martindavey87 Covers albums. Love them or hate them, there’s just always something about them that sticks out like a sore thumb in a bands discography, whether they’re good or bad, they just “stand out”. Y’know? Some bands are great at covers, though. Metallica comes to mind. Maybe it’s because most of the songs they cover are obscure bands that nobody would have heard of otherwise, but they have a knack for basically taking a song and completely making it their own.

Then there’s Iced Earth. Theirs are not so good.

‘Tribute to the Gods’ is Iced Earth’s attempt at paying homage to the bands that inspired them. It was originally released in 2001 as part of the ‘Dark Genesis’ box set, but has since been released a number of times by itself. Not that that makes it any better or anything... just saying...

The thing is, Iced Earth just don’t really have the right sound that lends itself well to covers. I mean, they’ve kept their own guitar tones, Matt Barlow can sing really well, but none of it works well when comparing thrash-inspired power metal to hard rock like AC/DC or Blue Oyster Cult. Also, in all honesty, I find the choices of songs mostly lacklustre.

At best however, their cover of KISS’s ‘Creatures of the Night’ is pretty damn good, as is their Iron Maiden covers ‘The Number of the Beast’ and ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’, but honestly, they’re not really good enough to make me choose to listen to them of my own free will, and if anything it’s a simple case of the originals being better.

Never mind though, it’s a covers album, never really something to take too seriously in the first place. I originally got this with the aforementioned ‘Dark Genesis’ box set, so it wasn’t like I splashed out particularly on this release, which is good, because if I had I’d probably feel slightly perturbed right about now.

1967/ 1976 The definitive Heavy Metal album? Oh, my God! In fact this album have mame: "Tribute To The Gods" and sure KISS, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, B.O.C., Priest, Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper are between the Gods of heavy metal and Rock. No Purple or Zep in this album. Not a problem.

The start is with a great Proto power Metal song by a Glam Metal band...: KISS and his "Creatures Of The Night", a perfect opener in every Iced Earth album. This song is perfect for Iced Earth because also the original version is 100% Iced Earth(!!!). "The Number Of The Beast" (Iron Maiden) is another perfect song for Iced Earth, because very close to Iced Earth style and because this song is a natural habitat for Iced Earth. "Higway To Hell" (AC/DC) is not a Iced Earth style song and in this song Iced Earth seem to suffer from it (but everything really well disguised) as in "Burnin' For You" (B.O.C.). In these two songs the performances are saved by a perfect Matthew Barlow, a great Metal singer. Strangely also "God Of Thunder" (KISS) is another perfect song for Iced Earth. This song is too slow for them. But everyone seems to get excited, being able to move much of the same KISS! "Screaming For Vengeance" (Judas Priest): New arrangements... Exciter in mind... Indeed Exciter is both a song of Priest and a thrash band. With this version, two bands are thus bestowed. At the end this version, guitar sound apart, is not more different than the original version. Only that if Priest version is Proto Power metal... This version is Thrash metal!!! "Dead Babies" (Alice Cooper): This version is good but not conquest me also if please me very much. "Cities On Flame" (B:O.C.): Jon Schaffer recalls being a big fan of BOC by his sister, a great Metalgirl in the 70's. The booklet presents the explanations of why these songs have been chosen. I can only read admired. Well... Oh my God(!!!) this song is a perfect song for Iced Earth and not only because for Jon this song is included in one of his preferred album but also because this song is another song that Iced Earth have kept in mind in the composition of their songs (though totally different from this song). "It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock'n'Roll)" (AC/DC): Jon Schaffer in booklet writes (or rather says at the interviewer Lona dP Valencia): "If there's one song that's the motto for Iced Earth, it's this one". And, in fact, this is another song that Iced Earth play with unparalleled ease (P.s.: the pipes are replaced by the guitar that imitates the pipes!). "Black Sabbath" (Black Sabbath): to me it sounds strange to read thanks to Jon sister who loved the debut album by Black Sabbath. The first (slow) part is not proper Iced Earth type of music... But the band does not work in defensive manner, although it seems to suffer a little. The second (fast) part becomes good for Iced Earth only for the use of double bass drums and their partcular guitar riffs that have entered here. "Hallowed By Thy Name" (Iron Maiden)... Could have been written by Iced Earth!!! With this arrangement (if the arrangement changed) this song becomes 100% Prog Metal. Furthermore, "Hallowed By Thy Name" was a perfect song "Alive In Athens "!!!!

I'm not a fan of this type of albums. But in this summary I note that: Iced Earth can create an album that seems composed their songs. Then, and I'd scream: long life to Iced Earth, for better or worse, put all the songs here (Alice Cooper aside) are those that I would play in my band, if I had one. Besides with a track list so you would have "Tribute To The Gods" is not a beautiful album? So, in definitive I think that this album is a small masterpiece for all metallers in the world and in all Metal discographies!