Iced Earth "Alive In Athens"

Alive in Athens is a live album by American heavy metal band Iced Earth. It was recorded on the nights of January 23 and January 24, 1999, in front of sold-out crowds of approximately 2000 people (on both nights) at the Rodon Club in Athens, Greece. Iced Earth was supporting the Something Wicked This Way Comes album and were on tour. It was turned into a single DVD, and released in October 2006. The album features the return of former drummer Brent Smedley, who did not record on the band's previous album.

At the conclusion of "Violate", the band plays the opening riff of "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden. "Colors" was also played at this concert, but was not included on the CD due to a track listing mix-up. It is, however, included on the reissue of The Melancholy E.P..

Next to the CD version, there also exists a vinyl box version. It was released in 1999 and contained five pictures of the band's albums. One had the Alive in Athens artwork, the other ones had the Night of The Stormrider, Dark Saga, Days of Purgatory and Something Wicked This Way Comes artwork. It came originally with an Alive in Athens poster signed by Jon Schaffer. This box had the same track list as the three-disc version.

In 2008, Century Media reissued the three-CD release in a limited mini-LP gatefold sleeve. It included "Colors" as a bonus track on disc two.

According to a 2003 post by Jon Schaffer, the album was certified Platinum in Greece.

Track listing

Disc I

1. "Burning Times" Barlow, Schaffer 4:06
2. "Vengeance Is Mine" Barlow Randall Shawver, Schaffer 4:42
3. "Pure Evil" Shawver, Schaffer 6:32
4. "My Own Savior" Barlow Schaffer, Jim Morris 3:42
5. "Melancholy (Holy Martyr)" Schaffer 4:55
6. "Dante's Inferno" Schaffer 16:23
7. "The Hunter" Schaffer 4:09
8. "Travel in Stygian" Schaffer 9:02
9. "Slave to the Dark" Schaffer 3:52
10. "A Question of Heaven" Schaffer 8:17

Disc II

1. "Dark Saga" Schaffer 4:02
2. "The Last Laugh" Barlow Shawver, Schaffer 4:38
3. "Last December" Schaffer 3:37
4. "Watching Over Me" Schaffer 4:53
5. "Angels Holocaust" Schaffer 4:31
6. "Stormrider" Schaffer Shawver, 4:50
7. "The Path I Choose" Shawver, Schaffer 5:44
8. "I Died for You" Schaffer 4:44
9. "Prophecy" Schaffer 6:10
10. "Birth of the Wicked" Schaffer 5:42
11. "The Coming Curse" Schaffer 8:56
12. "Iced Earth" Schaffer 6:58

Bonus track (2008 reissue)

1. "Colors" Shawver, Schaffer 5:13

Disc III

1. "Stand Alone" Barlow, Schaffer 3:30
2. "Cast in Stone" Barlow Shawver, Schaffer, Dave Abell 6:02
3. "Desert Rain" Schaffer, Abell 7:19
4. "Brainwashed" Shawver, Schaffer 5:12
5. "Disciples of the Lie" Schaffer 4:11
6. "When the Night Falls" Schaffer 7:47
7. "Diary" Barlow Shawver, Schaffer, Abell 5:52
8. "Blessed Are You" Schaffer 5:46
9. "Violate" Schaffer 3:53

Bonus material:

Iced Earth Backstage 04:21

Jon Schaffer in Athens 03:26

Recording information:

Recorded at "The Rodon" club in Athens, Greece on January 23rd and 24th 1999, even though the traycard and booklet photos are from an outdoors festival.