ICED EARTH — Enter the Realm (review)

ICED EARTH — Enter the Realm album cover Demo · 1988 · US Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Enter the Realm" is a demo release by US power metal act Iced Earth. The demo was originally released on cassette tape in April 1989. Iced Earth was formed by guitarist Jon Schaffer under The Rose monicker in 1984. Soon after the band name was changed to Purgatory and the 1985 "Psychotic Dreams" demo was recorded using that name. In 1988 the band name was changed to Iced Earth. "Enter the Realm" is the only demo released before the band was signed by Century Media Records for the release of their 1990 eponymously titled debut full-length studio album.

"Enter the Realm" features 6 tracks and a total playing time of 21:43 minutes. 4 of the 6 tracks would be re-recorded and featured on the band´s debut album. Only the short title track intro and "Nightmares" are exclusive to this demo, although both would appear in re-arranged/re-recorded versions on the 1997 "Days of Purgatory" compilation album.

Stylistically Iced Earth already had a clear vision of how they wanted to sound, and the skills to produce music to equal their vision. US power metal featuring sharp heavy metal riffs and the occasional hard edged thrash tinged riff, intricate lead guitar/harmony guitar sections, a pounding rhythm section (on this release the drums are almost painfully simple and a little tedious though), and a raw sounding, although still melodic lead vocalist in front. The band master both hard rocking sections, hard edged thrashy parts, and the more epic and melodic moments with equal amounts of conviction.

"Enter the Realm" is a very well produced demo release, and it could well have been released as a professional studio recording. It´s not often you´ll hear demo recordings from that time of this quality. It´s no wonder the 1000 copies which were originally produced were sold out quickly. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion Black Metal
PANZERFAUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Facilis Descensus Averno Death Metal
SAEVUS FINIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Merciless Crossover Thrash
BODY COUNT
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 5 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed