ll turn 40 years old, he’s not a kid anymore).
As I said, Jon Shaffer's figure poses as a respectful one for the leadership aura he emanates, and Barlow’s figure shows us, the listener and fan, a massive dose of incredulity when we attend their concert. He has not been warned, also, about the previous figure who fitted his shoes a few years ago, another MONSTER responding by the name of TIM “ripper” Owens (not mere coincidence, my first matter of subject in this website), and HE IS, indeed, a regular and well known heavy metal tenor. God, devil, malebolgia, Angela, AL simmons, whoever knows what this man does, eats, drinks, studies or worships to flow along octaves as easy as a spring morning walk, from a doomy low end to high pitched notes piercing your ears. He did deserve an essay solely for him AND FOR HIM ONLY, but that’s not the place and time XD.
For those who had read my Ripper Owens’ report, it was clear I’m a big fan. And I confess, I did criticize the whole “nepotism” thing coming from “El big boss” Schaffer, by bringing his relative back to the band, whenever he wanted to, no further explanations, acting with such disregard to Owens’s feelings, even though this decision brought a big smile back to Iced Earth’s fans and also themselves of course. Worse: He did wrote a two parted story, giving continuation to the “trilogy of the wicked”, in form of two albums: the first one sung by a guy, and the final half sung by another one ( o.0 ). As far as I know, Iced Earth is not Ayreon, where each record is a selection of stars and special guests, chosen one by one by Mr Lucassen and then their job is over, but in fact, a band seeking consistence throughout the years and a solid long lived line up. But I guess we have to say sorry to Tim Ripper, for the fact that years of emotions locked within our very cores, ended speaking a little louder than these subjects, as we wanted to scream our lungs out to Matt: “hey, you asshole, why did you EVER leave?”
Sure this could be not different, evening's gig was open with two initial tracks from “Crucible of Man”: “In Sacred Flames” and “Behold the Wicked Child”, but immediately followed by the sung-along and unquestionable “something wicked...” opening track: “Burning Times”, fused with another opening track, but this time from Owens’ first album “The Glorious Burden”, the SUPER nationalist “Declaration Day”, but none less beautiful and emotional, proving since the very beginning that Barlow shall fear NO EVIL of his past ghosts, neither something done by another Singer as powerful as he is. Besides, these songs blending are THE Best for the ones who are working at front row taking pictures, since the security personnel just don´t know where a song ends and the other starts, so we can stick around for a time even much longer than 3 or 4 songs ( lol ). Awesome moment is seeing big boss taking place as lead singer in “Stormrider”, but we all know he always does that. The concert wasn’t that lasting, around one and a half hour long , but it was exactly what I was waiting for: a pout pourri chosen by finger comprising all band’s career, not picking an album or two as main favorites, but always playing what for sure is long waited as a concert hit one, mostly IF they come from those two albums which I talked about up there in my forewords.
Kinda running in circles writing useless words about “Dark Saga”, mostly IF you were a Spawn fan at teenagehood. I defy both band and Todd Mcfarlane’s comics true fan, not to hear “a Question of Heaven” and do not feel the shivers and anguish of hellspawn AL simmons himself. For me, it was an impossible thing to do, for a knot has entangled and closed my throat, by seeing people singing those missing female parts, once they didn´t happen alive for reasons I spoke before: no keyboard player, no band samplers sync, and of course, no chick at the stage to perform it, this celebration was completed by as such acts as “Ten Thousand Strong” (originally by Ripper Owens), “The Dark Saga” (the track one), “Melancholy-Holy Martyr”, “My Own Saviour”, “Violate” (with an excerpt of “The Trooper” as waited for, from the band... you know exactly what) and more-than-obvious “Trilogy of the Wicked” in entire version, “Dracula”, The Hunter” and closing with “Iced Earth”. Audience has rehearsed a choir for “Watching Over Me”, there were band’s talkings and negotiations with drummer Smedley, but he seemed not secure to play it for us as bonus track. Sorry folks, we lost one =\
My last words go respectfully and obviously to Mr Matthew Barlow, once I cannot give him an entire report: “good fella, I do realize what you’ve been thru, what you felt and thought about September 11th, but be sure of one thing: metal and music as whole, they won a lot with you INSIDE the business than OUTSIDE it”.
HARD BLAST THANKS MIRIAM MARTINEZ AND VIA FUNCHAL FOR ALL SUPPORT GIVEN.
