Burnt Offerings (album)
Encyclopedia
Burnt Offerings is American
heavy metal
band Iced Earth
's third album, released April 18, 1995, by Century Media Records
. This album marked the introduction of vocalist Matt Barlow
and was the only Iced Earth album featuring drummer Rodney Beasley. The original album cover is of Lucifer
in the Ninth Circle from Gustave Doré
's series of engravings based on the work.
This album drew both ire and praise at the same time: anger from the European fans who felt betrayed that Iced Earth chose a different path musically, and in contrast, sold much higher in the USA than their previous albums. The arrival of Barlow began bringing influences from power metal
, though this album still retained most of the musical identity of thrash metal
from the bands previous albums.
As with Iced Earth
and Night of the Stormrider
, the 2001 remastered version has a new cover.
.
The case also comes with a small collection of art - supposedly hell
- and lyrics of all the songs.
. According to interviews with Jon Schaffer
, the title track is about the band's struggles with Century Media.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Iced Earth
Iced Earth
Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio albums, one live album, three EP's, two compilations and boxsets...
's third album, released April 18, 1995, by Century Media Records
Century Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
. This album marked the introduction of vocalist Matt Barlow
Matt Barlow
Matthew Barlow is an American heavy metal singer and police officer. He is the former lead singer for Iced Earth. He is Jon Schaffer's brother-in-law.-History:...
and was the only Iced Earth album featuring drummer Rodney Beasley. The original album cover is of Lucifer
Lucifer
Traditionally, Lucifer is a name that in English generally refers to the devil or Satan before being cast from Heaven, although this is not the original meaning of the term. In Latin, from which the English word is derived, Lucifer means "light-bearer"...
in the Ninth Circle from Gustave Doré
Gustave Doré
Paul Gustave Doré was a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. Doré worked primarily with wood engraving and steel engraving.-Biography:...
's series of engravings based on the work.
This album drew both ire and praise at the same time: anger from the European fans who felt betrayed that Iced Earth chose a different path musically, and in contrast, sold much higher in the USA than their previous albums. The arrival of Barlow began bringing influences from power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
, though this album still retained most of the musical identity of thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
from the bands previous albums.
As with Iced Earth
Iced Earth (album)
Iced Earth is the eponymous debut album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. It was released in November 1990 internationally and February 1991 in North America. The original release of this album had three different covers . This album was Mike McGill's only album with Iced Earth, as well as...
and Night of the Stormrider
Night of the Stormrider
-Personnel:*Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, producer*John Greely – vocals*Randall Shawver – lead guitar, solo*Dave Abell – bass guitar*Rick Secchiari – drumsAdditional personnel*Roger "The Hammer" Huff – keyboardsProduction...
, the 2001 remastered version has a new cover.
Limited Edition
A limited edition copy has also been released, containing two CD's - one a rough mix, and one of the regular recording - with black marks representing an LPLP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
.
The case also comes with a small collection of art - supposedly hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
- and lyrics of all the songs.
Interpretation
Burnt Offerings is said to have been written during a time of turmoil and anger, particularly focusing on a dispute with the band's then record label, Century Media RecordsCentury Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
. According to interviews with Jon Schaffer
Jon Schaffer
Jon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...
, the title track is about the band's struggles with Century Media.
Track listing
Some re-releases of the CD incorrectly list the three movements of "Dante's Inferno" as separate tracks 9-11. These are actually the three components which make up the song and this is a labelling error.2008 Slave to the Dark Bonus Disc
Band members
- Jon SchafferJon SchafferJon Ryan Schaffer is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. He is the founder of the heavy metal band Iced Earth. He was nominated for the title "Riff Lord" at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.-Biography:...
− rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocals, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Matthew Barlow − lead vocals
- Randall Shawver − lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Dave Abell − bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Rodney Beasley − drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Song Information
- "Burnt Offerings" incorporates a call-and-answer style vocal technique with Jon Schaffer and Matt Barlow. This is similar to "Desert Rain" on the previous album, Night of the StormriderNight of the Stormrider-Personnel:*Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, producer*John Greely – vocals*Randall Shawver – lead guitar, solo*Dave Abell – bass guitar*Rick Secchiari – drumsAdditional personnel*Roger "The Hammer" Huff – keyboardsProduction...
, in which Jon Schaffer and John Greely use the same approach. - The opening line to Burnt Offerings, "I was betrayed. Look what your God has done to me!" is taken from the 1992 movie, Bram Stoker's Dracula
- "Diary" is about a vampire.
- "Dante's Inferno" is Iced Earth's longest song yet, at 16 minutes and 26 seconds. It is based on InfernoInferno (Dante)Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy. It is followed by Purgatorio and Paradiso. It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through what is largely the medieval concept of Hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem, Hell is depicted as...
the first part of Dante Alighieri'sDante AlighieriDurante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
epic poem The Divine ComedyThe Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
.
.